Point zéro des routes de France, Road marking at Parvis Notre-Dame - Place Jean-Paul II, France
Point Zero is a small bronze medallion set into the pavement in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral, marking the center point from which all road distances in France are measured. This metal disc with radiating lines indicates the official location where every kilometer across the country is calculated from.
The site once held a judicial execution post that was removed in the late 18th century. André Michelin placed the bronze medallion here in 1924 to establish a national reference system for road measurements.
The circular bronze marker symbolizes French engineering precision and serves as a reference point that cartographers rely on when measuring national roads.
The marker is located on the Parvis Notre-Dame in front of the cathedral and can be easy to miss since it sits flush with the ground. Look down carefully for a small circular bronze disc with raised line patterns when walking across this plaza.
The position of this bronze medallion was calculated and calibrated to within about one centimeter of accuracy. This made it the foundation for French cartography and later enabled highly precise road network planning across the entire country.
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