Everyone knows that the French Revolution was a historical and political event of global importance, but not everyone knows that it was also the era of the Metric Revolution. The French Revolution not only shook up the system of government in France, but also brought about far-reaching changes in the methods of measurement used.
In 1789, the revolutionary government of France faced a difficult challenge: each of the regions of a divided and disunited France had its own arbitrary system of measurement. The means of measurement were actually determined by the local leaders of each village and district (“who had not seen a drop of rain”)… according to the geographical nature of each region. And these were expressed in various and varied units of measurement such as: grain, denier (a unit of measurement for fibers and threads), ounces of each kind, and even the weight of grape waste after pressing (marc). The length of the “leg” used in Paris differed from that used in Besançon in the east France, while the volume of jugs and barrels was measured in boisseau (a volume equivalent to eight liters of our time).
To facilitate intercity trade and prevent confusion, the leaders of the revolution decided to establish a special committee to examine the issue of weights and measures in the Republic. The committee, headed by the greatest French scientists of the time, determined that France should adopt a new universal and logical measurement system that would be based on the “natural order of the universe.” To define the new longitude, a mission was appointed in 1792, headed by the two astronomers, Jean-Baptiste Delambert (Jean Baptiste Delambre 1749-1822) and Pierre Francois-Andre Mechain (Pierre Francois-Andre Mechain 1744-1804). Delambre and Mechain determined that henceforth the Earth would serve as the basis for measurement, and characterized the new measure of length as one ten millionth (1/10,000,000) of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator along the meridian of Paris.
Only a few years passed, and on April 1795, XNUMX, the National Assembly declared the meter (derived from the Greek word “Metron,” which means “measure”) as the accepted unit of length, and new standards, including units of weight (gram) and volume (liter). The unity of measures led to reliable trade and contributed to the economy and unification of France, and in fact, marked a new turning point, free from the corrupt monarchical rule that had been overthrown. The news of the “meter” quickly spread throughout France, and Napoleon’s conquests helped spread it throughout Europe. Napoleonic France was destined to fall, but the new order remained in place, as many countries accepted the logic behind the metric system and established it even after gaining their independence. Beyond the continent, the system also made a name for itself, and apart from a group of Anglo-Saxon countries that cling to this day, with stubborn refusal to accept inches and yards, the metric system is the most common throughout the world.
And back to 1796… In order to harness the French population and encourage the use of the new units of measurement, the revolutionary government decided to distribute the measuring instruments throughout the country and place them in busy and crowded places. From the beginning of 1796 to the end of 1797, about 16 public measuring instruments known as “Metre Etalon” were installed in Paris. The “Metre Etalon” were actually protruding marble ledges on which the size of a “meter” was defined, on which people could measure and also copy from. Of those 16 wonderful installations, only one has been preserved in its original location, a magnificent relic carved in stone to that “Metre Revolution”. Under the arcade at 36 rue Vaugirard, just across from the Senate building in the Luxembourg Palace, you will find the marble ledge with the inscription – METRE.
In fact, another standard also exists on the front of the Ministry of Justice, inPlace Vendome (13 place de la vendome), but unlike the first one, it is not the original location.
And it's impossible to write about the metric system without this immortal passage:
So as you approach the Luxembourg Gardens, you can go to the original “Mata Etalaun” and admire that revolutionary relic. And maybe even measure your waistline, and make sure you haven’t overindulged in the culinary sins of Paris…