French Quarter Courtyards — The Hidden City

The Great New Orleans Fire of 1788 and another in 1794 destroyed 80% of the city's buildings. When the Spanish rebuilt, they introduced fire codes that banned wooden siding in favor of brick covered in stucco, painted in the pastel hues fashionable at the time. But the still largely French population continued to build in similar styles, influenced by colonial architecture of the Caribbean. That hybrid produced one of the Quarter's defining paradoxes: the most beautiful architecture is invisible from the street. The courtyard form came from Spain via the Caribbean — an open-air room that creates shade, catches breezes, and provides privacy. Behind plain stucco facades and iron-gated carriageways are hundreds of interior courtyards with private gardens, fountains, and tiled patios. The courtyards explain why the Quarter seems so plain from the sidewalk. All the beauty faces inward. Many are now hotel lobbies or restaurant dining rooms. The best are still private. Peek through carriageway gates on Royal and Chartres Streets for the best views. Some hotels welcome non-guests to their courtyards — a rare chance to see what the fires and the Spanish building codes actually made.