HISTORIC PARIS

CLOCK TOWER, THE “POINTED TOWERS”
OF THE CONCIERGERIE AND THE FLOWER MARKET

[Frontispiece

BY JETTA S. WOLFF
WITH FIFTY-NINE ILLUSTRATIONS



LONDON
JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD LIMITED
NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY 1921

The Mayflower Press, Plymouth, England. William Brendon & Son, Ltd.

TO

FRANCE

THE BEAUTIFUL—THE VALIANT

THIS book, which I started many years ago, was set aside due to other commitments. However, I kept collecting notes during my long stay in Paris. When I saw the Marquis de Rochegude’s comprehensive work, which covered similar topics in greater detail, I was taken aback and thought briefly that my book might no longer be necessary. The large influx of English-speaking people drawn here by the great war, eager to learn about the history of the beautiful old buildings all around them, made me realize that a smaller English book was needed, so I got to work to finish the volume I had planned and started so long ago.

I had personally met and taken notes on most of the ancient "Stones of Paris" before I looked up any published references about them. When I finally did check those references, I found there were just too many sources to list here. I want to thank everyone who has published anything valuable on Old Paris; I've surely read their work with interest and it has helped me a lot. However, I must give special thanks to M. de Rochegude, because—while he was under pressure to get his book ready for publication—his reference work has been incredibly useful while I conducted my own research.

To my readers, I say take a look at what I've written, but use your own eyes and your own sharp observations to learn much more than I could capture here. Explore every courtyard in the old neighborhoods, pay close attention to every building along the winding streets, and don’t forget to look up at the roofs. The roofs are all different. They are beautifully unique. The builders of the past didn’t work in a mechanical way; they didn’t build streets that all looked the same, with every structure just like its neighbor, making one street barely different from another, as is common today. The builders of les jours d’antan loved their craft; every single house showcased some artistic feature. The roofs provided a wonderful canvas for architectural creativity: creatively designed windows, chimneys, balconies, and gables can often be found in unexpected places, all over Vieux Paris. Look up!—I can’t stress this enough. And inside every old hôtel—the French word for private house or mansion—check out each staircase. In designing a staircase, architects of the past found great opportunities for elegant lines and exquisite craftsmanship. Thus, wandering through even the darkest corners of la Ville Lumière will be a timeless joy for lovers of historical remnants.

This was a groundbreaking time even before the destruction caused by the terrible war that just ended. Valuable architectural and historical artifacts were cleared away to make room for new buildings. Since it has been impossible over the past few months to verify the current accuracy of notes made earlier, it's likely that some old structures mentioned here as still standing may no longer be there. But whether those locations are now empty spaces or occupied by newly built walls, they remain interesting as the sites where once stood a significant historic structure.

JETTA SOPHIA WOLFF.

[Some illustrations have been moved from inside paragraphs for easier reading. (note of e-text transcriber.)]

THE Louvre has been located on the same site since the early days of Paris and France. It started as a basic hunting lodge, built during the time of the rois fainéants—the "do-nothing" kings: a simple hut-like structure in the dark forest, which was haunted by wolves, north of the settlement on the islets of the Seine, known as Leutekia, the city of mud, due to its marshy conditions, or Loutouchezi, the watery city, by its Gallic settlers, and by the Romans as Lutetia Parisiorum—the Paris of that long-gone era. Thus, the name Louvre might come from the Latin word lupus, meaning wolf. More likely, its origin is the old word leouare, which led to lower, louvre: a dwelling.

Lutetia became more significant, and the royal hunting lodge nearby turned into a fortress. The mud city quickly gained recognition by its tribe name, Parisii-Paris, and the Louvre, cleared of surrounding trees, fell within the city limits. It was gradually expanded and fortified. A white circle in the large courtyard marks the location of the famous gate between the two Grosses Tours built during the reign of the warrior king Philippe-Auguste. Twelve smaller towers were added by Charles V, with each tower housing its own dedicated battalion of soldiers. The inner chambers served specific purposes. In the Tour du Trésor, the King stored his money and valuable portable items. The Tour de la Bibliothèque housed the books of the time, initially collected by King Charles V, which became the foundation of the National Library. Charles V also made numerous other additions and embellishments, and the first clocks known in France were installed in the Louvre in 1370. Around the same period, a primitive stove—a chauffe-poële—was first set up there. The grounds surrounding the fortress were carefully landscaped, with the main garden extending to the north. A menagerie was created and populated; nightingales sang in the groves. The palace evolved into a luxurious residence. Kings of France hosted sovereigns from foreign lands with great ceremony in “Notre Chastel du Louvre, où nous nous tenons le plus souvent quand nous sommes en notre ville de Paris.”

The Louvre was the site of two of the most significant political events of the fourteenth century. In 1303, during King Philippe le Bel's reign, the second meeting of that powerful assembly of barons, church leaders, and lesser nobles, which in fact formed the first états généraux, took place there. In 1358, during the uprising known as the Jacquerie, Étienne Marcel, the Prévôt des Marchands, made the Louvre his base. In the fourteenth century, an English king held his court there: Henry V, victorious after Agincourt, celebrated Christmas in grand style in Paris at the Louvre.

THE OLD LOUVRE

The royal palaces of those times, much like large abbeys, were equipped with everything needed for maintenance and the support of their staff. Workers, materials, and supplies were all readily available on-site. A farm, a courthouse, and a prison were some of the most essential components of palace buildings and grounds. However, the Louvre, despite its prestige and vast space, was not continuously occupied by the Kings of France, and by the sixteenth century, the palace was so neglected that it was on the brink of collapse. Then François I, anticipating a state visit from Emperor Charles V, urgently sent a large number of workers to the Louvre to repair and expand it. Pierre Lescot, the leading architect of the time, took on this major undertaking. The Grosse Tour had already been demolished. The old walls to the south and west were now taken down. One wall of the Salle des Cariatides, along with the steps leading from the underground areas of the palace to the ground floor, are all that remains of the Louvre from Philippe-Auguste's time.

It is from this sixteenth-century restoration that the Old Louvre as we know it today takes shape in its main features. Much of the decorative work was done by Jean Goujon and Paul Pouce, a student of Michelangelo. But the Louvre never stayed the same. From then on, each successive ruler, at some point during their reign, took on the palace to improve, rebuild, or expand it—sometimes managing little more than drafting plans. Richelieu, the master planner of both architectural and political schemes, wanted to greatly enlarge the old palace. His King, Louis XIII, laid the first stone of the Tour de l’Horloge. Once the Fronde wars ended, Louis XIV, the greatest builder of that time and beyond, decided to expand it in his own grand style. A well-known Italian architect was called over from Italy; however, he and Louis didn’t see eye to eye, and the Italian returned to his homeland.

THE LOUVRE TODAY

The grand Colonnade, facing the old church, St-Germain-l’Auxerrois, was built between 1667 and 1680 by Claude Perrault. The façade facing the quay to the south was added later. After the death of the King's active advisor, Colbert, work at the Louvre stopped. The magnificent palace fell from its prestigious status. It could almost be described as being rented out in apartments. Artists, scholars, and writers took rooms there—logements! The Louvre was, in fact, no longer a royal palace. Its “death” as a king’s residence can be traced back to the death of Colbert. The Colonnade was restored in 1755 by the famous architect, Gabriel, and King Louis XVI was the first to propose using the palace as a grand National Museum. The King wanted all the most famous and valued works of art in France to be collected, added to the treasures of the Cabinet du Roi, and displayed there. The Revolutionary Government carried out the guillotined King’s vision. The names of its members can be found inscribed on two black marble slabs against the wall of the circular ante-chamber leading to the Galerie d’Apollon, where the ancient crown jewels of France, the beautiful enamels of Limoges, and many other precious treasures once owned by royalty are preserved and displayed. This grand gallery, planned and started by Lebrun in the seventeenth century, was modernized and built in the nineteenth century by Duban.

The First Empire saw the completion of the work started by the Revolutionists. During Napoléon I's time, the amazing collection of paintings, sculptures, and art treasures of all kinds was properly organized and categorized. The construction of the interior courtyard was completed in 1813.

On the establishment of the Second Empire, Napoléon III took on the task of fully restoring and expanding the Louvre. The Pavillon de Flore was rebuilt, connecting the ancient palace with the Tuileries, which had been the residence of French monarchs for the previous two centuries.

After the disasters of 1870-71, restoration was once again started. While the Tuileries had been completely destroyed by fire, the Louvre had experienced relatively minor damage.

Within its walls, the Louvre has seen major changes since it was transformed from a royal palace into a National Museum. The Salle des Fêtes of the past has been replaced by the Salle Lacaze, which boasts a remarkable collection of masterpieces. What used to be the King’s Cabinet, connected to the south wing where Marie de’ Medici had her private quarters, is now known as the Salle des Sept Cheminées, filled with early nineteenth-century French art.

In the Salle Carrée, where Henri IV got married, and where the assassins of President Brisson faced their execution by hanging—suspended from the beautifully vaulted ceiling—masterpieces from all the greatest periods in art come together; among them, the Mona Lisa, which was missing in 1911, has now been recovered. Paintings, sculptures, and all kinds of artworks from every age and every nation fill the vast halls and galleries of the Louvre. We can't attempt to describe its treasures here. Let everyone who loves beauty, and anyone who enjoys discovering the amazing achievements of dedicated work, go and see[A].

Nor can I list all the countless events and historic moments that took place at the Louvre. People often mention the gilded balcony where Charles IX is thought to have shot at the Huguenots or signaled for the attack on that tragic night of St. Bartholomew in 1572. But that balcony wasn’t there yet. It's unlikely that the young King fired from any other balcony or window. Shots were probably fired from the palace by men who were less afraid.

On the Seine side of the large courtyard is the location of the old Gothic Porte Bourbon, where Admiral Coligny was first attacked and Concini was shot in the heart. In our time, we have the shocking theft of the Joconde from the Salle Carrée, its incredible return, and the hiding of treasures during wartime, air raids, long-range artillery, and the threat of invasion, which captures our imagination. “The great black mass” that the enemy pilot saw when approaching Paris, and recognized it had to be the Louvre—grand, majestic, and untouched—is the most significant monument in Paris and in France.

The Palace is gone, burned to the ground in the war years of 1870-71. Only the gardens remain, those beautiful Tuileries gardens, the brightest spot on the right bank of the Seine. A few moss-covered pillars, some remnants of broken arches, the pillars and front of the current Jeu de Paume and the Orangery are all that is left today of the royal residence that once stood there. The palace was built at the end of the sixteenth century by Catherine de’ Medici to replace the ancient palace Les Tournelles, in the Place Royale, now Place des Vosges, where King Henri II died during a festive tournament, his eye and brain pierced by the sword of his great general, Comte de Montmorency. Queen Catherine hated the sight of the palace where her husband had died so tragically. Its destruction was ordered, and the Queen commanded the construction in its place of the magnifique bâtiment de l’Hôtel royal, dit des Tuileries des Parisiens, parcequ’il y avait autrefois une Tuilerie au dit lieu.

The location of that large tile yard was outside the city limits back then. The architect, Philibert Delorme, began working enthusiastically. A rough road was created leading from the bac, which means the ford across the Seine—now crossed by the Pont Royal—to the quarries near Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Vaugirard, where the stone was sourced. This is how the famous Rue du Bac came to be. The palace was initially surrounded by a beautiful garden, separated until the time of Louis XIV from the Seine on one side and from the palace on the other by a ruelle, which is a narrow street or lane.

Tuileries Palace

Catherine moved into the new palace as soon as it was ready; however, the Queen-Mother felt uneasy and troubled, plagued by a sense of impending doom. An astrologer had warned her that she would die under the ruins of a building near the St-Germain-l’Auxerrois church. So, she left her new palace, purchased the site of several houses, took over the land and buildings of an old convent near St-Eustache, and had a beautiful home built there: the Hôtel de la Reine, which later became known as the Hôtel de Soissons, where the Bourse de Commerce is located today. One column of the Queen’s palace still stands there, with a narrow staircase that she used to ascend with her Italian astrologer.

Meanwhile, the Tuileries palace showed no signs of decay—quite the opposite. Catherine’s son, Charles IX, had a bastion built in the garden on the Seine side; soon, a small house, a pond, an aviary, a theatre, an echo garden, a maze, an orangery, and a shrubbery were added. Henri IV started a gallery to connect the new palace to the Louvre, a project completed only under Louis XIV. Under Henri’s son, Louis XIII, the Tuileries became the hub of fashionable life; distinguished visitors, though not of royal status, were often hosted in royal style in the garden pavilion. Under Louis XIV, the King’s famous garden designer, Le Nôtre, took charge of the expansive grounds and transformed them into the Jardin des Tuileries, which has been famous ever since. Beautiful statues by Coustou, Perrault, Bosi, and others were soon installed there. The manège was built—a club and riding school stretching from what is now the Rue de Rivoli to the then Rue Dauphine, now Rue St-Roch, to Rue Castiglione. There, the jeunesse dorée of the day learned to manage their spirited thoroughbreds. The subscription cost was 4000 francs—£160—a large amount at the time. Each member was required to have a personal servant, properly paid and fed. A swing bridge was built across the moat on the side of the unused land, which would soon become Place Louis XV, now Place de la Concorde.

The Garden wasn’t open to the public back then. Before the Revolution started, only the nobility or their privileged friends could walk its paths. Soldiers were never allowed in. Only once a year, on a special occasion, its gates were opened to the common people.

A period of neglect followed the impressive work done under Louis XIV. His successor had no interest in the Tuileries palace and its grounds, which deteriorated significantly. When Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and their young son moved into the Tuileries during the troubled year of 1789, the Dauphin looked around in disgust. “Everything is very ugly here, maman, ” he said. This became the Paris home of the unfortunate royal family until they were taken from its shelter to the Temple prison. It was from the Tuileries that they made their ill-fated attempt to escape from France. Captured at Varennes, the would-be fugitives were brought back to the palace across the swing-bridge on the south-western side. Beneath the grand trees of the garden, the Swiss Guards were massacred soon after. The Revolutionary authorities had taken control of the Riding-School, with a tricolour ribbon strung along its front, and the Assemblée Nationale, which had first met in the old church, St-Pol, then at the archevêché, set up there. Under various governments, they decreed the division of France into departments, the abolition of monastic orders, and the suspension of the King’s royal power after his flight. In 1792, Louis XVI was tried there and, after a session lasting thirty-seven hours, was condemned to death. The Terrace was nicknamed the Jardin National; sometimes it was called the Terre de Coblentz, a sarcastic nod to the nobles who had fled and once enjoyed leisure there. In 1793, potatoes and other vegetables—food for the people of Paris—were grown in Le Nôtre’s flower beds, replacing the colorful blossoms of happier times, just as during our own difficult war days, beans and other crops are cultivated in the park at Versailles, while the government of the day met in the Salle des Machines within the Palace walls.

On June 7th, 1794, the Tuileries palace and gardens hosted a huge Revolutionary celebration. A few months later, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's body was displayed in the dry bassin before being taken to the Panthéon. Revolutionary celebrations were a big part of the era, and Robespierre, while overseeing the grim work of the Guillotine, created semi-circular flower beds encircled by stone benches for the benefit of the elderly and frail who attended these festivities.

Then it was Napoléon's turn. The Tuileries became an Imperial palace. For Marie Louise, who was waiting to give birth to the son she was meant to have, they created a hidden passage so the Empress could move discreetly from the palace to the terrace along the Seine. The birth occurred at the Tuileries, and a year or two later, they built a pavilion specifically for the young "Roi de Rome." At the Tuileries, in the crucial year of 1815, the leaders of the armies united against the Emperor gathered and camped out.

Louis XVIII died there in 1824. In 1848, Louis-Philippe, fleeing from the people in revolt, escaped through a hidden passageway that had been cut in 1811 for Marie-Louise. The palace was then used as a hospital for the wounded and for those who fainted in the streets of Paris during the tumult of that year. Its last royal owner was Napoléon III. The new Emperor immediately set out to restore, beautify, and expand the palace. The large iron railing and gates on the side of the Orangery were installed in 1853. A buvette for officers was built in the garden. The Prince Imperial was born at the Tuileries in 1854. During the twenty years of Napoléon’s reign, the Tuileries was a vibrant and fashionable place. The disaster of 1870 marked its end. The Empress Eugénie fled from its safety after Sedan. The Commune set fire to its walls. Crumbling arches and blackened pillars remained on the site of the palace until 1883. Then they were torn down, cleared away, and flowerbeds were created where grand halls once stood. The big clock was saved from destruction. It was placed among the historic souvenirs at the Musée Carnavalet. The Pavillon de Marsan of the Louvre, built by Louis XIV, and the Pavillon de Flore connecting the Tuileries, were rebuilt in 1874.

Crossing the Rue de Rivoli near the Louvre, we arrive at another palace—the Palais-Royal—whose origins are more recent than those of the Louvre or the Tuileries, and it was never strictly a royal palace. Built in the early years of the seventeenth century by Louis XIII’s powerful advisor, Cardinal Richelieu, it was called the Palais-Cardinal until 1643. Richelieu had lived at 20 and 23 Place-Royale, now Place des Vosges, and at the mansion known as the Petit Luxembourg on Rue de Vaugirard. The prominent figure decided to create a more impressive residence and chose the triangular site formed by the Rue des Bons-Enfants, Rue St-Honoré, and the city wall of Charles V for the construction. Several large mansions occupied the spot. Richelieu purchased them all, demolished their walls, and entrusted the construction to Jacques de Merrier. That was in 1629. The central mansion was ready for occupancy four years later; additional expansions took place, and more hotels were purchased and demolished in the following years. Not satisfied with just courts and gardens surrounding his palace, the Cardinal acquired another mansion, the hôtel Sillery, to create an elegant square in front of his lavish dwelling. However, he did not live to see its walls torn down. A few days after this purchase was finalized, the famous statesman passed away. It was then—a month or two later—that the Palais-Cardinal became the Palais-Royal. By his will, Richelieu left his palace to his King, Louis XIII, who died shortly after. Anne d’Autriche, the mother of the young Louis XIV, was living at the Louvre, which was in a constant state of repair and expansion, making it an uncomfortable home. Richelieu’s beautiful new mansion was enticing to her. It truly had a royal appearance and size, and was equipped with all “the modern conveniences and comforts” of the time. To quote a poet from that era:

PALAIS-ROYAL

In 1643, the Queen and her family moved there. When the King left in 1652, Henriette of England, widow of Charles I, lived there for a while. In 1672, Louis XIV transferred it to his brother, the duc d’Orléans, who made some renovations, but the most significant changes occurred during the revolutionary period. Then, in 1784, Philippe-Égalité, finding himself in a tight financial situation, came up with a clever plan to make money. He built galleries along three sides of the extensive garden of his palace, filled with rental units like shops, and opened three public streets around them: Rue de Valois, Rue Beaujolais, and Rue Montpensier. The garden, thus altered, is the Jardin du Palais-Royal as we know it today. Even back then, it was semi-public. Parisians have always loved a beautiful garden, and the city's residents resented this reduction. They were particularly unhappy with the commercial motivation behind it.

It was in 1787 that the theater later known as the Comédie Française, more commonly called the “Français,” was built. The performers from the Variétés Amusantes performed there then, and for several years after. The Palais-Royal theater had already been constructed, gone through many different names, and for a while became the Théâtre Montansier, and later the Théâtre de la Montagne. The fourth side of the palace had been left unfinished. The duc d’Orléans had planned to finish it in grand style. The outbreak of the Revolution halted all those plans. Temporary wooden galleries had been built in 1784. They burned down in 1828 and were replaced by the Galerie d’Orléans, which is now rented out as apartments.

Richelieu was the titular Superintendent-General of the Marine: some of the friezes and bas-reliefs representing this role can still be seen in the Galerie des Proues. However, not much remains of the great statesman's original palace. The duc d’Orléans, who acted as Regent for Louis XV, tore down a significant portion of Richelieu’s construction; many of the walls of the palace as we know it today date back to his time—1702-23. Devastating fires damaged it in 1763 and 1781. Financially motivated changes made by Philippe-Égalité in 1786, along with the destructive actions of the Commune in 1871, altered the entire appearance of the palace. It also experienced many changes during the Revolution. Taken as national property, it was briefly called Palais-Égalité. Revolutionary meetings occurred in its gardens, and revolutionary clubs were formed in its galleries. The statue of Camille Desmoulins, erected in recent years—1905—commemorates that crucial day, July 12, 1789, when Desmoulins, addressing the crowd, raised a green cockade as a symbol of hope. That garden became a gathering place for various political activists for many years. In our time, the Camelots du Roi convened and stirred up activity there.

Under Napoléon as First Consul, the Tribunat was set up in a hall that has since been demolished. The Bourse de Commerce replaced the Tribunat. Then the Orléans took back control of the palace, and Prince Louis-Philippe went from there to the City Hall, to return as King of the French.

The galleries and the front of the portico of the second courtyard are from the early nineteenth century. The upheaval of 1848 and the reign of Napoléon III brought more changes to the Palais-Royal. It temporarily became the Palais-National and was later used for military purposes. Then King Jérôme moved in, followed by his son, Prince Napoléon. The small Gothic Chapel where Princess Clothilde used to pray is now just a storage room. Prince Victor, the husband of Princess Clémentine of Belgium, was born at the Palais-Royal in 1862.

The galleries around the garden are full of historic connections. In addition to the clubs, there were well-known Revolutionary clubs that gathered in the cafés, and some famous gambling houses were located there.

Galerie Montpensier, Nos. 7-12, is the old Café Corazza, the renowned meeting place for the Jacobins, later popular with Buonaparte, Talma, and others; 36, once Café des Mille Colonnes, got its name from the many reflections in the surrounding mirrors of its twenty pillars. At 50 we find the former Café Hollandais, which had a guillotine as its sign; and at 57-60, there’s the Café Foy, where Desmoulins addressed the crowd gathered outside.

Galerie Beaujolais, No. 103—now a bar and dance hall—was once the Café des Aveugles, where in the basement an orchestra played, made up entirely of blind men from the Quinze-Vingts, the hospital that was originally nearby and then relocated to Rue Charenton, while the Sans-Culottes gathered and schemed. The mural portraits of famous Revolutionaries displayed there are modern creations.

Galerie de Valois, Nos. 119, 120, 121, Chinese Shadows of Séraphin (1784-1855) and Café Mécanique basically created the first Express-Bar. At 177, it used to be the cutler’s shop where Charlotte Corday purchased the knife to kill Marat.

Of the three streets created by the business-minded Duke of Orléans, the walls of two still remain intact. On Rue de Valois, at No. 1, we can see the old pavilion and passage leading from Place de Valois, which used to be Cour des Fontaines, where the residents of Palais-Royal got their water; at 6-8, there's the restaurant Bœuf à la mode, built by Richelieu as hôtel Mélusine; at 10, the facade of the hôtel de la Chancellerie d’Orléans; and at 20, hôtel de la Fontaine-Martel, where Voltaire lived for a year, from 1732-33. On Rue de Beaujolais, we find the theater that started as Théâtre des Beaujolais, became a puppet theater for several years towards the end of the eighteenth century, and is now Théâtre Palais-Royal. Then there's Rue de Montpensier—1784—which showcases interesting old windows, ironwork, etc.; Rue Montesquieu—1802—runs where the Collège des Bons-Enfants once stood. The main location of the Restaurants Duval, famous in every part of Paris, at No. 6, is on the site of the old Salle Montesquieu, once a popular dance hall, and later a drapery shop called “Le Pauvre Diable” where the founder of the well-known Bon Marché used to work as a salesman in his youth.

Three notable churches stand near these three palaces. The ancient St-Germain-l’Auxerrois, St-Roch, once its chapel of ease, and the Oratoire. St-Germain, across from the Louvre, was the Royal Chapel of the past. Its bells rang for royal weddings, announced the birth of princes, tolled for royal deaths, and chimed for every major national event. Its largest bell marked the death of the Protestants on the tragic eve of St-Bartholomew’s Day, 1572. No part of the beautiful old church as it stands today dates back beyond the fifteenth century, but a chapel existed on the site as early as the year 560. A baptistery and a school were built near the chapel about a century later, and this early foundation was the first daughter of Notre-Dame—the Paris Cathedral. After its destruction by the invading Normans, it was rebuilt as a magnificent church by Robert le Pieux in the early eleventh century, and many of its ancient stones were likely reused in the walls of successive rebuildings and restorations. The stunning Gothic structure is filled with ancient glass, amazing woodwork, paintings, sculptures, and historic memorials.

St-Germain-l'Auxerrois Church

The first stone of St-Roch, located on Rue St-Honoré, was laid by Louis XIV in 1653, but the church wasn't completed until nearly a century later. In the walls of its Renaissance façade, we can see marks from grape-shot—the first ever used—that came from the guns of the soldiers led by the young Corsican officer, Napoléon Buonaparte, in 1795. Buonaparte had positioned himself across from the church, facing the insurgent sectionnaires gathered on its wide steps. The ensuing fight was a key moment in the early career of the young officer who was destined to become the master of the city and of France for a time. St-Roch is particularly noteworthy because of its many monuments dedicated to prominent figures of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and its impressive groups of statues. The Calvary of the Catechists’ Chapel, visible through the opened shutters above the altar in the Chapel of the Adoration, has a striking effect.

The Oratory, located at Rue de Rivoli and Rue St-Honoré, was built in the early 1600s as the main church for the Society of the Oratorians, which was founded in 1611, and it occasionally functioned as the Chapel Royal. The Revolution disbanded the Society of the Oratorians, and their church was desecrated and secularized. In 1810, it was handed over to the Protestants and has since been the main French Protestant Church in Paris. The statue of Coligny on the Rue de Rivoli side is modern—1889.

ROUND the old palaces and churches, some ancient streets still exist along with many old houses, reminders of earlier times. Others have been removed to allow for modern roads, shops, and homes. Place de l’École and Rue de l’École commemorate the well-known school at St-Germain-l’Auxerrois, which started as a catechists’ school and became more diverse during Charlemagne’s era, where students learned outside when the weather was nice or climbed into the baptistery when the water was low. Rue de l’Arbre-Sec, which was originally Rue de l’Arbre-Sel based on an old sign, has been a street since the twelfth century and was once the location of the gallows. It is said that Queen Brunehaut was executed there. Part of this historic street was demolished to build the large store “la Samaritaine,” but some old houses still remain. No. 4, which was recently torn down, is thought to have been the hôtel des Mousquetaires, the residence of d’Artagnan, the lieutenant-captain of that famous group.

Rue Perrault goes where, in the past, Rue d’Auxerre, which dates back to 1005, and Rue des Fossés St-Germain-l’Auxerrois stretched toward the Monnaie—the Mint. No. 4, hôtel de Sourdis, which was rebuilt in the eighteenth century, was the childhood home of Gabrielle d’Estrées. No. 2 is the entrance to the presbytère St-Germain-l’Auxerrois. Rue de la Monnaie, a thirteenth-century street once known by different names, reminds us of the ancient Mint that once stood at what is now Rue Boucher nearby. In Rue du Roule, from the eighteenth century, we see old ironwork balconies. Rue du Pont-Neuf is modern, following the layout of ancient streets whose traces have disappeared. Most of the houses in Rue des Bourdonnais are old: in the walls of No. 31, we can see two or three ancient stones from the famous La Trémouille Mansion, which was once occupied by the English under Charles VI. No. 34 dates back to 1615. From the door of 39, the Tête-Noire with its barbe d’Or, which gave the house its name, still looks out. The sixth-century cabaret of l’Enfant-Jesus, with the I.H.S. monogram in wrought iron on its frontage, has been torn down. No. 14 is believed to have been the home of Greuze. The impasse at 37, once known as Fosse aux chiens, was a pig market where heretics were burned in the fourteenth century. Rue Bertin-Poirée dates from the early years of the thirteenth century, named after a respected citizen from those long-ago days. At No. 5, we see an interesting old sign “La Tour d’Argent”; from this old street, we turn into Rue Jean-Lantier, named after a thirteenth-century Parisian, much of which and the ancient place du Chevalier-du-Guet that was once here, was cleared away in 1854. Rue des Lavandières-Ste-Opportune, from the thirteenth century, reminds us of the existence of an old church, Ste-Opportune, in the area. Rue des Deux-Boules existed under another name in the twelfth century. And here in the seventeenth century was l’École du Modèle, the origin of l’Académie des Beaux-Arts.

Rue des Orfèvres started out in 1300 as Rue des Deux-portes. An old chapel, St-Eloi, was located until 1786 beside No. 8. Rue St-Germain-l’Auxerrois has been a busy street since 820. No. 19 is the site of a well-known episcopal prison: For-l’Evêque. At 38, at l’Arche Marion, duels used to take place back in the day. Rue des Bons-Enfants, formerly Rue des Echoliers St-Honoré, got its name from the college established in 1202 for “les Bons-Enfants” near Rue Montesquieu, which was closed in 1602. Many of the old houses we see there were once owned and lived in by the dignitaries of St-Honoré. A small church dedicated to Ste-Claire used to be right next to No. 12. A vaulted arch, roof, and staircase, which have since been demolished, served as the entrance to the old cloister. Beneath a coat-of-arms above the doorway of No. 11, where the Passage de la Vérité is located, an old inscription mentioned a reading room that used to be there, where you could find both morning and evening papers. No. 19, hôtel de la Chancellerie d’Orléans, is on the site of an older mansion. All the houses in this and nearby streets show some signs of their past. Rue Radziwill was once Rue Neuve des Bons-Enfants, a name that can still be seen on an old wall by the Banque de France. Nearly all the houses there have now become dependencies and offices of the Banque de France, with one side facing the even-numbered side of the street. At No. 33 is a beautiful twin staircase. At its base, it splits into two and winds gracefully up to the top floor, allowing two people to climb at once without bumping into each other. Rue la Vrillière dates back to 1652, named after the Secrétaire d’État of Louis XIV, whose mansion, remodeled, now houses the Banque de France along with the Salle Dorée des Fêtes and some other remnants of the hôtel de Toulouse.

Rue Croix des Petits-Champs has been around since 1600, named after a cross that used to stand where No. 12 is now. No. 7 is the entrance to the old Cloître St-Honoré. In the courtyard of No. 21, you can still see signs of where the abbés lived. No. 23, the hôtel des Gesvres, was the residence of Mme de Pompadour's parents.

Two long and significant streets, one historic and the other contemporary, run the full length of this first arrondissement from east to west: Rue de Rivoli and Rue St-Honoré.

Rue de Rivoli, which dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century, started at its western end in 1811, built over the site of old royal stables, along the line of the famous riding school of the Tuileries gardens, and through the grounds that were once owned by three major convents: les Feuillants, les Capucins, and l’Assomption. It eliminated old streets and houses, along with charming courtyards and corners—a beautiful new road constructed over the remains of historic walls and pavements. There’s not much to say about the buildings you see there now. The Hôtel Continental stands where one of the first buildings was erected—the Ministère des Finances, built in the second decade of the nineteenth century, which was burned to the ground by the Commune in 1871. The famous Salle des Manèges, where the Revolutionary governments met and the trial of King Louis XVI took place, was located at the site of the houses numbered 230-226: the Hôtel Meurice, Rumpelmayer restaurant, etc. No. 186, a popular tearoom operated by a British company, is close to where the Grande Écurie of long-gone royalty once stood, and a well-known passage was built there in the early years of the nineteenth century.

Admiral Coligny was assassinated at the location of house number 144. Moving into the fourth arrondissement, we reach Square St-Jacques, established in 1854, where the old church St-Jacques-la-Boucherie once stood. Only its beautiful sixteenth-century tower remains, which was restored in the nineteenth century by architect Ballu. Nos. 18-16 are located on the site of the former convent of Petit St-Antoine. In its chapel, the Committee of the section “des droits de l’Homme” met during the Revolution.

Rue St-Honoré is filled with historic buildings and significant history. Its current name has been in use since 1540, recalling the collegiate church that once stood in the area. Like many long, old streets, Rue St-Honoré consists of several historical roads connected in a straight line and sharing a single name. Almost every building along the street exhibits fascinating remnants of past glory or business significance. Many have quirky, unique signs: No. 96 is on the site of the Pavillon des Singes, where Molière was born in 1622. At No. 115, there are inscriptions from 1715. No. 108 is l’hôtel de l’Ecouvette, which used to be part of hôtel Brissac. No. 145 is located where the boundary wall of Philippe-Auguste once stood and later became home to the famous duc de Joyeuse, then Gabrielle d’Estrées, and it’s where Jean Châtel attempted to assassinate Henri IV. Nos. 180, 182, and 184 were associated with the Cloître St-Honoré. No. 202 features an inscription that marks the establishment of the Royal Academy of Music by Pierre Moreau—1760-70—destroyed by fire ten years later. No. 161 is the Café de la Régence, which replaced the famous café that was founded at the corner of the Palais-Royal in 1681, a gathering spot for chess players. A chessboard could be rented by the hour, with a higher rate charged after sundown to cover the cost of two candles placed nearby. Figures like Voltaire, Robespierre, Buonaparte, Diderot, and later Alfred de Musset and his contemporaries met here. The city wall of Charles V ran through this area, with its gate, Porte St-Honoré. This is where Jeanne d’Arc was injured in 1429 and was taken to the maison des Genêts, which is now the site of No. 4, Place du Théâtre-Français. A piece of the ancient wall was discovered beneath the pavement there about ten years ago. No. 167 bears the Arms of England. No. 280 is said to have been the location of Jeanne Vanbernier’s millinery shop. No. 201 displays the old sign “Au chien de St-Roch.” At No. 211, hôtel St-James, there are remnants of the old hôtel de Noailles, which included several separate buildings and large grounds. Part of it became the Café de Vénus during the Revolution, while another part served as the meeting place for the Revolutionary government committees. At No. 320, there is another vintage sign: “A la Tour d’Argent.” No. 334 was once home to Maréchal de Noailles, brother of the Archbishop of Paris, in 1700. Nos. 340-338 show evidence of the ancient convent of the Jacobins. At No. 350, hôtel Pontalba, with its beautiful 18th-century staircase, was home to Savalette de Langes, the keeper of the Royal Treasure, who lent seven million francs to the brothers of Louis XVI, funds that were never repaid and the house where Barrère lived during the Revolution, and where Napoléon signed his marriage contract. Nos. 235, 231, and 229 were built by the Feuillants in 1782 as revenue sources, and they are the last remnants of the old convent. At No. 249, we see the Arms and portrait of Queen Victoria from the time of Louis-Philippe. No. 374 was the hôtel of Madame Géoffrin, whose salon was a gathering place for the most distinguished politicians, writers, and artists of the time, including Châteaubriand, who lived there for a while. At No. 263 stands the chapel of the old convent des Dames de l’Assomption (see p. 29).

No. 398 is maybe partly the same house, but more likely it's a house that's been completely rebuilt, where Robespierre and some of his family, along with Couthon, lived for a while. No. 400 used to be the Imperial bakery during the time of Napoléon III. No. 271, now a modern building, was until recently the famous cabaret du St-Esprit, which dates back to the seventeenth century, where during the Terror, onlookers would gather to watch the tragic carts carrying victims to the guillotine. Marie-Antoinette passed that way and faced that cruel scrutiny.

The majority of the streets in this district that run north start from Rue de Rivoli and cross Rue St-Honoré, or they begin from Rue St-Honoré itself. Starting at the western end of Rue Rivoli, we find Rue St-Florentin, established in 1640, named more than a century later when the Comte de St-Florentin commissioned the famous architects Chalgrin and Gabriel to build the mansion we see at No. 2. It was a magnificent mansion back then, with surrounding galleries, beautiful gardens, a large fountain, and it served as the residence for various noble families. In 1792, it became the Venetian Embassy, and during the Reign of Terror, it turned into a saltpeter factory. At No. 12, there was an inn where people gathered to watch the condemned make their way to the scaffold.

Rue Cambon, named after the author of the Grand Livre de La Dette Publique, has its lower part dating back to 1719 when it was called Rue de Luxembourg, which was extended a century later. Some of the older houses still stand and show interesting signs of their past; others, demolished in recent years, have been replaced by modern buildings. The new structure, “Cour des Comptes,” was built to replace the Palais du Quai d’Orsay, which was burned down by the Communards in 1871. It stands on the site of the former convent of the Haudriettes, which was shut down in 1793 and then turned into a barracks for the Cent Suisses, later becoming a financial depot. The convent chapel, which was left intact, now serves as the catechists’ chapel for the Madeleine, hosting services that are especially attended by Poles.

In Rue Duphot, opened in 1807 across from the old garden of the Convent of the Conception, we see at No. 12 an old convent arch and courtyard.

Rue Castiglione (1811) runs across the location of the Les Feuillants and Les Capucins convents.

In Rue du Mont-Thabor, where a convent garden used to be, a vaulted roof and chapel-like building at No. 24, which was once an artist’s studio and a remnant of the old convent, is set to be demolished. Orsini passed away at No. 10; Alfred de Musset died at No. 6 (1857).

In 1685, Louis XIV began building a grand place as a monument to himself. The chosen site was where the hôtel Vendôme had recently been destroyed and the nearby convent of the Capucins. The project was interrupted by the death of Louvois in 1691. A year or two later, Mansart and Boffrand took over and designed the large octagonal place initially called Place des Conquêtes, later renamed Place Louis-le-Grand. A statue of Louis XIV was erected there in 1699. The land behind the grand façades and state-built houses was sold for private development, and the notorious banker Law and his partners completed the Place in 1720. It hosted royal celebrations and public fairs, but soon became a hotspot for financial turmoil and Revolutionary unrest. On August 10, 1792, heads from the guillotine were displayed on spikes there, and the square was renamed Place des Piques. A bonfire was made of books related to the title deeds of the French noblesse and the archives of the St-Esprit; and in 1796, the machines used to create assignats were burned there as well. In 1810, the Colonne d’Austerlitz was erected on the spot where the statue of Louis XIV had stood, made from cannons taken from the enemy, with bas-reliefs depicting the main events of the pivotal year 1805. It was topped with a statue of Napoléon, which the Royalists unsuccessfully tried to pull down with ropes in 1814. Later, it was removed and the drapeau blanc was raised in its place. Napoléon's statue was melted down and turned into the statue of Henri IV on the Pont-Neuf, replacing the original statue there (see p. 340). In 1833, a new statue of Napoléon was erected, which was in turn replaced by a copy of the first one in 1865. In 1871, the Column was toppled by the Communards but was rebuilt by the French Government under MacMahon.

Every mansion on the Place, most of which are now commercial hotels or businesses, was at one time or another home to notable men and women and is associated with historic events. The façades of Nos. 9 and 7 are designated as historic monuments, with their preservation managed by the State. No. 23 was where Law made his speculations after being forced to move from his place in the old Rue Quincampoix. Chopin died at No. 6.

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The Rue and Marché St-Honoré are located where the old convent and chapel of the Jacobins used to be, which was shut down during the Revolution, and where the famous Jacobin Club was founded. The market has been around since 1810. Rue Gomboust dates back to the thirteenth century when it was called Rue de la Corderie St-Honoré. Rue de Ste-Hyacinthe has been there since 1650. Rue de la Sourdière, from the seventeenth century, features many historic walls, remnants, and fascinating old ironwork.

On the wall of St-Roch church, we still see the inscription “Rue Neuve-St-Roch,” the old name of the street at its western end. The street has been around since the late fifteenth century, having different names along its length. The section closest to the Tuileries was known as Rue du Dauphin in the eighteenth century and as Rue de la Convention during the Revolution. Many of its houses are old and have an interesting appearance.

In Rue d’Argenteuil, which comes off Rue St-Roch, there used to be the house where Corneille died, until just a few years ago.

Rue des Pyramides was established in 1806, but No. 2 on the street is recognized as the gathering spot, in the rooms of a friend, for Béranger, Alexandre Dumas, père, Victor Hugo, and other well-known writers of the time. On the fourth floor of a building at the corner of the Place lived Émile Augier.

From the Place du Théâtre-Français, where the fountain has been running since the mid-1800s, the Avenue de l’Opéra was opened around 1855, originally named Avenue Napoléon. It cut through a mix of old streets and buildings. Within this area, you can still find Rue Molière, which was known in the 17th century as Rue du Bâton-Royal, later as Rue Traversière, and has always been closely tied to actors and writers. Rue Ste-Anne was originally called Rue du Sang and Rue de la Basse Voirie, functioning as a rather unsavory alley. It got its current name in 1633, after Anne of Austria. For a while, it was called Rue Helvetius, in honor of a notable writer born there in 1715. Most of the buildings are old and were once home to famous people, artists, and more. Nos. 43 and 47 belonged to the composer Lulli. The street continues into the second arrondissement, where at No. 49, hôtel Thévenin, there is an old statue of John the Baptist holding the Paschal Lamb. At No. 46, Bossuet lived and passed away. No. 63 was part of the New Catholic convent. Nos. 64, 66, and 68 were mansions owned by Louvois.

Rue Thérèse (Marie-Thérèse of Austria) was connected to Rue du Hazard in 1880, a short street named after a famous gambling house; No. 6 has interesting remnants from the past. At No. 23, there are two inscriptions honoring the memory of Abbé de l’Epée, who invented the deaf and mute alphabet and died at a house that no longer exists on Rue des Moulins. Rue Villedo bears the name of a renowned master mason from earlier times. Rue Ventadour has its older section dating back to 1640. Rue de Richelieu starts from the Place du Théâtre-Français and extends into arrondissement II near the Bourse. It dates back to the period when the Cardinal was constructing his palace. Most of its buildings have interesting architectural features, remnants of earlier days, and many have historical significance. Some of the original houses were rebuilt in the eighteenth century, while others have recently been demolished and replaced with modern structures. Much of the beautiful woodwork that was once at No. 21 was purchased and taken away by the Marquis de Breteuil; the rest was bought by Americans. In the building that now houses No. 40, Molière passed away in 1763. No. 50, the hôtel de Strasbourg, was rebuilt in 1738 by Madame de Pompadour's mother. In 1780, the musician Grétry lived on the fourth floor of No. 52.

Rue du Louvre is a modern street built over ancient roads that were cleared away to create it. At No. 13, you can see remnants of a tower from the city wall of Philippe-Auguste, and at No. 7, on the nearby Rue Coquillère—a thirteenth-century street—there are traces of an ancient Carmelite convent at No. 31. At No. 15, there’s an arched entrance leading to a spacious courtyard surrounded by impressive buildings, with a large fountain in the center. This building is a modern reconstruction of the old Cour des Fermes; the “Fermiers Généraux” was shut down in 1783 and officially disbanded by law in the first year of the Revolution—1789. Nonetheless, the members continued to gather, and many were arrested and imprisoned in their old mansion on this site, which was used as a State prison until the Revolution ended.

THE legend that says the great Paris Market was originally called “les Alles”—no “H”—because everyone y allait, meaning went there, shouldn't be taken too seriously. Even back in medieval times, the markets had some covered areas or “Halles.” The earliest record we have of a Paris market takes us back to the year 1000, a significant year predicted by soothsayers to be the end of the world; as a result, not many crops were sown in the previous season. The market stalls that year were only sparsely filled. That ancient market, located along the Seine near what’s now Place St-Michel, and its successor on what was then Place de Grève (see p. 95) was called Palu. In ancient times, under Louis-le-Gros, the site of the large structure and market square we see today was known as le terrain des champeaux—the land of small fields—partially owned by the King and partially by church authorities, purchased for the great market in the twelfth century. The sale of herrings, both wholesale and retail, still takes place today on the same site designated for fishmongers in the time of St. Louis. Rue Baltard, running through the center of the pavilions, honors the name of the architect of the current structure, which dates back to 1856. Rue Antoine-Carême commemorates the name of Napoléon I’s chef. Ancient streets surround us on every side, filled with old houses and intriguing old signs. Rue Berger consists of several ancient streets combined. The part of Rue Rambuteau that borders les Halles follows the path of four 13th-century streets known by old names. Rue des Halles, connecting the Markets to Rue Rivoli, a modern street (1854), was built along the paths of ancient streets, featuring curious old streets leading into it: Rue des Déchargeurs, a telling name, was opened in 1310. The short Rue du Plat d’Étain branching off of it is from 1300, when it was Rue Raoul Tavernier. Rue de la Ferronnerie, very narrow back then, is known for being the scene of the assassination of Henri IV in front of a house at what is now No. 11 (May 14, 1610). Since the time of Louis IX, the street was, as its name suggests, a gathering place for ironmongers. Some good old ironwork can still be seen on several of the houses. Rue Courtalon (13th century) is completely made up of ancient houses. Rue de la Lingerie, previously Rue des Gantiers, was a well-constructed street during the reign of Henri II, but most of the houses you see there now are modern. Rue Prouvaires—from provoire, old French for prêtres—is 13th century, and was referred to in the time of Louis IX as one of the finest streets in Paris. It used to extend to the St-Eustache church. All traces of the old streets that once ran along the route of modern Rue du Pont-Neuf have been completely erased.

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To the north side of Les Halles, we find Rue Mondétour, which dates back to 1292, but many of its old houses have been demolished; modern buildings now occupy the site. A dance hall on this historic street used to be the gathering spot for French Protestants before the Edict of Nantes was enacted. Number 14 has cellars on two levels.

The church St-Eustache is often casually called Notre-Dame des Halles by the market women. The crypt, which used to be the chapel Ste-Agnes, is the core of the grand old church that dates back to 1200. It's been secularized but still connects with the sacred building and is now a fruit store—truly, St-Eustache is the church of the Markets. The structure as it stands now is from the seventeenth century. With its grand Gothic lines, it’s quite impressive, featuring a Jesuit front that replaced the originally planned Gothic façade, and Renaissance decoration inside. In the eighteenth century, the church was harshly shortened to make way for the creation and widening of the surrounding streets.

Rue du Jour, known by other names, has been around since the early 13th century, but back then it was right up against the city wall of Philippe-Auguste. Numbers 3, 4, 5, 7, and 11 are historic, and No. 25, with signs of its past, is thought to be where Charles V occasionally stayed, which is how the street got its shortened name.

Rue Vauvilliers, previously Rue du Four St-Honoré until 1864, dates back to the thirteenth century. At No. 33, the young Buonaparte, who would become the future Emperor, stayed at the old hôtel de Cherbourg in 1787. Today, it houses a butcher’s shop. Several of the buildings feature interesting signs and remnants from the past. The circular colonnaded street we arrive at now, Rue de Viarmes, was created in 1768 by the Prévôt des Marchands, whose name it carries. It encircles the Bourse de Commerce, built in 1889 on the site of the Halles aux Blés, which was originally established in 1767, burned down twice, and was rebuilt on the location of the famous hôtel de Nesle, where la Reine Blanche, mother of St. Louis, is said to have died in 1252. The hôtel de Nesle was later home to the blind King of Bohemia, who was killed at Crécy, as well as other notable figures, and eventually became part of the Couvent des Filles Pénitentes, along with several nearby hôtels that were later appropriated by Catherine de’ Medici (see p. 9). After the Queen's death, it became the property of the comte de Bourbon and was known as l’hôtel de Soissons; it was demolished in 1749. One ancient pillar, la Colonne de l’Horoscope, with its interior staircase, still stands.

Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which used to be the upper part of the old Rue Platrière and the lower part Rue Grenelle-St-Honoré, was home to notable figures like Rousseau, Bossuet, Marat, Fragonard, Boucher, the duchess of Valentinois, and others. Most of the old buildings have been replaced by modern ones. Where the General Post Office is now, extending down Rue du Louvre, the Count of Flanders had a beautiful mansion in the thirteenth century. After it was destroyed in 1543, it was replaced by another elegant hotel, which became the Paris post office in 1757 and was rebuilt in 1880. You can still see interesting architectural remnants from earlier times at Nos. 15, 18, 19, 20, 33, 56, 64, and 68. This leads us to Rue Étienne-Marcel, a name that recalls the stirring and tragic history of the Prévôt de Paris during the Jacquerie-Marcel, who revolted against the Dauphin; Charles V had two major nobles, Jean de Conflans and Robert de Clermont, executed in the King’s presence, and he himself was killed right before handing Paris over to Charles-le-Mauvais in 1358. However, while the name is old, the street itself is completely modern, cutting across the lines where ancient streets used to be. A few old remnants can still be found here and there, such as the Tour de Jean Sans Peur at No. 20, which is all that remains of the hôtel de Bourgogne, built in the thirteenth century, with the tower added in 1405; it was partially destroyed in the sixteenth century, and what remained became a theater, the main playhouse in Paris, and the birthplace of the Comédie Française.

Rue Montmartre, which crosses Rue Étienne-Marcel and continues into the 2nd arrondissement, dates back to the late 11th century. During the Revolution, it was known as Rue Mont-Marat! As long as Paris had fortified walls, there was always a Porte Montmartre, which was moved north three times as the city expanded. The Porte of Philippe-Auguste was located where house No. 30 now stands, and this part of the street was then called Rue Porte-Montmartre. The Passage de la Reine de Hongrie commemorates a certain dame de la Halle whom Marie-Antoinette thought looked remarkably like her mother, the Queen of Hungary. The woman became known in her time as “la Reine de Hongrie”—the alley where she lived took on that name. She shared not only the title but also the tragic fate of royalty: she was executed by guillotine.

Rue Montorgueil starts here and leads up to the higher ground called "Mons Superbus" when the Romans ruled Gaul; now it's the leveled boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle and its surrounding streets. In the thirteenth century, it was known as Mont Orgueilleux. Back in the day, Parisians would stroll to Mont Orgueilleux to eat oysters. There was a famous oyster bed on the site of the house that has since been demolished, where the talented songwriter and poet Béranger was born in 1780. The old house at No. 32 is said to have belonged to the architect Jean Goujon. The little side street Rue Mauconseil dates back to 1250, and tradition tells us its name comes from the mauvais conseil given within the walls of the nearby hôtel de Bourgoyne, which led to the assassination of the duc d’Orléans by Jean Sans Peur. During the Revolution, it was quickly renamed Rue du Bon Conseil! At No. 48, there's a famous tripe restaurant. No. 47 used to be the Central Sedan Chair Office. At No. 51, we can see interesting signs above the door and painted panels inside by Paul Baudry (1864). Nos. 64 and 72 house the old sixteenth-century inn, the “Compas d’Or,” as well as the famous restaurant Philippe. The inn's courtyard looks much the same as it did back when coaches operated between that starting point and Dreux. The restaurant du Rocher de Cancale, at No. 78, which dates back to 1820, was a gathering place for the most celebrated writers and artists of the nineteenth century; it began as “Le Petit Rocher” and was the successor to the old restaurant at No. 59 from the eighteenth century, where the dîners du Caveau and the dîners du Vaudeville were enjoyed by lively literary and artistic diners of the past.

Rue Turbigo is modern and makes us think nostalgically of ancient streets and the apse of St-Elisabeth church that was torn down to make way for it. Turning onto Rue St-Denis, the famous “Grande Chaussée de Monsieur St-Denis” of old, the road where legend tells us the saint, after being beheaded, carried his head while walking down from the heights above, we find it, from this point to near the Châtelet, filled with historic buildings and remnants of a past era. Kings entering Paris on their way to Notre-Dame traveled along this old road; it was closely tied to every political event in history, as well as Parisian pleasures, since mystery plays used to take place there. Curious old streets and passages branch off from it: at 279, the charming Rue Ste-Foy. In the courtyard at No. 222, we see the hôtel St. Chaumont, with its façade on boulevard Sebastopol, dating back to 1630.

The church we visit at No. 92, dedicated to St. Leu and St. Gilles, was built in the early 1200s on the site of an earlier church that was part of the nearby Abbaye St-Magloire, which was closed during the Revolution. Later restorations, along with the construction of an underground chapel for the knights of the Holy Sépulcre in the 1700s, have created an intriguing old church that mixes Gothic and Renaissance styles; its apse was cut off to make room for the modern boulevard Sébastopol. The would-be assassin Cadoudal hid for three days, crouched against the figure of Christ in the chapel beneath the chancel (1804). Rue des Lombards dates back to the 1200s, and at a few of its houses, especially No. 62, you can find an underground hall with a vaulted roof and Gothic windows. At No. 56, there’s an open corner. It’s a “cursed ground.” The house of two Protestant merchants, who were executed in 1579 for their “evil practices,” once stood there. Their home was demolished, and a pyramid and crucifix were erected on the spot, which were soon moved to the nearby cemetery des Innocents.

The chemist's shop at No. 44, “Au Mortier d’Or,” now combined with its neighbor “A la Barbe d’Or,” was founded in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In the window, there's an open book printed in 1595 featuring the engraved portrait of the founder.

Rue des Innocents was opened in 1786 on the site of the graveyard of the church des Saints-Innocents, which was founded in 1150 and remained until 1790. It's said that more than a million bodies were buried in that churchyard. In 1780, the cemetery was converted into a marketplace. However, it was once again used as a burial ground for victims of the Revolution of 1830. Their remains now lie beneath the Colonne de Juillet on the Place de la Bastille. The marketplace transformed into a square: “Le Square des Innocents.” The beautiful old fountain dating back to 1550, created by the renowned sculptors Pierre Lescot and Jean Goujon, was moved from its location in Rue St-Denis, restored by the leading sculptors of the time, and installed there in 1850. The lovely entrance of the former bureau des Marchandes-lingères was added in more recent years. The ground floor of most of the old houses on this street are ancient charniers, many built by Nicolas Flamel. In the past, the bones collected from the graveyard were placed there periodically. The name “Cabaret du Caveau” at No. 15 tells its own story. In Rue Berger, which follows the line of several demolished old streets, we see some old signs, but not much else of interest. There are old signs as well in Rue de la Cossonnerie, named after the cossonniers, or poultry merchants, who had their market here and which was referred to as early as 1182 as Via Cochonerie. Rue des Prêcheurs is another twelfth-century street where many historic houses can be seen: Nos. 6-8, etc. Rue Pirouette, one of the oldest streets in Paris, recalls the days of the pilori des Halles, when its victims, forced to turn from side to side, would make la pirouette. Here, the duc d’Angoulême was beheaded under Louis XI, and the duc de Nemours in 1477. At No. 5, you can see the ancient doorway of the demolished hôtellerie du Haume (fourteenth century), at No. 9 was the cabaret de l’Ange Gabriel (now torn down), and at No. 13, remnants of an old mansion. A few historic homes still stand in the Rue de la Grande Truanderie (thirteenth century). Rue de la Petite Truanderie, also from that period, was once famous for its old well, “le Puits d’Amour,” located in the small square halfway down the street, which was once known as the truands’ quarter (see p. 56).

THE history of Paris and France, from the earliest times, is intertwined with the Palais de Justice at the western tip of the island on the Seine. The palace is built on the site where the rulers of Lutetia lived during Roman times, as well as during the reigns of the first Merovingian and Capetian kings. The current structure, which has been frequently rebuilt, restored, and expanded, has foundations and certain parts dating back to the time of Robert the Pious. King Robert constructed the Conciergerie. Under Louis IX, the palace underwent significant expansion; St. Louis' kitchens are a notable aspect of the palace as we see it today. In 1434, Charles VII ceded the palace to the Parliament. It convened in the large hall above St. Louis’ kitchens, where a significant table brought together various law courts. For the French Parliament of that era, it served somewhat as a major law court. Guizot describes it as: “la cour souveraine du roi, la cour suprême du royaume.” Initially known as “Le Conseil du Roi,” its members were the prominent figures of the kingdom: vassals, prelates, and state officials, and it was expected to follow the King wherever he went, although it rarely left Paris. Over time, when it became important for its members to be able to read and write, the great nobles of that time declared they were not going to trade their swords for writing desks, and many of them withdrew, making way for individuals of lower rank but greater skills in areas beyond warfare, who came to be known as the noblesse de la robe—distinct from la noblesse de l’épee.

THE CLOCK TOWER, THE “POINTED TOWERS” OF THE CONCIERGERIE, AND THE FLOWER MARKET

The large hall from back then, along with nearby halls and corridors, was burned down more than once in ancient times and was set on fire again in 1871, when the Communards destroyed many beautiful old buildings in their city. The most exciting moments and significant events in the history of the Nation had some connection to that historic palace—often as a crucial point. And within those somber walls where the fates of men and women from all walks of life were decided, where tragedy had its place, lighter scenes were also not uncommon in earlier days. Mystery plays were frequently performed there, and every year in May, considered a “merry month,” even in the Palais de Justice, a group of legal professionals known as the “basoche” planted a May-tree in the courtyard in front of the grand entrance doors—hence the name “la Cour de Mai.” It’s a tragic courtyard despite its name, because the Conciergerie prison opened into it; through the door of what is now the Buvette du Palais—a refreshment room—men and women sentenced to death passed through during the Revolution, while other people, mostly women, gathered on the wide steps above to watch the loaded charrettes head off to the execution site.

SAINTE-CHAPELLE

The Sainte-Chapelle, a stunning example of pure Gothic architecture, was built by Pierre de Montereau between 1245 and 1248 to house sacred relics that Louis IX brought back from the Holy Land. It vividly reminds us of the days when the palace served as a royal residence. The upper level was directly connected to the royal living quarters, while the lower level was designated for palace staff and officials. During the Revolution, the chapel was damaged and repurposed as a club and a flour storage facility. The Chambre des Comptes, a beautiful old building in the courtyard of the Sainte-Chapelle, was destroyed by fire in 1737, but its large arch was saved and is now part of the Musée Carnavalet (see p. 81). A key highlight of the chapelle is its exquisite stained glass.

The recent expansion of the Palais (1908) removed the nearby remnants of earlier times. However, some traces of the past still exist on Rue de Harlay across from the Palais, to the west—Nos. 20, 54, 52, 68, 74. The buildings along boulevard du Palais and Rue de Lutèce, on its eastern side, in arrondissement IV, are all modern structures built on historic sites.

Place Dauphine dates back to 1607. It was built as a triangular place, with its name referring to the son of Henri IV. In earlier times, the site was made up of two islets, one of which, l’îlot des Juifs, was where Jacques de Morlay, Grand Master of the Templars, was burned alive in 1314. A fountain was placed in the square in memory of General Desaix, funded by public donations, but it was removed during the early Republic and moved to Riom. Artists who were not allowed to exhibit at the Salon used to display their work here each year on Corpus Christi day. Some of the buildings still show remnants from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. No. 28, which has since been restored, was the early home of Madame Roland. The writer Halévy died at 26 (1908).

The quays on the island next to the Palais, both to the north and south, date back to the sixteenth century. They have both been shortened due to the expansion of the Palais. On Quai des Orfèvres, the goldsmith's quay, which used to be the jewelers' quarter, you can still find the shop that was once owned by the jewelers involved in the “Collier de la Reine” affair. The Quai de l’Horloge remains the optician’s quarter and was known in the past as Quai des Morfondus because of the fierce winds that blew through it — which still happen in winter. The palace clock in the beautiful old tower built in the thirteenth century, which was repaired after the damage from the Revolution in the nineteenth, gives the quay its current name and is a successor to the first clock ever seen in France, installed there around 1370. In the past, a large bell was hung there, ringing as a signal during official events, and it may have tolled for the Huguenots even before the bell at St-Germain l’Auxerrois rang on the eve of St. Bartholomew’s Day in 1572.

RUE DES PETITS-CHAMPS marks the boundary between the 1st and 2nd arrondissements—the odd numbers in the 1st and the even ones in the 2nd. The street opened in 1634. Many of its old houses still stand, showcasing some interesting architectural features from the past, both inside and out. The hôtel Tubeuf, No. 8, along with its neighboring mansions that would become the Bibliothèque Nationale, was reportedly staked at a gambling table and won by the statesman Mazarin. The Cardinal purchased two adjoining hôtels and surrounding land up to Rue Colbert, where he built his own impressive mansion, using the two hôtels as wings. The first books placed there were from his personal library, a fine collection that, upon his death, was directed by his will to the Collège des Quatre Nations, now known as the Institut Mazarin. The Cardinal’s large mansion was divided among his heirs and its various parts were used for different purposes over the years until, in 1721, it was bought by the Crown. The King’s library was then moved there from Rue Vivienne, where it had been since 1666, and shortly after it opened to the public. Most of the building has been reconstructed and expanded in recent times. The darkened walls of part of Mazarin’s mansion, which formed l’hôtel de Nivers, still stand at the corner of Rue Colbert. The main entrance to the Library is on Rue de Richelieu. You can see engravings, medals, and various works of art related to literature at what has successively been the Bibliothèque Royale, Bibliothèque Impériale, and now Bibliothèque Nationale. The ceiling of the Galerie Mazarin is adorned with stunning frescoes by Romanelli. It is said that the heart of Voltaire is encased in the statue visible there. Madame de Récamier passed away at the Library in 1849; she had taken refuge there in her niece's rooms, whose husband was one of the officials when cholera broke out in l’Abbaye-aux-Bois. Opposite the Library, on the Rue Richelieu side, is Square Louvois, established in 1839, on the site of two old hôtels that once existed there. In 1793, Citoyenne Montansier opened a theater there, known successively as Théâtre des Arts, Théâtre de la Loi, and the Opéra.

After the assassination of the duc de Berri in front of No. 3 Rue du Rameau (February 13, 1820) as he was about to re-enter the Opera House, Louis XVIII planned to build a chapelle expiatoire there. The Revolution of 1830 ended that project. The large poplar tree that overlooked Rue Rameau until recent years was planted as a Liberty Tree in 1848. It suddenly died in 1912. The fountain was created by Visconti and Klagman (1844). At No. 11 Rue Chabanais (1777), Pichegru was arrested in 1804, betrayed by Leblanc. Continuing down Rue de Richelieu, we see grand old mansions along its entire length. No. 71 was part of the hôtel Louvois, given to princesse de Lamballe about four years before her tragic death, where she built spacious stables. On the site of No. 62, recently demolished, was the hôtel de Talaru, built in 1652, which became one of the most well-known prisons during the Terreur, where its owner, the marquis de Talaru, was also imprisoned. No. 75 was the hôtel de Louis de Mornay, one of the most famous lovers of Ninon de Lenclos. No. 78, once a famous lace shop, was owned by the East India Company. No. 93, formerly the enormous hôtel Crozet, owned by the ducs de Choiseul, was divided in 1780 by the construction of two adjoining streets and was inhabited by Watteau in 1715. No. 102 is on the site of a house owned by Voltaire, which at one time was lived in by his niece. No. 104, initially a private mansion, successively became Taverne Britannique (1845-52), Restaurant Richelieu, and the Union Club du Billard et du Sport. No. 101 was once the restaurant du Grand U, named in 1883 after an article in “Le National” regarding the Union Republicaine.

Leading out of Rue Richelieu, near the Bibliothèque Nationale, we find old houses on Rue St-Augustin and Rue des Filles de St-Thomas, the latter recently shortened by the Place de la Bourse and Rue du Quatre-Septembre. The busts on No. 7 of that street remind us of a theater costume shop from days gone by. No. 21 Rue Feydeau was the location of the Théâtre des Nouveautés, which later became the Opéra-Comique, demolished in 1830. Rue des Colonnes used to be closed at both ends by gates. Ernest Logouvé was born, lived, and died at No. 14 Rue St-Marc (1807-1903). La Malibran was born at No. 31.

The Bourse is located where the convent of les Filles St-Thomas used to be. Its cellars are still beneath what was previously known as the Restaurant Champeaux on Rue du 4 Septembre before 1914. The chapel remained until 1802 and during the Revolution, it served as the gathering place for the reactionary group Le Peletier; the insurgent troops that were defeated by Buonaparte on the steps of St-Roch had gathered there in 1795 (see p. 20).

The first stone of the current Bourse was laid in 1808. The building was expanded in the early years of this century. Originally, the Paris Exchange stockbrokers met at the Pont-au-Change; during the Revolution, they gathered at the chapelle des Petits-Pères; and later at the Palais-Royal.

The beautiful old door of the Hôtel Montmorency-Luxembourg still stands at the entrance to the Passage des Panoramas, leading to the old galleries: Galerie Montmartre and Galerie des Variétés—opening onto Rue Montmartre and Rue Vivienne. Until after the Revolution, Rue Vivienne had no shops, but today it's filled with stores and businesses. It commemorates a certain Sire Vivien, the King's secretary, who owned a hotel on this newly opened street. Thierry lived there in 1834, and Alphonse Karr in 1835. The grand gates of the Bibliothèque Nationale on this side once closed off the Place-Royale, now known as Place des Vosges. No. 49 is the oldest Frascati Dining Saloon, featuring the old ballroom candelabras. Many of the buildings have interesting historical remnants.

Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires was known as the "Grass Road" until after 1633; numbers 30, 28, 14, 13, 10, 4, and 2 are historic buildings, while some other old houses have been torn down. The Place-des-Victoires, where it begins, was the location of the impressive hôtel de Pomponne, which later became the Banque de France. Most of the houses are old and have interesting architectural details.

Place des Petits-Pères nearby is well-known for the church there, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, a name given to commemorate the capture of La Rochelle from the Protestants in 1627. Its first stone was laid by Louis XIII in 1629, but the church wasn’t completed until more than a century later. For a long time, it served as the convent chapel for the Augustins Déchaussés, commonly known as the Petits-Pères, named after the notably short stature of its two founding monks. The Lady-chapel is a special pilgrimage site, filled with votive offerings. The church is never empty. Passers-by rarely miss the chance to go in to say a prayer or spend a quiet moment there; working girls from the local shops, offices, and workshops often stop by during their lunch hour for rest and refuge from the streets. Services of thanksgiving after victories are naturally a highlight here. The choir features beautiful paintings by Van Loo. Rue des Petits-Pères dates back to 1615 and shows interesting traces of bygone eras. Rue d’Aboukir runs along the path of three seventeenth-century streets, one of which Buonaparte lived on for a time. Many old houses still stand there, while others of historical significance have been torn down, with modern buildings replacing them. Halfway down the street is Place du Caire, once home to what was truly a Parisian industry: carding and mattress-making and cleaning. French mattresses are, under normal circumstances, often turned inside out and cleaned or refilled very frequently.

A hospital and a convent lined part of the place and across Passage du Caire in the past. Several houses there are old, as are those in Rue Alexandrie.

In Rue du Mail, at what is now the Hôtel de Metz, Buonaparte stayed in 1790. We can see many old houses. Spontini lived here, and No. 12 was home to Madame Récamier and also Talma. The modern Rue du Quatre-Septembre has replaced many interesting old streets. At No. 100, the Passage de la Cour des Miracles reminds us of the ancient courtyard of the same name, which was demolished in 1656, though some traces still remain—the scene in old times of impressive feats of apparent healing and physical transformation where the truands, people with no declared or respectable occupation, managed to earn a few coins. From this long modern street, we can turn into many shorter ancient ones. Rue du Sentier, which by its name suggests a pathway through a forest—sentier, a variation of chantier—has beautiful old houses and once housed many notable residents. At No. 8 lived Monsieur Lebrun, a famous art dealer, married to Madame Vigée Lebrun. At No. 2 lived Madame de Staël, and at Nos. 22-24 were rooms once decorated by Fragonard, Le Normand d’Étioles, husband of La Pompadour, after their separation. No. 33 was the childhood home of his wife and the place she lived at the time of her marriage. At No. 30 lived Sophie Gay.

Rue St-Joseph, named after a seventeenth-century chapel that was demolished in 1800, of which we find some remnants, was previously called Rue du Temps-Perdu. In the graveyard attached to St-Eustache—later a market—La Fontaine and Molière were buried, with their ashes moved to Père-Lachaise in 1818. At No. 10, Zola was born (1840). Rue du Croissant (seventeenth century) is a street lined with old houses and the main newspaper street in the city. Paper sellers crowd the area at certain times each day, rushing off to compete for attention for their merchandise. At No. 22, Café du Croissant, at the corner where this street meets Rue Montmartre, journalists gather, and there the prominent Socialist, Jaurès, was shot dead on the eve of war, July 31st, 1914. The sign at No. 18 is thought to date back to 1612. In Rue des Jeûneurs (1643)—the name evolved from des Jeux-Neufs—we see more historic homes, with the old Rue St-Fiacre, once Rue du Figuier, branching off from it. No. 19 was recently inhabited by a woman who became a widow after just one year of marriage, who, as the owner of the building, evicted the tenants of its six large apartments and isolated herself in total solitude until her death at eighty-nine. No. 23 was designed by Soufflot le Romain (1775). Rue Montmartre, continuing from arrondissement I, which it leaves at Rue Étienne-Marcel, shows many interesting remnants. At No. 178, we see a bas-relief of the Porte Montmartre from earlier days. Inside the modern Brasserie du Coq, there is a copy of the automatic cock from Strasbourg Cathedral, dating from 1352. On the front of No. 121, there is a curious set of bells and a quaint sign, “A la grâce de Dieu,” dating back to 1710. No. 118 was known in earlier times as the house of clocks, featuring thirty-two clocks on its facade, created by a Swiss clockmaker. As we ascend this old street to visit the adjoining streets, we turn into Rue Tiquetonne, which evokes fourteenth-century times, named after a prosperous baker from that century, a certain M. Rogier de Quinquentonne. Among the ancient houses there, Nos. 4 and 2 have very deep cellars extending beneath the street. In Rue Dussoubs, which goes back to the fifteenth century under various names, we see more charming houses. At No. 26, Goldoni died. The short street Marie-Stuart recalls the days when the beautiful Scotswoman was Queen Consort of France for just one brief year. The name Rue Jussienne is a distortion of Marie l’Égyptienne, the patron saint of a fourteenth-century chapel that stood there until 1791. At No. 2, Madame Dubarry lived after the death of Louis XV. Rue d’Argout, originally named Rue des Vieux-Augustins, dates back to the thirteenth century. Here, at No. 28, lived Savalette de Langes, long believed to be a woman, later proven at her death to have been a man. In Passage du Vigan at No. 22, we find bas-reliefs in a courtyard. At No. 56, there is a small ancient hôtel.

Rue Bachaumont is on the site of the gone Passage du Saumur, a milliner’s district and the oldest of Paris's passages, which was demolished in 1899. Rue d’Uzès crosses where the ancient hôtel d’Uzès used to be. Rue de Cléry was an old road until 1634. Madame de Pompadour was born here. Pierre Corneille and the painter Casanava lived here; and at the point where the street meets Rue Beauregard, Baron Batz made a desperate attempt to save Louis XVI on his way to the guillotine. No. 97, now a modest shop with the sign “Au poète de 1793,” was the home of André Chenier. Nos. 21-19 belonged to Robert Poquelin, Molière's priest-brother, and later to Pierre Lebrun, where theatrical performances were held before the Revolution, and Mass was secretly said during the Terror. Leading out from Rue Cléry, we find Rue des Degrés, six meters long, the shortest street in Paris, just a set of stairs.

Rue St-Sauveur (13th century) recalls the church that used to be there. From one end to the other, we see old houses, beautiful balconies, unique signs, and interesting architectural features. On Rue des Petits-Carreaux, extending from this end of Rue Montorgueil (see p. 40), we find at No. 16 the house where, until recently, musicians gathered for hire every Sunday. They now meet at the Café de la Chartreuse, 24, Boulevard St-Denis. In the courtyard where No. 26 now stands, Jean Dubarry once lived. Rue Poissonnière, “Fishwives Street,” which was once called “Champ des Femmes” (13th century), showcases many old houses.

Rue Beauregard got its name because of the great view Parisians enjoyed from the top of Rue Montorgueil. The infamous sorceress Catherine Monvoisin—“la Voisin”—who was involved in countless crimes, built herself an extravagant home on this hill, which was a bit higher back then than it is now. There are several old houses along this historic street, especially at No. 46. We also find ancient homes in Rue de la Lune (1630), where No. 1 is still famous for its brioches du soleil. In the past, a graveyard for Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle stretched between these two streets. This church, built in 1624, was located on the site of the old chapel Ste-Barbe. The name supposedly comes from a good piece of news relayed to Anne d’Autriche one day as she passed by. Only the tower of the seventeenth-century church remains; the rest was rebuilt in 1823. Four old streets intersect Rue de la Lune: Rue Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle (eighteenth century), Rue Thorel (sixteenth century), the old Rue Ste-Barbe, Rue de la Ville-Neuve, and Rue Notre-Dame de la Recouvrance, each featuring interesting old houses. At No. 8 Rue de la Ville-Neuve, we find médaillons of Jean Goujon and Philibert Delorme.

Surrounded by old streets, just off the boulevard des Italiens, is the Opéra-Comique, originally a Salle de Spectacles, built on the land of their impressive mansion by the duke and duchess de Choiseul, who reserved the right to a loge of eight seats next to the royal box for themselves and their heirs forever. Its name, initially Salle Favart, has changed many times. It was burned down twice, in 1838 and 1887, and the current building was completed in 1898. Rue Favart, named after the 18th-century actor, has always been home to actors and actresses. Rue de Grammont dates back to 1726 and was built over the site of the elegant old hôtel de Grammont. Rue de Choiseul, next to the recently built Crédit Lyonnais, which has replaced several historic mansions, remembers the existence of another hôtel de Choiseul. At No. 21, we find interesting old attics. Passing through the short Rue de Hanovre, we reach Rue de la Michodière, opened in 1778 on the grounds of hôtel Conti, where Gericault, the painter, lived at No. 8 in 1808, and at No. 19, the home of Casabianca, a member of the Convention where Buonaparte once stayed. At No. 3, Rue d’Antin, then a private mansion, Buonaparte married Joséphine on 9 March 1796. Although it now serves as a banker’s office, the room where the wedding took place is preserved exactly as it was. In a house on Rue Louis-le-Grand, opened in 1701 and known during the Revolution as Rue des Piques, Sophie Arnould was born. Rue Daunou, where at No. 1 there is an old escutcheon, leads us into Rue de la Paix, opened in 1806 on the site of the former convent of the Capucines and initially called Rue Napoléon. All its fine buildings are modern, as are those on the even-numbered side of Rue Volney and Rue des Capucines. In the latter street, established in 1700, the Crédit Foncier is located in the old hôtel de Castanier, director of the East India Company (1726), and the hôtel Devieux from the same year. Nos. 11, 9, 7, and 5 (with fine remnants at No. 5) were the stables of the duchesse d’Orléans in 1730.

A LONG stretch of the busy Boulevard Sébastopol marks the boundary between the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements. Several short, old streets run between the Boulevard and Rue St-Martin. Rue Apolline (eighteenth century), Rue Blondel, and Rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth, which interestingly has a Jewish synagogue, showcase some historic houses. The latter, which was a roadway in the fifteenth century and became a street alongside a large drain in the seventeenth century, commemorates the convent that once stood there. We find remnants of an old hôtel at No. 6, and nearby are ancient passages: Passage du Vertbois, Passage des Quatre-Voleurs, and Passage du Pont-aux-Biches. On Rue Papin, we discover the théâtre de la Gaîté, first established at the Fair St-Laurent in the seventeenth century and here since 1861, when it was known as théâtre du Prince Impérial. Crossing Rue Turbigo, we arrive at Rue Bourg l’Abbé, which reminds us of a very old street with the same name that was erased by the Boulevard Sébastopol, and Rue aux Ours, dating back to 1300, originally Rue aux Oies, possibly referring to geese roasted for dinner when it was a street for turnspit cooks. On the odd-numbered side, some historic houses still remain. Rue Quincampoix, beginning far down in the 4th arrondissement, runs into Rue aux Ours. It has a history filled with old associations. In this section, we find interesting old houses, arched doorways, sculpted doors, etc., at Nos. 111, 99, 98, 96, 92, 91, and 90. At No. 91, the watchman's bell rang to disperse the crowds that gathered around the offices of the prominent financier Law, who first established his bank at the hôtel de Beaufort, located at the site of house No. 65. The Salle Molière was at No. 82, accessed through the Passage Molière, which dates back to the Revolution days when it was known as Passage des Nourrices. The Salle started as the théâtre des Sans-Culottes and later became the théâtre École. It was here that Rachel made her debut. Many remnants of the old theatre can still be seen.

RUE QUINCAMPOIX

The old Roman road Rue St-Martin coming north through the 4th arrondissement leads into the 3rd from Rue Rambuteau. Its entire length is filled with historical remnants: ancient mansions, old signs, venerable sculptures, bas-reliefs, and more. In the Passage de l’Ancre, which opens at No. 223, the first cab-hiring office was established in 1637. At No. 254, we find the old church St-Nicolas-des-Champs, originally a chapel in the fields that was part of the abbey lands of St-Martin-des-Champs, which later became the parish church of the area. It was rebuilt at the start of the fifteenth century and expanded towards the end of the sixteenth century—an impressive Gothic structure of two different eras known as the church of a hundred columns. The sacristy, which used to be the presbytery, and a sundial from 1666 face the old Rue Cunin-Gridaine. By crossing Rue Réaumur, we reach the fine old abbey buildings that have served as the Paris Arts and Crafts Institution since the Revolution. The Abbey was built on the site just beyond the Paris boundary where St. Martin is said to have healed a leper on his way to the city. The Normans destroyed it; it was rebuilt in 1056, and the Abbey grounds were enclosed a few years later by tall walls, which were later reinforced as strong fortifications with eighteen turrets. Part of those walls and a restored tower can be seen at No. 7 Rue Bailly. Within the walls were the Abbey chapel, long, beautiful cloisters, a prison, a market, and more. In the fourteenth century, the Abbey was incorporated into the city limits, and the monks maintained their presence until 1790. In 1798, the abandoned Abbey buildings were selected to house the models collected by Vaucanson—the pioneer of machinists; other collections were added over time, and various changes and additions were made to the old Abbey structure in the following century.

ST-NICOLAS-DES-CHAMPS

The large door leading to Rue St-Martin is from 1850. The grand staircase in the courtyard, originally built in 1786, was renovated and updated in 1860. The ancient cloisters have been the site of active mechanical and industrial study for many years. The beautiful old refectory, designed by Pierre de Montereau, the architect of the Sainte-Chapelle (see p. 48), has been turned into the Library. Under the stunning vaulted ceiling, surrounded by tall, slender columns with exquisite craftsmanship, students read where monks once shared their meals. The old Abbey chapel, dating back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, was restored in the nineteenth century and now serves as a storage area for steam engine models, etc. A small Gothic chapel is managed by a gas company. Other historic parts of the Abbey, which had fallen into disrepair, have recently been removed.

Rue Vertbois, located on the northern side of the institution, notes the presence of a leafy forest in the old Abbey grounds. The tower is from 1140, and the fountain is from 1712; both were renovated at the end of the nineteenth century. As we continue up this historic street, we come across many remnants of what used to be the Abbey's grounds.

Porte St-Martin, located at the corner where the rue meets the boulevard, is the final one of three major portes heading north, each historically marking the edge of the city.

Rue Meslay, which branches off from Rue St-Martin at this point, dates back to the early 1700s when it was known as Rue du Rempart. No. 49 was the residence of the last Commandant du Guet. At No. 46, Aurore Dupin, better known as George Sand, the famous novelist, was born in 1804. At No. 40, we find the beautiful old hôtel, featuring a fountain in the courtyard, where in the eighteenth century lived the Commandant de la Garde de Paris, with the garde having taken over from the guet (the Watch) in 1771.

RUE BEAUBOURG

Rue Beaubourg, which goes from Rue Rambuteau to Rue Turbigo, along with the streets and passages branching off it, reveals many signs of the past. At No. 28, there are underground halls, with hooks where iron chains used to be—this was an old prison—and a Louis XVI salon, showing remnants of ancient frescoes and sculptures. The city wall of Philippe-Auguste ran where house No. 39 now stands. At No. 62, across from the former graveyard of St-Nicolas-des-Champs, was the palace of the bishops of Châlons, later incorporated into a Carmelite convent that was closed in 1793. During a subsequent revolutionary period—when Louis-Philippe was the king of France—the insurrections in Paris focused here, and terrible events unfolded at this location.

In Rue au Maire, there was a secular official, either the mayor or the bailiff of the Abbey, who held his office there. In Passage des Marmites (Saucepan Street), only chaudronniers (coppersmiths and tinkers) lived. Along Rue Volta, we can see old houses, and Rue des Vertus, ironically named since it used to be called Rue des Vices, is lined with charming old buildings. Most of the rather shabby houses on Rue des Gravilliers are quite old. No. 44 is said to have been the meeting spot for the secret Society “l’Internationale” during Napoléon III's era. At Nos. 69 and 70, we can see remnants of the hôtel built by Gabrielle d’Estrées' grandfather. At No. 88, the accomplices of Cadoudal, involved in the infernal machine conspiracy, were arrested.

Rue Chapon, previously known as Capon, gets its name from the Capo, or the cape worn by the Jewish community who were the main residents during the thirteenth century. The western end, which was called Rue du Cimetière St-Nicolas-des-Champs until 1851, still has many remnants of the past. Number 16 was the hotel of Madame de Mandeville, who started as a novice nun and became a famous courtesan during the reign of Louis XV. Number 13 was the hotel of the archbishops of Reims, later the bishops of Châlons, which was given to the Carmelites in 1619. A large door and other intriguing remnants remain.

Rue de Montmorency gets its name from the historic hôtel at No. 5, where the Montmorency family lived from 1215 to 1627, when the last descendant of the famous Constable Mathieu was executed on the scaffold. The street is filled with historic houses and associations. The area between Rue Beaubourg and Rue du Temple was known until 1768 as Rue Courtauvillain, originally Cour-au-Vilains—the Vilains, not necessarily "villains," were the serfs or "common people" from earlier times. Madame de Sévigné lived here before moving to hôtel Carnavalet. No. 51 is the Maison du Grand Pignon, the big gable, owned around 1407 by Nicolas Flamel and his wife Pernelle. Nicolas was a well-known schoolmaster of his time who profited from his school and was said to have discovered the philosopher’s stone. Upon his death, he left his house and all his possessions to the church St-Jacques-la-Boucherie, of which only la Tour St-Jacques remains (see pp. 95, 97).

Rue Grenier-St-Lazare, previously known as Rue Garnier de St-Ladre in the thirteenth century, features some fascinating old houses, and at No. 4, there’s a Louis XVI staircase.

Rue Michel-le-Comte, another street lined with old houses that were once the townhouses of the nobility, brings to mind the popular pun, “Ça fait la Rue Michel,” meaning “ça fait le compte”—Michel-le-Comte. Number 28 was once home to Count Esterhazy, the Hungarian Ambassador. Impasse de Clairvaux, Rue du Maure (from the fourteenth century, once known as Cour des Anglais), and Rue Brantôme create a group of historic streets, with many reminders of bygone eras.

Of the famous fortress and area from medieval times, which gave its name to the district, nothing exists anymore. A modern square (1865) has been created on the location of the mansion and the gardens of the Grand Prieur, but the streets around it, some running where the Temple used to stand and across the large grounds it occupied, reveal historic buildings, remnants, and connections throughout their entire length.

The Knights Templar arrived in Paris in 1148. Their property, which included a dungeon built in 1212, a manor, a fortified tower, and extensive grounds, was seized in 1307 and given to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, later known as the Knights of Malta. From that point until the Revolution, the Temple was closely tied to the life of the city. The original buildings were torn down, and streets were constructed where some of them used to be in the seventeenth century. An enormous castle with battlements, towers, and a strong prison was built where the original stronghold had been. The Temple, as it was then built, resembled old abbeys and royal palaces: a sort of small town, containing everything necessary for the daily lives of its residents. Along with Louis XVI and his family, many notable figures spent long days in its prison. Sidney Smith managed to escape from there. Its surrounding walls were torn down in the early nineteenth century, and in 1808, Napoléon had the great tower demolished. In 1814, the Allies used the Grand Priory as their headquarters. Louis XVIII handed over the mansion to an Order of Benedictine nuns. In 1848, it was used as barracks. Its final destruction came in 1854 when it was completely leveled. A large place and market hall were built on the site of the old Temple chapel and its nearby buildings—a famous market primarily for second-hand goods, the main Paris market for occasions (bargains). The Rotonde, which had been constructed in 1781, was allowed to remain and lasted until 1863. A new iron hall built in 1855 was not demolished until recently—1905.

THE TEMPLE DOOR

Those pretty, cheerful trinkets, that shiny cheap jewelry known worldwide as "articles de Paris," originated from a specific group of people living on the old Temple grounds. No one living there paid taxes. Struggling individuals of different backgrounds sought refuge there—a community mostly of artists and creatively-minded craftsmen. To make a living, they used their skills and soon found a market for their knockoffs—not just any knockoffs, but ones with genuine Parisian finesse in design and craftsmanship.

Starting up Rue du Temple from Rue Rambuteau, before 1851 Rue Ste-Avoie, we come upon the passage Ste-Avoie and the entrance to the demolished hôtel, once belonging to Constable Anne de Montmorency, which later became the famous Law bank for a while. At No. 71, we see l’hôtel de St-Aignan, built in 1660, which was used as a mairie in 1812, featuring fine doors and Corinthian pilasters in the courtyard. No. 79 was l’hôtel de Montmort (1650). No. 86 is located where a famous cabaret existed during the time of Louis XII. At Nos. 101-103, we can see remnants of l’hôtel de Montmorency. No. 113 was part of a Carmelite convent. At No. 122, Balzac lived in 1882. At No. 153 was the eighteenth-century bureau des Vinaigrettes— Sedan-chairs on wheels. The grand door of the Temple, demolished in 1810, stood in front of No. 183. Ruins were found in recent years beneath the pavement. At No. 195, within the Église Ste-Elisabeth, originally the convent chapel of the Filles de Ste-Elisabeth (1614-1690), we see beautifully crafted woodwork. Rue Turbigo cut right through the ancient presbytère.

Turning back down this old street to explore the roads branching off from it, we come across Rue Dupetit-Thouars, located where old hôtels used to be within the Temple grounds. Rue de la Corderie, where the Communards gathered in 1871. Rue des Fontaines (fifteenth century), featuring at No. 7 the ancient hôtellerie du Grand Cerf: at No. 15 the hôtel owned by the Superior of the convent of the Madelonnettes—a house of Mercy—shut down during the Revolution, which was used as a political prison, and later as a women’s prison. Rue Perrée, where you can still see a mysterious Temple market, runs through the historic Temple grounds.

Rue de Bretagne runs from Rue de Réaumur at the corner of Temple Square, historically known in its path through the Temple property as Rue de Bourgogne, and further on as Rue de Saintonge. Leading off it, at No. 62, the short Rue de Caffarelli traces the line of the eastern wall of the demolished Temple fortress. At No. 45 is Rue de Beauce, where we encounter the ancient private passage, Rue des Oiseaux, with its vacherie from the old hospice des Enfants-Rouges. At No. 48, the old Rue du Beaujolais-du-Temple opens, now renamed Rue de Picardie. At No. 41, we find the Marché des Enfants-Rouges, a charming vintage market hall featuring an ancient well in the courtyard. Rue Portefoin dates back to the thirteenth century, and Rue Pastourelle, from the same era, is where at No. 23 lived Biard, the culottier who wrote the Revolutionary song: la Carmagnole. Rue des Haudriettes, formerly known as Rue de l’Échelle-du-Temple, had at its far end the Temple pillory and a tall ladder reaching to its top. The name Haudriette comes from the order of nuns founded by Jean Haudri, secretary to Louis IX, who, after being presumed lost while traveling in the East, returned to find his wife living among widows, whom she had invited to share her home. Haudri supported the institution he founded, which was later moved to a mansion, now demolished, near the chapel of the Assumption, on Rue St-Honoré. Rue de Brague, until 1348 known as Rue Boucherie-du-Temple, was the Templars' meat market. The beautiful old hôtel at Nos. 4 and 6 features ceilings painted by Lebrun. All these streets are rich in historical houses and remnants, as is the entire area on this side of Rue du Temple up to Rue de Turenne in the Marais, a name highlighting the marshy character of the district in ancient times, which for long before the Revolution was the city's most aristocratic neighborhood. We now stand in front of the Archives and the Imprimerie Nationale, the latter set to move to its new location on Rue de la Convention. The façade of this splendid old building and its entrance gates face Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, more on that later (see p. 84). On the west side, a thick high wall and a Gothic doorway mark what was, in the fourteenth century, the Paris residence of the formidable Constable, Olivier de Clisson, who later, for nearly two hundred years, saw it in the hands of the Guise family. It was rebuilt in 1687 for the Princess de Soubise by the architect Delamair. Pillaged during the Revolution, it became national property, and in 1808, the Archives were established there by Napoléon. You can see frescoes, fine old woodwork, and magnificent mouldings, showcasing architectural beauty. It's said that the Duke of Clarence made the hôtel Clisson his residence during the English occupation under Henry V. Ascending Rue des Archives, we spot No. 53, built in 1705 by the Prince de Rohan, and continue up the street past fine old mansions, which were once the homes of historically significant individuals. No. 72 is said to have functioned as the "Archives" during the reign of Louis XIII. An eighteenth-century fountain can be seen in the yard behind the stationer's shop there. No. 78 was the hôtel of Maréchal de Tallard. No. 79 dates back to the time of Louis XIII. At No. 90, we see remnants of the old chapel belonging to the Orphanage des Enfants-Rouges, named for the color of the children's uniforms. The eastern side of the Imprimerie Nationale, adjacent to the Archives, built by Delamair, known as the hôtel de Strasbourg, and commonly referred to as hôtel de Rohan because four counts of Rohan served as bishops of Strasbourg, is bordered by Rue Vieille-du-Temple, which also has a long line of historic houses that stand as testimony to past glory. No. 54 features a charming house and turret built in 1528 by Jean de la Balue, secretary to the duc d’Orléans. No. 56 was once home to Loys de Villiers, a member of Isabeau de Bavière's household. No. 75 served as the town house for the de la Tour-du-Pin-Gouvernet family (1720). On the walls of No. 80, the old inscription reads “Vieille rue du Temple.” No. 102 was the hôtel de Caumartin, later known as d’Epernon. Nos. 106 and 110 were associated with the hôtel d’Epernon.

PORTE DE CLISSON
(Archives)
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Rue des Quatre-Fils, located north of the Archives and its neighboring buildings, formerly known as Rue de l’Échelle-du-Temple, brings to mind the romantic tales of the four sons of a certain Aymon, celebrated by a troubadour in the thirteenth century. Most of the houses here are old. Leading from it is the historic Rue Charlot, featuring many houses and remnants from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We catch a glimpse of the Ruelle Sourdis, a channel that once ran through the center, bordered by iron gates and boundary stones. At No. 5, we see what’s left of the hôtel Sourdis, which belonged to Cardinal Retz in 1650. The church St-Jean-St-François across the street is the former chapel of the convent St-François-des-Capucins du Marais. It replaced the old church St-Jean-en-Grève, which was destroyed during the Revolution, and around the nave, we can see painted copies of ancient tapestries depicting the miracle of the sacred Hostie, which a Jew attempted to mockingly destroy by burning. The fête of Reparation has been celebrated here since the fourteenth century at the church of St-Jean and the chapel les Billettes (see p. 107); since 1867, this tradition continues here. Also preserved here is the chasuble used by Abbé Edgeworth during the last Mass he officiated before his execution by Louis XVI in the nearby Temple prison. In the short Rue du Perche behind the church, the young widow of Scarron, who was destined to become Madame de Maintenon, lived for a while at No. 7 bis. Several of the ceilings are adorned with beautiful frescoes. In Rue de Poitou, we discover more fascinating old houses. In Rue de Normandie, Nos. 10, 6, and 9 show interesting features and old courtyards, etc. Turning from Rue Charlot into Rue Béranger, which was known until 1864 as the Grand Prior of the Temple de Vendôme, we find the hôtel de Vendôme, Nos. 5 and 3, dating back to 1752, where Béranger lived and died. At No. 11, now a business, resided Berthier de Sauvigny, Intendant-Général de Paris in 1789, who was hanged from a lamp-post after the storming of the Bastille, one of the first victims of the Revolution.

RUELLE DE SOURDIS

Running parallel to Rue Charlot, starting from the small Rue du Perche, Rue Saintonge, formed by combining two seventeenth-century streets, Rue Poitou and Rue Touraine, features a series of historic homes. From October 1789 to July 15, 1791, Robespierre lived at No. 64. A beautiful columned entrance at No. 5 has been replaced by a modern building. The hôtel at No. 4, originally built around 1611, was rebuilt in 1745.

Rue de Turenne, which stretches in this district from Rue Charlot to the corner of Place des Vosges, originally started as Rue Louis, and in its upper part, it was Rue Boucherat, as an old inscription at No. 133 near the Boucherat fountain indicates. It begins from the old street Rue St.-Antoine in the 4th arrondissement and is a long line of historic hôtels, the homes of distinguished individuals and significant events from the past; one side of the convent des Filles-du-Calvaire lies between Rue des Filles-du-Calvaire and Rue Pont-au-Choux. No. 76 was the residence of the last governor of the Bastille, Monsieur de Launay. The church of St-Denis-du-St-Sacrament at No. 70 was built in 1835 on the site of a chapel from a convent that was demolished in 1826, which had previously been the mansion of Maréchal de Turenne. At No. 56, Scarron lived and passed away. No. 54 was the home of the comte de Montrésor, a notable figure in the Fronde wars. At No. 41, fresh water flows from the fontaine de Joyeuse, situated on the site of the old hôtel de Joyeuse. A beautiful staircase can be found in almost every one of these historic hôtels.

HÔTEL VENDÔME, RUE BÉRANGER

Short, interesting old streets branch off this long one on either side.

Rue du Parc-Royal remembers the park and palace of Les Tournelles, which were destroyed after the tragic death of Henri II by his wife, Catherine de’ Medici (see p. 8). No. 4, built in 1620, was home to prominent families until the early years of the nineteenth century. Until recently, a beautiful carved wooden staircase could be seen there. Many of the old houses that used to stand here have been torn down in recent years and replaced by modern buildings and a garden square.

WE are now near the captivating historic museum, Musée Carnavalet, and the adjacent library. On the wall of Rue de Sévigné, you can still see its older name, Rue de la Culture-Ste-Catherine, which reflects its route through farmland near an ancient church dedicated to St. Catherine. In 1677, Madame de Sévigné and her daughter, Madame de Grignan, moved into the first floor of house No. 23, built around 130 years earlier by Jacques de Ligneri under the guidance of the famous architect Pierre Lescot and the sculptor Jean Goujon. The widow of a Breton lord, named something like Kernevenoy, who became Carnavalet, purchased the hôtel from the Ligneri; ownership changed over time, but the name remained. During the Revolution, the mansion was seized by the State, repurposed for a school, and later became the Historical Museum of Paris after 1871. In 1898, M. Georges Cain took charge of the museum, and since then, he has continually expanded and enhanced its value and appeal as a skilled administrator. To explore the history and learn "from life" about Paris and France, visit the Musée Carnavalet. And to read more about what you see there, turn into the Bibliothèque de la Ville at No. 29. In the past, le Petit Arsenal de la Ville was located on this site. The building we see, l’hôtel St-Fargeau, was constructed in 1687. The city library, which Jules Cousin reorganized, was established there in 1898.

Rue Payenne runs through the site of old houses and parts of two convents. One door can be seen at the unfortunately modern-looking Lycée Victor-Hugo, which clashes with its surroundings. At No. 5, there’s a bust of Auguste Comte with an inscription, as this was the “Temple of the Religion of Humanity,” and Comte’s friend and muse Clotilde de Vaux passed away here. Souvenirs of the philosopher are kept in a memorial chapel. Nos. 11 and 13 used to be the mansion of the duc de Lude, a prominent admirer of Madame de Sévigné and Grand Maître d’Artillerie in 1675, and was once inhabited by Madame Scarron. In Rue Elzévir—formerly Rue des Trois-Pavillons—Marion Delorme was born in 1613. Ninon de Lenclos lived here in 1642. At No. 8, we see a beautiful old house, and at No. 2, the hôtel de Lusignan. Off Rue Elzévir, the old Rue Barbette features the name of a master of the Mint under Philippe-le-Bel, along with a house he built that had extensive gardens known as the Courtille Barbette. The Courtille was destroyed by the angry populace unhappy with a change in the coinage in 1306; the house remained and became a meeting place for courtiers, eventually passing into the hands of the ephemeral Isabeau de Bavière, who hosted her magnificent bals masqués there. It was while leaving the hôtel Barbette that the duc d’Orléans, Isabeau’s lover, was assassinated on the doorstep of a nearby house, by the followers of Jean Sans Peur, on November 23, 1407 (see p. 40). The mansion changed hands multiple times before being partially demolished in 1563, which led to this street being cut across the ground where it once stood. No. 8 was the “petit hôtel” of Maréchal d’Estrées, brother of Gabrielle, which was confiscated during the Revolution and later became the main house of the “la Legion d’Honneur” institution for educating officers’ daughters. The grand old mansion has lost its splendid decorations and precious woodwork—all sold piece by piece for high prices. Almost every house on this old street is an ancient hôtel. No. 14 was the hôtel Bigot de Chorelle, No. 16 the hôtel de Choisy, No. 18 the hôtel Massu, No. 17 the hôtel de Brégis, etc. We see other ancient houses in Rue de la Perle. At No. 1, dating back to the late seventeenth century, there are incredibly interesting items in the courtyard; busts of old Romans, beautiful bas-reliefs, etc.

Rue de Thorigny, 16th century, was named after Président Lambert de Thorigny, whose descendants built the beautiful hôtel Lambert on l’Ile St-Louis a century or two later. Marion died in a house on this street; Madame de Sévigné lived here at one point, as did Balzac in 1814. The beautiful hôtel at No. 5 is called hôtel Salé, because its owner, Aubert de Fontenay, became wealthy from the Gabelle (salt tax). Later, it was home to Monseigneur Juigné, Archbishop of Paris, who during the harsh winter of 1788-89 gave away all his possessions to ease the suffering of the people, yet met his end by stoning when the Revolution broke out. Confiscated by the State, the beautiful old mansion was used for various purposes for a time before being purchased and its splendor carefully preserved by its current owners. Rue Debelleyme, made up of four short ancient streets, shows interesting remnants. The 19th-century novelist, Eugène Sue, lived here.

To the east of Rue de Turenne, where it meets Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, we come across old streets that were once part of the ancient palace des Tournelles; no trace of the palace remains except for the name of the old Rue des Tournelles. Rue du Foin runs where hay used to be made in the palace park's fields. Rue de Béarn was formerly known as Rue du Parc-Royal. Here, we can see remnants of the convent des Minimes, founded by Marie de’ Medici in 1611 and shut down in 1790. Some of its walls are now part of the barracks visible there, and the cloister still stands intact in the courtyard, while at No. 10, Rue des Minimes, you can see the old convent door. The building at No. 7 on this street, which is now a school, dates back to the seventeenth century. A famous chestnut tree, several hundred years old, thrived in the courtyard at No. 14 until a few years ago. On Rue St-Gilles, among other historic houses, we see the Pavilion of the hôtel Morangis at No. 22 and at No. 12, the Cour de Venise. On Rue Villehardouin, when it was Rue des Douze Portes, which was connected to Rue St-Pierre after its name change, Scarron lived there with his young wife. Rue des Tournelles, with its strikingly old-world charm, shows us two houses once inhabited by Ninon de Lenclos, Nos. 56 and 26, and at No. 58, the residence of Locré, who along with some other legal figures, drafted the famous Code Napoléon.

At No. 1, Rue St-Claude, on one side of the house in Rue des Arquebusiers, lived the infamous sorcerer, Joseph Balsamo, known as Count Cagliostro. The iron railing is from his time and the heavy, beautiful doors came from the old Temple buildings. Rue Pont-au-Choux brings to mind the days when the land was a stretch of market gardens. Rue Froissard and Rue de Commines are located on the site of the demolished convent of the Filles-du-Calvaire, remnants of which can be seen on the boulevard at No. 13.

RUE LUTÈCE, the French version of the Roman name Lutetia, reflects the city's ancient roots. On that river island, the earliest settlers set up camp, built their basic homes, and laid the groundwork for what would eventually turn into the City of Light, the dazzling Ville Lumière. When the conquering Romans claimed this early settlement and constructed its first palace, the island of the Seine was renamed l’Île du Palais.

NOTRE-DAME

Of the buildings that were built there over the years, only a few traces remain today. However, Roman walls in excellent condition were found beneath the surface of the island as recently as 1906. Close to where Rue Lutèce is located, the ancient Rue des Fèves ran until the middle of last century, home to the famous Taverne de la Pomme de Pin, a popular gathering spot for prominent writers since Molière's time. Crossing Rue de la Cité, which was established in 1834 along the path of the old Rue St-Éloi that ran where Degobert’s great statesman founded the abbey St-Martial, we arrive at the Parvis Notre-Dame. The Parvis, which is so wide and open today, was until very recently—well into the late nineteenth century—filled with buildings; old shops and streets, structures related to the old Hôtel-Dieu covered much of the area in front of the Cathedral, which is now an open square. The statue of Charlemagne we see there is modern, erected in 1882.

The Cathedral, cherished and respected by Parisians throughout history—“Sacra sancta ecclesia civitatis Parisiensis”—is built on the site of two ancient churches that once together made up the Episcopal church of the capital of France. One was named after the martyr, St. Stephen, and the other was dedicated to Ste-Marie.

These churches were built on the site of a pre-Christian place of worship, a temple dedicated to Mars or Jupiter: large Roman remains were discovered under the pavements while clearing away the ancient structures on the Parvis. Fire caused extensive damage to both churches, completely destroying one. Around 1162, Sully began constructing a church that would be worthy of his country's capital. The first stone was laid by the Guelph refugee, Pope Alexander III, in 1163. The chancel, nave, and façade were completed without unnecessary delay, and by 1223 the entire beautiful Gothic structure was finished; alterations continued over the following years until about 1300. From then on, Notre-Dame became a repository of beautiful things. The finest artworks from each era decorated its walls—eventually so thickly that there was no more room. Many beautiful old works, including an impressive rood screen, were removed under Louis XIV when space was needed for the enormous statue of the Virgin set up at that time to fulfill Louis XIII's vow, which was later destroyed. The figures on the great doors we see today are modern: the original statuettes were smashed to pieces at the start of the Revolution by a mob who confused the Kings of Israel with the Kings of France!

RUE MASSILLON

The flèche was constructed later, built by Viollet le Duc, to replace the old turret bell tower. During the Revolution, the Cathedral faced destruction and desecration of every kind. Priceless glass was shattered, and magnificent works of art were ruthlessly destroyed and trampled into the ground. In the Parvis—the area in front of the Cathedral doors where mystery plays used to be performed—a huge bonfire was made of all the Mass books and Bibles found inside the sacred building: priceless illuminated missals were lost in that fire. Thankfully, marvelous woodwork, stunning stained-glass windows, and fine statues still remain.

From the time it was built, the grand Cathedral has been closely tied to the most significant historical events in France, just like the church constructed by Childebert and the older church of St-Étienne before it. St. Louis was buried there in 1271. The first States-General was held there in 1302. Henry VI of England was crowned King of France there in 1431, and Marie Stuart was crowned Queen Consort in 1560. Henri IV attended his first Mass there in 1694. Within those sacred walls, the Revolutionists established the worship of reason and held sacrilegious celebrations. Napoléon I was crowned there and married Marie Louise of Austria there. Napoléon III’s wedding also took place there. These are just a few highlights from a long list of historical connections. National Te Deums, Requiems, and Services of Reparation all occur at this Sancta Ecclesia Parisionis.

The Hôtel-Dieu on the north side of the Parvis is the modern hospital built on the site of the ancient Paris House of God, which was the hospital for the poor of Paris established in the thirteenth century. It was always closely linked to the Cathedral, with its annexe across the little bridge St-Charles, a kind of covered gallery. Those blackened walls remained until 1909.

Rue du Cloître Notre-Dame used to belong to the Cathedral Chapter, a secluded street. Most of its fifty-one houses are gone now, but three remain: Nos. 18, 16, and 14. The famous sixteenth-century architect Pierre Lescot, who was given a canonry, died there in 1578. Rue Chanoinesse is still home to the Cathedral canons, and its houses are all historic. Fulbert, the uncle of the beautiful Héloïse, who defied his anger for the sake of Abelard, lived at No. 10, while Racine is rumored to have stayed at No. 16. The old Tour de Dagobert, which didn't quite date back to that king's era, was at No. 18 until 1908. Its amazing staircase, made from a single oak tree, is now at the Musée Cluny. Rumor has it that Lacordaire stayed at No. 17. At No. 20, there’s an interesting old courtyard. No. 24 has remnants of the old chapel St-Aignan from the twelfth century. At No. 26, there's a passage with old pillars, paved with ancient tombstones. This leads to the little Rue des Chantres, where the choristers lived and practiced to perfect their voices and music skills. Rue Massillon is lined with old houses featuring fascinating details—a marvelous carved oak staircase at No. 6, beautiful doors, and unique courtyards. There’s another stunning staircase at No. 4. In Rue des Ursins, which connects to Rue Chanoinesse, many ancient houses can be found. At No. 19, we see remnants of the old chapel where Mass was held in secret during the Revolution by priests disguised as laborers.

Rue de la Colombe, where we find an inscription mentioning the discovery of Roman remains, dates back to the early years of the thirteenth century.

CROSSING the bridge once painted bright red and called le Pont-Rouge, we find ourselves on Île St-Louis, which used to be two separate islands: l’Île Notre-Dame and l’Île-aux-Vaches, both uninhabited until the early 1600s. Tradition says that the law duels known as jugements de Dieu happened there. The Chapter of Notre-Dame had certain rights over the island.

In the seventeenth century, permission was granted to build on Île St-Louis, and the official builder of roads and bridges received the right to develop the two small islands under the condition that he would fill in the stream that separated them and construct a bridge across the branch of the Seine to connect to the city quay. The stream turned into Rue Poulletier, where we can find interesting remnants from that time and two historical buildings, Nos. 3 and 20—the latter now a school.

All along Rue St-Louis-en-l’Île and in the streets connected to it, beautiful old mansions and remnants of the original buildings still stand. The church we see there was started by Le Vau in 1664, on the site of a chapel built at his own expense by a man named Nicolas-le-Jeune. The unique belfry dates from 1741. The church is filled with works of art, many created by great masters of the past, thanks to its vicar, Abbé Bossuet, who dedicated his entire fortune and tireless effort to restoring the church after it was devastated during the Revolution, ultimately dying so poor that he was buried by the parish. At No. 1 of this charming street, we find a pavilion of l’hôtel de Bretonvilliers, with an arch visible at No. 7, and other remnants at Nos. 5 and 3. The Arbalétriers used to meet here before the Revolution. No. 2, which faces Quai d’Anjou (see p. 328), is the grand mansion of Nicolas Lambert de Thorigny, built by Le Vau in 1680; its stunning decorations are the work of Lebrun and other famous artists and sculptors of the time. In 1843, it was purchased by the family of a Polish prince and partially used as an orphanage for the daughters of Polish exiles until 1899.

THE Hôtel de Ville, which gives its name to the neighborhood, is a modern building designed to closely resemble the elegant Renaissance structure from the sixteenth century that was destroyed by the Communards in 1871. Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, where it stands, was known as Place de Grève until 1830, previously called Place du Port de Grève, a name dating back to Roman times. Like the Paris Cathedral, the Hôtel de Ville is deeply connected to significant events in French history. The first Hôtel de Ville was called la Maison-aux-Piliers, formerly l’hôtel des Dauphins du Viennois, which was purchased in 1357 by Étienne Marcel, a notable figure in history (see p. 39), whose statue can be seen in the garden. The first stone of the beautiful building that burned in 1871 was laid by François I in 1533, and its final stone was completed during the reign of Henri IV. The Square in front of it was a site for executions, whether for criminal, political, or religious offenses, by burning, strangling, hanging, or the guillotine. In the center stood a tall Gothic cross raised on eight steps, where the condemned offered their last prayers. The guillotine, first set up there in 1792, was moved around the city for political victims, while common criminals continued to suffer their punishment at Place de Grève. It was a relatively small place back then. Its expansion in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries led to the destruction of many old streets, including one that housed the famous Maison de la Lanterne. Close to the Hôtel de Ville stood the old church St-Jean-en-Grève and a hospice, both incorporated into the town hall by Napoléon I. The entire building was destroyed in 1871, but the current structure is impressively beautiful both inside and out, and the Salle St-Jean, which honors the church that once stood there, is splendidly decorated. The Avenue Victoria, now on the site of ancient streets, commemorates the visit of the English Queen in 1855. The short Rue de la Tâcherie (from tâche: task, work), which crosses it, was once called Rue de la Juiverie in the thirteenth century, as we are still in the vicinity of what is now the Jewish quarter.

PLACE DE GRÈVE

A contemporary garden square encircles the stunning Tour St-Jacques, which is all that remains of the old church St-Jacques-la-Boucherie, constructed in the fifteenth century, on the site of an eighth-century chapel, completed in the sixteenth, fully restored in the nineteenth century, and again recently. It serves as an observatory. Paris weather statistics originate from la Tour St-Jacques.

On the site of today's Place du Châtelet stood the original tower of the Grand Châtelet, which evolved under Louis the Fat into a heavily fortified castle and prison that protected the bridge across the Seine on the right side, while the Petit Châtelet secured the left bank. A chandelle—a burning tallow candle—set up by command of Philippe the Long near its entrance is believed to be the source of the poorly lit streets of Paris for centuries. The fortress was rebuilt by Louis XIV; part of it functioned as the Morgue until it was demolished in 1802. A fountain now sits where the prison used to be. Several old streets branch off from the modern Rue de Rivoli at this location. Rue Nicolas-Flamel, where the good Nicolas owned a nice hôtel in the early 15th century, and Rue Pernelle, named after his wife, have existed under different names since the 13th century. Rue St-Bon remembers the chapel that was on this spot in even earlier times.

Rue St-Martin starts at Quai des Gesvres, the main route to the north from Roman times. After passing through Avenue Victoria, it crosses Rue de Rivoli at this point, where the first of four gates marking the city boundary on this side was located. The beautiful sixteenth-century church we see here, St-Merri, stands where a chapel from the seventh century once was. In a Gothic crypt, the remains of its patron saint, who lived and died here, are carefully preserved, and the bones of Eudes the Falconer, a formidable warrior who contributed to the church, were found perfectly intact in a stone coffin during the reign of François I and lie in the choir. It's a captivating building, featuring exquisite glass, woodwork, moldings, statues, and statuettes. The statuettes on the walls of the porch are relatively modern, replacing the original ones that were destroyed during the Revolution.

ST-JACQUES TOWER

VIEW ACROSS THE SEINE FROM PLACE DU CHÂTELET

RUE BRISEMICHE

L’ÉGLISE ST-GERVAIS

Rue de la Verrerie, along the church’s southern walls and continuing toward Rue Vieille-du-Temple, dates back to the twelfth century and is a reminder of the glaziers and glass painters’ guild that established itself in this area in 1187. Louis XIV found this road useful on his way to Vincennes and had it widened. Jacquemin Gringonneur, who is said to have created playing cards for the amusement of the mad King Charles VI, lived here. Bossuet’s father and other notable individuals resided in the old houses that remain or in newer ones that replaced them. At No. 76 was the hôtel where Suger, the Minister of Louis VI and Louis VII, lived; part of its ancient walls were included in the church during the sixteenth century. Here, too, is the presbytery, featuring a magnificent old spiral staircase whose top reaches above the church roof. Winding between the church and the surrounding area are old streets and passages. While exploring them, we discover countless intriguing remnants. The ancient clergy house is located at No. 76, Rue St-Martin. Rue Cloître-St-Merri, Rue Taille-pain, and Rue Brise-Miche refer to the bakery that once operated here, where bread was distributed to the clergy. Rue St-Merri, with its old passage Impasse du Bœuf, boasts an eighteenth-century grille; Rue Pierre-au-lard humorously plays off the name Pierre Aulard, a notable parishioner of the eighteenth century. Passage Jabach marks the site of a wealthy banker’s home from the seventeenth century, whose impressive collection of paintings was the foundation of the Louvre's treasures. Impasse St-Fiacre had the saint's title removed during the Revolution and was home to the first cab service, giving rise to the term fiacre. Rue de la Reynie (thirteenth century) was renamed to honor the Lieutenant-General of Police who, in 1669, mandated that Paris streets be lit but did not offer lamp-lighting staff. Citizens were required to light and extinguish the lanterns set at the end and in the middle of each street. Each of these streets, although dull and grimy, is teeming with interest for anyone willing to explore. Continuing up Rue St-Martin, both sides showcase a plethora of interesting features. Notice Nos. 97, 100, 103, 104; and at No. 116, known as Maison des Goths, with its beautiful old frieze. At No. 120, there are two-story cellars, one of which houses a well. The fontaine Maubuée at No. 122 is mentioned in documents as early as 1320. Its name, shortened from mauvaise buée, meaning mauvaise fumée, does not imply the purity of its water back then; the fountain was rebuilt in 1733, while the house was constructed around sixty years later. The upper end of Rue Simon-le-Franc, where we now turn, was until recently known as Rue Maubuée, a name it might still deserve. Rue Simon-le-Franc is one of the oldest streets here, existing as a thoroughfare since 1200, named after a reputable citizen of the time, Simon Franque. All the houses are ancient, some quite picturesque. Next is the characteristic old street Rue de Venise. This misnomer originated in 1851 from an old sign. The street has had various names since it formed around 1250. Every house and courtyard here is old, the alleys between them so narrow that the tall, dark buildings appear to nearly touch at the top. No. 27 was the old inn “l’Épée de Bois,” recently renovated and renamed “L’Arrivée de Venise,” where since 1658, a group of musicians and dance teachers, licensed by Mazarin, gathered under the leadership of “Le roi des violons.” This was actually the origin of the Académie National of Music and Dancing, later known as the Conservatoire. Great literary figures also often met at this old inn. Rue de Venise leads into Rue Beaubourg, a road that ran through a beau bourg, or fine township, as far back as the eleventh century, with special privileges granting its residents the rights of citizenship, even though it lay outside the city walls. No. 4, now demolished, was the “Restaurant du Bon Bourg,” tenu par “le Roi du Bon Vin.” To the left is Rue des Étuves, or Bath Street, featuring old and curious buildings. Rue de Venise ends at its lower section, joining the famous Rue de Quincampoix, the site of Law's bank (see p. 63), where every building is ancient or shows signs of a bygone era. No. 43 was a shop rented during Law’s time for 100 francs a day. The street descends into Rue des Lombards, once known for usurers and pawnbrokers, now home to a completely different crowd—herbalists. Tradition holds that Boccaccio was born here. Rue du Temple, Rue des Archives, Rue Vieille-du-Temple, Rue de Sévigné, partially traversed in the 3rd arrondissement (see p. 108), all have their lower numbers in the 4th arrondissement, with the first three branching from Rue de Rivoli and the last from Rue St-Antoine. At No. 61, Rue du Temple, on the site of the vanished Couvent des Filles de Ste-Avoie, stands an old gabled house. In the courtyard of No. 57 is the hôtel de Titon, known as the Bastille armorer's residence. At No. 41 is the old tavern “l’Aigle d’Or.” No. 20 is the historic office of the Gabelles—the salt tax. Here, you can see an old sign that was taken from near St-Gervais, showing the famous elm tree that will be discussed later. Every house reveals some fascinating detail from the past. This brings us back to the Hôtel de Ville, where we find the venerable church St-Gervais-et-St-Protais, which dates back to the sixteenth century but is built on the site of a church built in the sixth century. That early structure evolved into a beautiful church in the early twelfth century, with some exquisite work from that period still visible by taking the narrow passage on the left, where we find the ancient charniers. Reconstruction took place two centuries later. A curious half-erased inscription on an old wall inside mentions this renovation and its dedication's fête day, established in honor of “Messieurs St. Gervais et St. Protais.” The last major reconstruction occurred in 1581. Then, in the seventeenth century, a Renaissance façade was added in front of the Gothic structure by Salomon de Brosse. The church is adorned with precious artwork, stunning glass, frescoes, statuary, and rich in historical associations. Madame de Sévigné was married here; Scarron wed the young woman who would become Mme de Maintenon, and he may have been buried in the beautiful Chapelle-Dorée. The church has always suffered during wartime. During the Revolution, insurgents attempted to topple its majestic tall pillars; the scars are still visible. In 1830, 1848, and 1871, cannonballs damaged its belfry walls, and now on Good Friday in 1918, a distant enemy artillery shell struck its roof, causing a significant pillar to collapse and resulting in casualties among the gathered congregation. In the place in front of the church stands a tree surrounded by a fence. A once-shadier elm tree, the famous Orme de St-Gervais, stood there, under which justice—perhaps sometimes injustice—was administered in ages long past.

HÔTEL DE BEAUVAIS, RUE FRANÇOIS-MIRON __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Rue François-Miron, running east and ending at the historic Rue St-Antoine, showcases the orme, which is featured in the ironwork of all its balconies. This end of the street was originally known as Rue du Pourtour St-Gervais, and later as Rue du Monceau St-Gervais, named after the large stretch of undeveloped land nearby that had been empty for centuries, making it a popular spot for celebrations and tournaments. It carries the name of the Prévôt des Marchands from the sixteenth century, to who was responsible for the façade of the Hôtel de Ville, which was burned in 1871. Most of the houses here are quite old. No. 13, with its charming gables, dates back to the fifteenth century. No. 82 was the former residence of President Henault. No. 68, known as the hôtel de Beauvais, is linked to many historical figures and events and features Gothic cellars that were once part of the monastic house where Tasso wrote his great poem “Jerusalem Delivered.” The walls above those impressive cellars were torn down in the early seventeenth century and replaced in 1655 with the structure we see today, built as the hôtel de Beauvais, which has gone through many transformations. During the Revolution, this grand old mansion briefly served as a coach office and then was divided into apartments. It is said that Mozart stayed there in 1763.

Behind the church is the old Rue des Barres with an ancient inscription and remnants of an old chapel. The shabby yet charming Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville was known for centuries as Rue de la Mortellerie, named after the morteliers, or masons, who had settled there. During the terrifying cholera epidemic of 1832, the residents interpreted the name of their street as a dark reference to the word mort and demanded a change. Every house has some feature of historical interest. Under No. 56, there is a Gothic cellar that, according to tradition, was once a chapel founded by Blanche de France, granddaughter of Philippe-le-Bel, who died in 1358. At No. 39, we find the narrowest street in Paris, Rue du Paon Blanc, formerly known as the “descente à la rivière.” Nos. 8-2 is the historic hôtel de Sens (see p. 117).

In Rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, located between Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville and Rue François-Miron, from the thirteenth century, we can find many remnants of the past, including the beautiful seventeenth-century door of hôtel Chalons at No. 26. In Rue de Jouy, also from the same period and significance, at No. 12 and No. 14, there are parts of l’hôtel Beauvais; at No. 7 is l’hôtel d’Aumont, built in 1648 on the site where Richelieu was born. At No. 9, there’s the École Sophie-Germain, which was the former hôtel de Fourcy, previously home to a wealthy bourgeois family.

Rue des Archives (see p. 74) is mainly interesting in its path through this area because of the old church des Billettes (see p. 76), located where the home of a Jew named Jonathas once stood, named after the sign that hung outside a nearby house—a billot—which means log of wood. Rebuilt in 1745, the church was shut down during the Revolution and handed over to the Protestants in 1808. The beautiful cloisters from the fifteenth-century structure were preserved and are now part of the school next to the church. Rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie dates back to the early thirteenth century and is full of historical remnants. Its name recalls the thirteenth-century church de l’Exaltation de la Ste-Croix and a convent established in 1258 at the former Monnaie du Roi—the Mint—which was closed during the Revolution, though some traces can still be seen in the square. At No. 47, we find a turret from 1610. The dispensary at No. 44 is the old hôtel Feydeau de Brou (1760). No. 35 used to belong to the old church Chapter. The boys’ school at No. 22 is quite old. No. 20 is from 1696. Rue Aubriot was known as Rue du Puits-au-Marais from the thirteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. Aubriot was the thirteenth-century Prévôt de Paris, an active builder who first installed drains under the streets of Paris. No. 10 dates back to the early seventeenth century. Remnants from that or an earlier time can be seen throughout the street. Rue des Blancs-Manteaux remembers the begging Friars, servants of Mary, who wore long white cloaks and settled here in 1258. They merged a few years later with the Guillemites, whose name appears on a nearby ancient street. Their church at No. 12 was completely rebuilt in 1685, and in 1863, the entrance to the demolished Barnabite church was added to its façade. Parts of the old convent buildings are integrated into the Mont-de-Piété across the street. At No. 14, we see remnants of the old Priory. Nos. 22 and 25 feature beautiful old staircases and other interesting remnants. The cabaret de “l’Homme Armé” was in existence in the fifteenth century. We find ancient remains, often fine staircases, in most of the houses.

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Rue Vieille-du-Temple, which starts its long stretch across from the Town Hall, has lost its initial numbers. This old street reveals fascinating features at every turn. No. 15 is the hôtel de Vibraye. No. 20 is the Impasse de l’hôtel d’Argenson. No. 24 is the hôtel of the Maréchal d’Effiat, father of Cinq Mars. The short Rue du Trésor beside it was named in 1882 after treasure found beneath the hôtel while the street was being cut, gold coins from the time of King Jean and Charles V stored in a copper vase, amounting to something like 120,000 francs in today's money. At No. 42 is Rue des Rosiers; roses used to bloom in gardens there. At No. 43 is the Passage des Singes, which leads into Rue des Guillemites, formerly Rue des Singes. No. 45 displays a façade that claims to date back to 1416. No. 47 is the hôtel des Ambassadeurs de Hollande, a reminder of when Dutch diplomats lived there and sheltered persecuted Protestants; it’s on the site of the hôtel of Jean de Rieux, where the duc d’Orléans met his end at the hands of Jean Sans Peur, a residence of historic figures and events until Revolution days, when it was repurposed into dance halls. Here we see splendid remnants of past glory: vaulted ceilings, sculptures, frescoes. The Marché des Blancs-Manteaux, on the street at No. 46, is part of an old mansion. Turning onto Rue des Hospitalières-St-Gervais, named after the hospital that used to be there, we find an old hôtel at No. 35 on Rue des Francs-Bourgeois. No. 31 is the hôtel d’Albret, its first stone laid in 1550 by Connétable Anne de Montmorency, restored in the eighteenth century. At No. 25 is one side of the beautiful hôtel Lamoignon. Crossing Rue des Rosiers, we turn into Rue des Écouffes, an old street known for pawnbrokers, where in a house at No. 20, the great painter Philippe de Champaigne lived and died (1674). Rue du Roi de Sicile marks the location of the palace of Charles d’Anjou, brother of St. Louis, who was crowned King of Naples and Sicily in 1266. The mansion changed hands many times and in 1698 became the hôtel de la Grande Force, a notorious prison. Part of it later became the Caserne des Pompiers on Rue Sévigné; the rest was torn down. On the site of house No. 2 lived Bault and his wife, who were the jailers of Marie-Antoinette. And here, at the corner of Rue Malher, Princesse de Lamballe and many of her peers were killed during the “Massacres of September.”

Rue Ferdinand-Duval, which was called Rue des Juifs until 1900 and dates back to around the year 1000, is filled with historical relics. At No. 20, there's a courtyard and hôtel formerly known as l’hôtel des Juifs. Nos. 18 and 16 were the location of the hospital du Petit St-Antoine before the Revolution and also home to a famous store during the Empire.

Rue Pavée dates back to the early 13th century, making it the first street in Paris to be paved. At Nos. 11 and 13 lived the Duke of Norfolk, the British Ambassador in 1533. At No. 12, you’ll find two old staircases that were once part of an ancient hôtel incorporated into the La Force prison. No. 24 features the beautiful old hôtel de Lamoignon, rebuilt on the site of an earlier structure by Diane de France, daughter of Henri II (16th century), and the birthplace of Lamoignon de Malesherbes, known for defending Louis XVI. Alphonse Daudet lived here for a while. Nearby was the prison la Petite Force, a women’s prison famous during the Revolution for housing many notable women of the time. At the start of Rue de Sévigné, we turn at No. 11 into the garden of a bathing establishment located on the site of a smaller hôtel Lamoignon, where Beaumarchais built the théâtre du Marais, also known as l’Athénée des Étrangers, in 1790 using materials from the demolished Bastille. In front of us stands a single wall of the demolished La Force prison, marking the spot where thirty royalist prisoners were executed. Rue de Jarente, named after the Prior of the monastic institution Ste-Catherine du Val des Escholiers, which used to be here, features an old fountain in the Impasse de la Poissonnerie. Rue d’Ormesson runs across the 18th-century priory fish market.

WE now arrive at the fascinating old-world area behind and around the St-Paul church and Lycée Charlemagne, where the ancient St-Pol palace once stood. The church, as we see it today, was built in 1641, replacing a small Jesuit chapel from the previous century dedicated to St. Louis. Its first stone was laid by Louis XIII, and the chapel was designed by two Jesuit priests with help from the architect Vignole. This is why the term Jesuite is used in France for the ornate Renaissance architectural style visible in the church's façade. Richelieu, newly ordained, celebrated his first Mass here in 1641 and covered the costs to finish the church by building the grand portal. The hearts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV were buried here beneath lavish monuments. During the Revolution, the Tiers État held their first assembly in the old St-Pol church, which was soon demolished by the insurgents. The Jesuits’ chapel was spared from destruction thanks to books from suppressed convents that were stacked within it, creating a barricade. The dome was the second one erected in Paris. The holy water scoops were a gift from Victor Hugo at the baptism of his first child born in the parish.

RUE ÉGINHARD

Turning onto Rue St-Paul, we see at No. 35 the entrance of the demolished hôtel de Sève. In the Passage St-Paul, formerly known as Passage St-Louis until 1877, we find at No. 7 the presbytère, which, according to tradition, was once a place for the grand Condé, and at No. 38 there is an old courtyard. At No. 36, there are remnants of the prison that used to be part of the convent established by St. Éloi during Dagobert's reign.[C] The arched Passage St-Pierre, which in earlier times led to the cemetery of St-Pol, where many notable individuals like Rabelais and Mansart are buried, along with prisoners from the Bastille, including the man in the iron mask, has recently been cleared away, along with some walls of the old convent adjacent to it. The Manège, until recently at No. 30, used to be a popular gathering spot for people when they disagreed with the authorities over political or industrial issues. At No. 31, we look into Rue Éginhard, the Ruelle St-Pol of the fourteenth century; some of the walls of its houses were once part of the old church St-Pol. At No. 8, we see the square turret of an old hôtel St-Maur. At No. 4, we find l’hôtel de Vieuville, an interesting building from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, slated for demolition, which has housed notable figures from various eras. Passing through the dark-walled courtyard, we ascend a beautiful old staircase to discover halls adorned with exquisite moldings, a stunning frescoed ceiling, and more, all currently owned by a well-known antiquarian. No. 5 is the entrance to l’hôtel de Lignerac. On Rue Ave-Maria, which was once the site of two old convents, we see at No. 15 an hôtel that used to be the tennis court of the Croix-Noire, once the “Illustre Théâtre,” where Molière was the leading figure and from where the great tragedian was imprisoned for debt at the Châtelet. No. 2 was once “la Boucherie Ave-Maria.”

Rue Charlemagne had several names until the final one was given in 1844—one of its old names, Rue des Prêtres, can still be seen engraved on the wall at No. 7. The petit Lycée Charlemagne includes part of an ancient tower from the boundary wall of Philippe-Auguste, which ran straight to the Seine at this point. It's known as Tour Montgomery and now houses a ... gas meter! The remains of another tower are visible behind the gymnasium. Before 1908, the last remaining walls of the hôtel du Prévôt were still standing in Passage Charlemagne, a charming turreted Renaissance piece of “Old Paris” that was divided into apartments, representing the last traces of the historic mansion where many notable individuals, both royal and otherwise, had stayed. You can see interesting old-time features at Nos. 18, 21, 22, and 25; No. 25 has been restored in recent years.

RUE DU PRÉVÔT __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

In Rue du Prévôt, we can see more traces of the past. Rue du Figuier dates back to around 1300 when a fig tree thrived there, but it was cut down three centuries later. Nos. 19-15, now a Jewish hospice, were home to the Miron family, royal physicians from 1550 to 1680. Each house has some kind of relic. At No. 5, we find an old well and steps in the courtyard. No. 8 might have been the home of Rabelais. At No. 1, we come to the turreted hôtel de Sens, built between 1474 and 1519, on the site of a private mansion that Charles V gave to the archbishops of Sens, who at that time had ecclesiastical authority over Paris. Notable ecclesiastics, including Marguerite de Valois, la Reine Margot, lived there for the following 150 years. Eventually, Paris became an archbishopric, and the beautiful hôtel de Sens was abandoned. It served as a coaching house, a jam factory, and later became a glass store and factory, and partially a Jewish synagogue. In Rue du Fauconnier, Nos. 19, 17, and 15 are all old. Rue des Jardins, which contained the gardens of the old Palais St-Pol, has only ancient houses. At No. 5, we can see a hook that used to hold a chain stretched across the street to close it. Molière lived there in 1645, and Rabelais died there.

HÔTEL DE SENS

Crossing Rue St-Paul, we reach Rue des Lions, which reminds us of the royal menagerie that used to be here. Elegant old mansions line the entire street. At No. 10, there's a beautiful staircase; another at No. 12, dating back to the reign of Louis XIII, and in the courtyard at No. 3, we see an ancient fountain. Until recently, there was the fountain “du regard des lions” at No. 14. No. 17 was part of l’hôtel Vieuville. Notably, among the historic houses of Rue Charles V is No. 12, l’hôtel d’Antoine d’Aubray, the father of the infamous poisoner, la Brinvilliers, featuring a lovely winding staircase. This is where Mme de Brinvilliers plotted to have her lover Briancourt murdered by her other lover Ste-Croix. Nuns, nursing sisters, now live there. Rue Beautreillis used to have a vine-covered trellis in the gardens of the historic palace St-Pol, comprising l’hôtel Beautreillis and other fine hotels taken from his nobles by King Charles V, and at No. 1, we see an ancient and historically significant vine climbing a trellis, its origins lost in the mists of time. Is it really, as some suggest, a remnant of the vines that produced grapes for Charles V's table? All the houses here are old. No. 10 was the mansion of the duc de Valentinois, prince de Monaco, in 1640. We see ancient houses along Rue du Petit Musc, a street from the fourteenth century. No. 1 is the south side of l’École Massillon (see p. 326). We cross boulevard Henri IV to the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, part of the Arsenal built by Henri IV on the site of an older one, restored in the first half of the eighteenth century, its façade completely rebuilt under Napoléon III. The namesake of the bridge and street, Sully, reminds us that the statesman lived at the Arsenal. It was here that Mme de Brinvilliers was tried and sentenced to death. The Arsenal was demolished by Louis XVI, with streets cut through the site of most of its razed walls. What remained became the library we see today; some distinguished figures, like Nodier and Hérédia, served as librarians, and it is currently directed by the well-known writer Funck-Brentano. Various relics of past days and old residents can be found there, along with traces of Charles V's boundary wall. Nearby, Rue de la Cerisaie is another street that brings to mind the palace gardens, where cherry trees used to grow. At No. 10, Gabrielle d’Estrées fell ill during dinner at the home of her loyal lover’s friend. All the houses here are old and characteristic, as are those on Rue Lesdiguières, where until the early years of this century, part of a Bastille dependency wall still stood.

HERE we are at the old Place Royale—the place where royalty lived and courtiers mingled during the time of Louis XIII, whose statue still stands in the center of the large, dreary garden square. That statue was placed there by Napoléon to replace the original one, which was removed and melted down during the Revolution when the ci-devant Place Royale was renamed Place des Fédérés, then Place de l’Indivisibilité. Napoléon first called it Place des Vosges, a name that was confirmed after 1870 as a sign of gratitude to the department that first paid its share of the war contribution. In the early days of the Bourbon kings, the palace of the Tournelles stood here (see p. 8). After it was torn down, the site was used for a horse market, and it was there that the famous duel occurred between the mignons of Henri II and the followers of the duc de Guise. Henri IV created the Place and planned to divide it for building purposes. His idea was to make it the center of several streets or avenues, each named after one of the provinces of France. The King died, and that plan was never completed, but the large area soon became the square of the beautiful mansions we see today, mansions that have fallen from their former glory, no longer the private homes of fashionable society, yet still unchanged in appearance.

We can see the Pavillon du Roi on the south side facing Rue de Birague, formerly Rue du Pavillon du Roi, where Mme de Sévigné was born at No. 11 in 1626; opposite it is the Pavillon de la Reine. At No. 7 is the petit hôtel Sully, connected to the grand hôtel Sully on Rue St-Antoine. Each house in the place was occupied and known by the name of a prominent noble or a wealthy financier. Listing them all would take too much space here. At No. 6, we find the house where Victor Hugo lived in more recent times—1833-48—now the Musée filled with mementos of his life and work, dedicated to his memory. Behind it, at the corner of Impasse Guénémée, is the hôtel that once belonged to Marion Delorme. Théophile Gautier, followed by Alphonse Daudet, lived in a flat at No. 8. Exiting the place through Rue du Pas de la Mule, previously known as “petite Rue Royale,” we head into Rue St-Antoine, where modern buildings are nearly absent, and traces of the past are visible everywhere. At No. 5, an inscription marks the location of the courtyard of the Bastille, where the people surged in an attack on July 14, 1789. At No. 7, we notice an old sign “A la Renommée de la Friture.” At No. 17, we see what remains of the convent built by Mansart in 1632, on the site of the hôtel de Cossé, where St. Vincent de Paul served as confessor for eighteen years. The chapel, preserved intact, was given to Protestants in 1802. Here, Fouquet and his son, Mme de Chantal, and the Marquis de Sévigné were buried. No. 20 is l’hôtel de Mayenne et d’Ormesson, dating back to the sixteenth or seventeenth century, situated on the site of an older hôtel sold to Charles V to expand his palace St-Pol. It changed hands many times, mostly royal, and the structure as we see it, or the previous structure, was at one time the hôtel de Diane de Poitiers. In modern times, it became the Pension Favart; then in 1870, it housed l’École des Francs-Bourgeois under the Frères de la doctrine chrétienne. At No. 28 Impasse Guénémée, known in the fifteenth century as Cul-de-Sac du Ha! Ha!, was a passage linked to the hôtel Rohan-Guénémée in Place Royale. In the seventeenth century, a convent was built here, functioning as a sort of reformatory for wayward girls and women of the upper classes who were confined here due to lettres de cachet. At No. 62 stands the hôtel de Sully. Its first owner gambled away the mansion and lost. At No. 101, we find Lycée Charlemagne, built in 1804 on the site of two ancient mansions and the old city wall, of which some remnants still exist. At No. 133, we see the Maison Séguier, with its beautiful old door, balcony, and staircase; another historic house is at No. 137; then this old thoroughfare becomes, in modern times, Rue François-Miron (see p. 104).

RUE DE BIRAGUE, PLACE DES VOSGES

Rue des Tournelles, in this earlier section, is mainly notable for the beautiful hôtel at No. 28, built in 1690, adorned with frescoes by Lebrun and Mignard, where the famous courtesan, Ninon de Lenclos, lived and passed away.

SO we arrive at Place de la Bastille.

The famous prison that stood there from the late 1300s until the memorable summer of 1789 was built by Hugues Aubriot, the King’s Provost, as a fortified castle to protect the nearby Palais St-Pol and Paris from invasions. Its shape is well-known, and a perfect model of it can be seen at Carnavalet, in the fascinating salle—the Bastille room. It had eight towers, each 23 meters high, each with its distinct name and purpose. White lines in the pavement of the place show where some of its walls and towers once stood, while houses occupy the sites of others. The impressive military citadel became a regular prison during the time of Charles VI—a military prison, although civilians were occasionally locked up there from the start. Aubriot himself was imprisoned by the mob but was quickly released by the King. Under Richelieu, it turned into a State prison, infamous for its lettres de cachet. The Revolutionists attacked it believing that it was the site of severe harshness, cruelty, and injustice. In reality, for many years, the Bastille was more like a luxurious retreat for those who either wanted to hide for a while or were wanted by others, rather than a place of brutal confinement. The last governor, M. de Launay, was particularly generous and kind even to the least among those under his authority. It's known that the attacking mob found only seven prisoners—two insane individuals, and the others confirmed criminals. Nevertheless, M. de Launay was killed. The Revolutionists seized as many weapons as they could find, which was quite a haul; the walls were later demolished, and a sign was put up that read “Ici on danse.” In reality, the attack on the Bastille was a more mild endeavor than is usually thought, and its complete destruction occurred later in a completely systematic manner by a contractor.

LA BASTILLE

The place was completed in 1803. The July Column we see there is from 1831. The remains of the victims from the two minor Revolutions (1830-48) are buried beneath it. Louis Philippe’s throne was burned in front of it in 1848.

CROSSING the Seine via the Pont St-Michel, we arrive at Place St-Michel, which we will discuss in another chapter since it mainly falls within arrondissement VI. Turning east, we encounter two of the oldest and most interesting churches in Paris and a maze of ancient streets—some grimy, but definitely unique. Rue de la Huchette dates back to the twelfth century; in the past, two very different groups worked here: the rotisseurs—turnspits, and diamond cutters. The old street is still somewhat known for good food in the few humble restaurants that remain. The former Bouillon de la Huchette is now a bal. Once, ambassadors dined at l’hôtellerie de l’Ange on this old street. The name “Le Petit Caporal” tells its own story. There, Buonaparte, alone and broke, stayed during the street’s decline. Rue Zacharie, dark and narrow between its tall old buildings, goes back to the twelfth or early thirteenth century. Rue du Chat qui Pêche, younger (sixteenth century), is just a small path between high walls. From Rue Zacharie, we turn onto Rue St-Séverin, one of the most ancient streets. Many traces of the past still exist despite the demolition of old houses surrounding the beautiful old church in front of us, and underground passages run beneath the earth. At No. 26 and again at No. 4, we can see the street name, the word Saint erased by the revolutionaries. The church's porch opens onto Rue de Prêtres-St-Séverin—thirteenth century. It was relocated here from the thirteenth-century church St-Pierre-aux-Bœufs, which was torn down in 1837. Until then, the entrance had been the old door on Rue St-Séverin, where we still see the words, half-erased: “Bonne gens, qui par cy passées, priez Dieu pour les trepassés,” along with the figures of two lions, once on the church steps, where the local clergy used to administer justice: hence the phrase “Datum inter leones.” The church was built in the twelfth century, on the site of a chapel erected in the days of Childebert, over the tomb of Séverin, the hermit. Having been restored three times and partially rebuilt, the beautiful structure displays Gothic architecture in its three phases: primitive: porch, side door, three bays; rayonnant: the tower and parts of the nave and side aisle; flamboyant: chancel and the stunning apse. Splendid stained glass and beautiful frescoes—modern works by Flandrin, alongside fine statues, surround us here. A notable feature is the array of votive offerings, some just a small slab a few inches wide with the simple word “Merci” and a date. Many are related to the successful completion of exams, as we are near the University. The presbytery and its garden cover what used to be the graveyard. Some of the old charniers still remain.

RUE ST-SÉVERIN

ST-SÉVERIN CHURCH

Rue de la Parcheminerie (13th century), partly demolished recently, was originally known as Rue des Escrivains and for a long time was exclusively home to those involved in making and selling books. The “hôtel des Pères Tranquilles” that used to be there is gone. Two old buildings, Nos. 6 and 7, were part of the 13th-century dependencies of Norwich Cathedral for English student-monks. In Rue Boutebrie, one side has been completely rebuilt lately, where the illuminators of 16th-century scrolls and books lived. We can see a typical ancient gable at No. 6. This house and No. 8 have old staircases. Crossing Rue St-Jacques, we turn into Rue St-Julien-le-Pauvre, the “Old Path” of earlier times. Through the old arched doorway we see, topped by a figure of Justice, was the home of a significant 18th-century Governor of the Petit-Châtelet, responsible for hearing both sides in student disputes and delivering judgments. The church we see was the University church for the 12th and several following centuries. University meetings took place there, and many town and gown riots, or just gown riots, occurred within its walls. The stone slab above the old door marks its transfer to the administrators of the hôtel-Dieu in 1655. Some of its stones date back to the 9th century or possibly even earlier; the church in front of us was rebuilt in the 12th century from one that was established in the 9th century to replace the hostel and chapel built there in the 6th century, which was destroyed by the Normans—the hostel where Gregory of Tours had stayed. The ancient Gothic portal and two decaying bays were removed in 1560. The well in the courtyard was once inside the church walls. Another well, known for its miraculous healing, on the north side, had a conduit leading to the altar. Passing through a door near the vestry, we find ourselves on the site of the old hôtel-Dieu annex, which was torn down a few years ago, and see on one side the chevet of the church with its charming belfry and a staircase on the roof, and on the other a high, sturdy, moss-covered wall, thought to be a remnant of Philippe-Auguste's boundary wall. In 1802, the church was given to the Greek Catholics of Paris—Melchites. The beautiful iconostase is an important feature. We see some very old statues and a more modern one of Montyon, the founder of the Virtue prizes awarded annually by the Académie Française.

HOTEL LOUIS XV, RUE DE LA PARCHEMINERIE

In Rue Galande, what’s left of it, we see several fascinating old houses, and on the door of No. 42, there’s a bas-relief of St. Julien in a ship. Rue du Fouarre, which has only one house left, was once Rue des Escholiers, reminding us of Pope Urban V's rule that students had to sit humbly on the ground on bundles of straw that they had to provide themselves to listen to lectures. Back then, benches were considered too luxurious for students. In this street of the “Écoles des Quatre Nations,” France, Normandie, Alsace, Picardie, Dante listened to his teacher Brunetto Latini. No. 8, with its old door, stands where the “École de Normandie” used to be. The nearby street named after the great Italian poet is modern. Rue Domat had the walls of the suppressed convent de Cornouailles, founded by a Breton in 1317, until the nineteenth century. Rue des Anglais, a place where English students gathered since the time of Philippe-Auguste, was famous until recently for the Cabaret du Père Lunette, which is about to be torn down. The first Père Lunette went about his business wearing huge glasses. The second owner of the inn, who got hold of the founder's “specs,” wore them as a badge slung across his chest. Rue de l’hôtel Colbert doesn’t have anything to do with the statesman; it was called Rue des Rats in earlier times. Rue des Trois-Portes reminds us of the thirteenth century when only three houses made up the street. No. 10, connected to No. 13 Rue de la Bûcherie, the log-selling street, shows us the ancient “Faculté de Médicine,” which used to be surrounded by the first garden of its kind where medical professionals and students grew the herbs they needed for their medicine. This interesting old Gothic structure, which has faced demolition more than once, has been designated as a historical monument, so it’s under state protection and has been restored as the Maison des Étudiants. The students were very eager to finish their new building on its historic site, and when the masons went on strike during the reconstruction, they put down their books, put on work jackets, or if they didn't have those, rolled up their shirt sleeves and jumped in as bricklayers with all the enthusiasm of youth. However, their eagerness was greater than their skills or physical ability, and their work left much to be desired, as the French say. Luckily, the strike ended.

ST-JULIEN-LE-PAUVRE

BAS-RELIEF, RUE GALANDE

Place Maubert, named after the second vicar of Ste-Geneviève, M. Aubert, was the main gathering spot for students, and here Maître Albert, the renowned Dominican professor known as “le Grand,” whose name is on a nearby street, held his lectures outdoors. Executions also happened here. In Impasse Maubert lived Ste-Croix, the lover and accomplice of the poisoner Mme de Brinvilliers, and on Rue des Grand Degrés, Voltaire worked in a law office during his youth. The cellars on Rue Maître-Albert are rumored to have been prison cells; at No. 13, the black page Zamor, whose accusations led Mme Dubarry to the guillotine, died in poverty in 1820. No. 16 served as the meeting spot for the Communards in 1871.

Rue de la Bièvre reminds us that the tributary of the Seine, now a dirty, covered drain, once flowed into the main river here. Tradition says Dante lived here while in Paris. Above the door of No. 12, there's a statue of St. Michael slaying the dragon. This was originally a college founded in 1348 by Guillaume de Chanac, the bishop of Paris, for twelve poor scholars from the diocese of Limoges.

In Rue des Bernardins, we see the church St-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet, St-Nicolas of the Thistle-field, built in the seventeenth century on the site of a thirteenth-century structure that was previously overrun with thistles. It was designed by a notable parishioner, the painter Lebrun, and is enhanced by his artworks and those of other renowned artists. The tomb of his mother is inside, along with a monument to his memory created by Coysevox. Rue St-Victor reminds us of the abbey that once stood where we now see the Halle-aux-Vins. There, Maurice de Sulli, the builder of Notre-Dame, died and was buried in 1196. Famous figures like Abelard, St. Thomas à Becket, and St. Bernard attended its well-known school. It was demolished in 1809. At Nos. 24-26, we recently saw the old seminary of St-Nicolas, which has been closed since 1906, featuring long rows of traditional windows, with seventy-two panes on one floor; the college buildings were located at the corner of Rue Pontoise, a street opened in 1772 as a calf-market, named after the town known for its great veal. And here at No. 19, we find remnants of the ancient convent of the Bernardins. Rue de Poissy has more significant remnants of the convent and its college, founded in 1245 by the English Abbé de Clairvaux, Stephen Lexington, with the help of a brother of St. Louis. The grand old walls now house the Caserne des Pompiers—the Fire Station. Inside, we find beautiful historic Gothic architecture, a lovely staircase, arched naves, and tall, slender pillars—the former refectory of the monks; beneath it lie vaulted cellars supported by about seventy pillars and ancient arches.

WHEN St. Louis was ruling France, the physician who cared for his mother, Queen Blanche, passed away, leaving behind a sum of money to create a college of theology. As a result, Robert de Sorbon established a simple school dedicated to theological studies, which eventually grew into the major institution known as the Sorbonne, founded in 1253. Two hundred years later, the first printing press in France was set up there. Almost two hundred years after that, Richelieu, who became the Grand Master of the college, constructed its church and renovated the surrounding buildings. Napoléon revitalized the college on a larger scale after it was disbanded during the Revolution by turning it into the Académie de Paris, the main center for the Faculties of Letters and Science, as well as Theology. However, the building again fell into disrepair. Over time, plans were made, and in 1853, the first stone of a new structure was laid. It remained just a first stone for many years. The modern building we see today wasn't completed until the late nineteenth century, finishing in 1901. In the large courtyard, white lines outline the footprint of Richelieu’s original building. The extensive structure is beautifully adorned with statues and frescoes. Inside its church, Richelieu's presence still feels strong, with his coat-of-arms visible everywhere; above his tomb, created by Girardon, hangs his Cardinal’s hat. Another impressive monument marks the tomb of his descendant, the minister of Louis XVIII. Many generations of Richelieu are buried in the vault beneath the chapel floor. The church has been partially dismantled and secularized. Grand classical concerts take place there every Sunday during the academic term, but the Richelieu family still has the rights to baptisms, marriages, and burials there; as a result, the altar remains draped.

Exactly opposite the Sorbonne, on its Rue des Écoles side, is the beautiful Musée de Cluny, located on the site of the ancient Palais des Thermes, the ruins of which can be seen in the grounds bordering Boulevard St-Germain. The palace dates back to Roman times. Julian was declared Emperor there. There's an altar from the time of Tiberius. The remains of Roman baths—traces of the frigidarium, the tepidarium, the hypocaustum, and the pipes that carried water—are still visible. In the fourteenth century, Pierre de Chaslun, the Abbot of Cluny, purchased the ruins of the ancient palace, and the stunning Gothic mansion we see today was built right next to them. Many notable figures found refuge in the home of the Abbots over the centuries that followed. James V of Scotland stayed there. Scholars were welcomed there. In later years, its tower was used as an observatory. The Revolution ended the status and prestige of the beautiful mansion. It was sold, divided among several buyers, and repurposed for all sorts of everyday and commercial uses until, in 1833, M. de Sommerard, after whom the street on the northern side is named, acquired it and set up his own collection of beautiful artifacts, which became the foundation of the Museum. Later, the entire property was taken over by the Beaux-Arts under state protection for conservation. In the garden, numerous interesting relics from ancient churches, including that of St-Benoît, which once stood nearby, are carefully preserved.

LE MUSÉE DE CLUNY

Rue Jean-de-Beauvais used to be completely occupied by printers. The Romanian chapel there was part of the well-known College Dormans-Beauvais, established in 1370. Modern Rue de Latran crosses over the location of the ancient commanderie of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.

In Rue des Carmes, dating from 1250, we see at No. 15 the old College des Lombards, now the Cercle Catholique d’Ouvriers, founded in 1334, rebuilt under Louis XIV by two Irish priests. The small chapel there, now dedicated to “Jesus Ouvrier,” is paved with the gravestones of the Irish clergy who came long ago to live and study there.

Rue Basse des Carmes runs along the location of the demolished Carmelite Convent. We are now near the Collège de France, Lycée Louis-le-Grand, and l’École Polytechnique.

Le Collège de France, located on Rue des Écoles with its stunning west façade facing Rue St-Jacques, was established by François I in 1530 as an institution where lectures would be held in different colleges. The building we see today replaces the “Collège Royal,” which was constructed in the early seventeenth century and destroyed in the eighteenth century. This current structure dates back to 1778 and was designed by Chalgrin, with additions made in the nineteenth century. The many beautifully crafted busts of distinguished scholars and eminent professors were created by the finest sculptors of each era.

The Lycée Louis-le-Grand, located on Rue St-Jacques, stands on the site of four former colleges. Its foundation dates back to 1550, and it was rebuilt from 1814 to 1820 and restored from 1861 to 1885. In the courtyard, you can see some of the ancient walls. It has gone by various names that reflect the different periods in French history. It started as the Collège de Clermont, named after its founder, the bishop; in 1682, it was renamed after King Louis-le-Grand. In 1792, it became Collège de l’Égalité; in 1800, Le Pyrtanée; Lycée Imperial in 1802; Collège Royal-Louis-le-Grand in 1814; and Lycée Descartes in 1848, before returning to its current name in 1849. Many of the most distinguished figures of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were educated there.

The Collège Ste-Barbe, built in the sixteenth century, was incorporated into Louis-le-Grand in 1764. Its tower is called Tour Calvin, as this was the Huguenot neighborhood. Many persecuted Protestants were hiding here during the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. However, it was at Ste-Barbe that Ignatius Loyola received his education.

Close to Lycée Louis-le-Grand and the Collège de France, there are several streets from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that are set for demolition. Some houses have already been torn down, and those still standing display many intriguing remnants. Rue du Cimetière-St-Benoît, which used to border the cemetery, and Rue Fromantel, a name derived from froid mantel or manteau, with its charming old-fashioned homes; Impasse Chartrière, where at No. 2, we can see an old sign and a niche from the time of Henri IV, who often visited his "belle Gabrielle" here. No. 11 was reportedly the entrance to the King’s stables. At the junction of Rue Lanneau, four streets create the square where the well "Certain" used to be, named after the vicar of the old church St-Hilaire, which once stood nearby and was discovered beneath the roadway in 1894. Significant Roman remains were found at that time beneath all these streets. Rue Valette, from the eleventh century, used to be Rue des Sept Voies, as seven streets converged there. At No. 2, in the billiard room of the old inn, we come across remnants of the church St-Hilaire, which used to be located there. No. 19 dates back to the fourteenth century and became a meeting place for Huguenots who hid in its Gothic two-story cellars during the seventeenth century. Jean de Meung, the author of Le Roman de la Rose, lived on Rue Laplace. At No. 12, we can see the entrance of a now-gone college, next door to which was the Collège des Écossais.

L’École Polytechnique is located on the site of the college established in 1304 by Jeanne de Navarre, the wife of Philippe le Bel, for seventy underprivileged scholars. It was rebuilt in the fifteenth century. The last remnants of that reconstruction, a stunning Gothic chapel, were demolished in 1875. Evidence of a Roman cemetery was discovered in 1906. The current building originates from the eighteenth century, designed by Gabriel. The residence of the Général-Commandant is the former Collège de Boncourt, founded in 1357.

In Rue Clovis, at the top of Montagne Ste-Geneviève, stands Lycée Henri IV, which has been a school since 1796 and was known for several years as Lycée-Napoléon. It brings to mind the abbey that used to be there. Its tower, called the “Tour de Clovis,” rises from the foundations of the eleventh-century abbey tower and was long used as the Paris Observatory. The college kitchen occupies one of the ancient abbey cellars—cellars spanning three stories. Some of the walls in front of us date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The library founded by Cardinal de la Rochefoucauld is now the boys’ dormitory. A cloister and a seventeenth-century refectory are still intact. The students go up and down a beautiful eighteenth-century staircase and study among interesting frescoes and exquisite woodwork. New buildings were added to the old ones in 1873.

RUE DE LA MONTAGNE STE-GENEVIÈVE, which leads up to the hill from Boulevard St-Germain, was called the unappealing Rue des Boucheries back in the twelfth century. Almost every wall and stone here is ancient. In earlier times, three colleges occupied different spots along its slope. The sign at No. 40 dates back to the Directoire period. A statue of the saint from the Revolutionary days was marked, “A la ci-devant Geneviève; Rendez-vous des Sans-Culottes.” Now, we have the beautiful old church of St-Etienne-du-Mont before us. This area, which was originally a graveyard, was organized into a square in the fourteenth century, with the church burial ground on the north-western side. The church we see today primarily dates back to the early seventeenth century and was built on the site of a thirteenth-century chapel dedicated to St-Etienne. The abside and the choir were constructed in the early sixteenth century, very close to the old basilica of the abbey Ste-Geneviève. Locals still often refer to the church as l’Église Ste-Geneviève, likely because the tomb of the patron saint of Paris is located here. The original châsse—an ornate jewel-encrusted shrine—was destroyed during the Revolution, melted down, its gems confiscated, and the bones of the Saint burned. The stone coffin, considered worthless, was recovered and filled with relics of Ste-Geneviève collected from near and far, and is now housed in the lavish shrine that continues to attract pilgrims. Each year, a smaller châsse is solemnly carried around the church aisles during the “neuvaine” following January 3rd, which is the feast day of the revered Saint, when services are held all day, while outside, a religious fair takes place... souvenirs of Ste-Geneviève and various religious items are sold at stalls set up across the place. The church, showcasing three distinct architectural styles—Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance—is especially notable for its rood-screen, the only one remaining in a Paris church. It is also rich in exquisite stained glass, beautiful woodwork, and fine statuary. We can see inscriptions and epitaphs honoring Pascal, Rollin, and many other notable individuals buried in the church crypt or in the former graveyard.

ST-ÉTIENNE-DU-MONT __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

The Panthéon, the most prominent if not the oldest or most captivating building on this hilltop, was initially started as a new church dedicated to Ste-Geneviève. Louis XV, gravely ill in Metz, promised to build a church honoring Paris's patron saint if he recovered. Construction didn't begin until 1755, and even then, it wasn’t built solidly; there were issues with the construction that posed a risk of collapse, and the architect Soufflot died from the stress. Fortunately, the feared disaster didn’t occur; the building was reinforced. However, instead of remaining a church, it was declared the Panthéon in 1791 during the Revolution, with the inscription, “Aux Grands Hommes de France, la Patrie reconnaissante.” Napoléon returned it to the church authorities under the Concordat. In 1830, it became the Panthéon again, returned to a church in 1851, and then officially became the Panthéon for good in 1885 when Victor Hugo’s body was brought there with great ceremony. Its façade is modeled after the Panthéon of Agrippa in Rome. It's known for its frescoes depicting the life of Ste-Geneviève, created by Gros, Chavannes, Laurens, and other 19th-century artists. Rodin’s “Penseur” was placed below the peristyle in 1906.

INTERIOR OF ST-ÉTIENNE-DU-MONT (JUBÉ)

The Faculté de Droit, No. 10, is Soufflot’s creation (1772-1823). The Bibliothèque Ste-Geneviève, quite modern (1884), is built on the site of the demolished Collège Montaigu, established in 1314. Ignatius Loyola, Erasmus, and Calvin were students there. All the surrounding streets extend along the site of ancient buildings, convents, monasteries, etc., that have been cleared away but still leave fascinating remnants in some places. In Rue Lhomond, debris from the old potteries has been unearthed. Michelet lived for a while at the historic hôtel de Flavacourt. No. 10, which was later incorporated into the École Ste-Geneviève, where the main entrance door is a remnant of the hôtel de Juigné, was the private residence of the Archbishop of Paris before the Revolution. Another section of the school was the home of Abbé Edgeworth, who was confessor to Louis XVI in his final days. Yet another part was the Séminaire des Anglais, founded under Louis XIV. We can see a beautiful façade and balconies in the courtyard at No. 29, which was once the residence of a religious community but is now the secular “Institution Lhomond.”

The Séminaire des Missions des Colonies Françaises at No. 30 dates back to the time of Louis XIV. It features a beautiful staircase and chapel. The basements of the modern buildings from No. 48 to No. 54 are those of the convent that used to stand above them.

In Rue des Irlandais, we find the college established in 1755 for Irish, Scottish, and English priest students. On Rue Rataud, previously Rue des Vignes, which led to a cemetery for those who died from the plague, is located the orphanage of l’Enfant Jésus at No. 3, formerly known as “Les Cent Filles,” where the Duchess d’Angoulême, daughter of Louis XVI, educated fifty young orphan girls each year at her own expense.

EMPHATICALLY, a street from the past is the old Rue Mouffetard, its name possibly a corruption of Mont Cérarius, the name of the district during Roman times, or maybe derived from the old word mouffettes, referring to the smells from the Bièvre, which now flows underground here, not very odorous since the days when it came sweet and clear from the southern hills before being used for various city purposes as it entered Paris. Every house along this street has some interesting historical feature, whether it's an ancient sign, an old well, old doors, or old courtyards. Charming old streets branch off from it. The market at the place by the old church St-Médard rises up its slope.

In the rundown shops that thrive on the ground floor of nearly every building or on stalls set at the entrance, you can find a mix of food items that you rarely see grouped together anywhere else in the city, along with clothing of all kinds, styles, and ages.

The church from the twelfth century, which was partially rebuilt and restored later on, was for several centuries associated with the abbey of Ste-Geneviève. Its graveyard, which had long been a market and a square, became infamous in the eighteenth century due to the scandale Médard. Among the graves of notable Jansenists buried there, miraculous healings were said to take place. Women and girls experienced ecstatic episodes. The number of these convulsionists increased daily. Eventually, King Louis XV ordered the cemetery to be closed. A clever local resident managed to get close to one of the tombstones the morning after the King's order was announced and wrote on it:

RUE MOUFFETARD AND ST-MÉDARD

It’s the parish of the Gobelins, and a stunning piece of Gobelins tapestry hangs over the vestry door. There are fragments of ancient glass, a painting by Watteau, others by Philippe de Champaigne, beautiful woodwork, and the charm of its architecture makes the old church incredibly interesting.

At No. 81 on this historic street, we can see remnants of a seventeenth-century chapel. At No. 52, there are old gravestones. The fountain at No. 60 was built in 1671. House No. 9 is located where the Porte Marcel used to stand in the past.

Rue Broca, near St-Médard, dates back to the twelfth century, when it was called Rue de Lourcine, and it has many interesting old houses. The houses on Rue du Pôt-de-fer are all historic, as are most of those on Rue St-Médard. At No. 1 of Place de la Contre Scarpe nearby, there's a modern place, and an inscription marks the site of the Cabaret de la “Pomme de Pin,” praised by Ronsard and Rabelais.

PASSING through the historic colleges and churches, streets and homes we've been exploring, runs the old Rue St-Jacques. It starts at the banks of the Seine, stretches through the entire district, and becomes a suburb when it leaves the area.

The path it follows used to be the Roman road connecting Lutetia to Orléans—the Via Superior—la grande rue—in early Paris history. Along its route in Roman times, the Aqueduc d’Arcueil transported water from Rungis to the Palace of the Thermes (see p. 138). It consists entirely of a long line of old buildings or remnants of those that were demolished. The famous couvent des Jacobins once covered the site of the Bibliothèque de l’École de Droit and the nearby buildings. At No. 172 was the Porte St-Jacques in Philippe-Auguste’s massive wall.

We see a beautiful old door at No. 5, a house with two-story cellars. At the location of No. 218, Jean de Meung wrote the Roman de la Rose. The famous poem was published further down the same street.

The church of St-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas is located on the higher ground we reach at No. 252, a seventeenth-century building on the site of a chapel built in the fourteenth century by Italian monks known as the Pontifici, who built bridges to help pilgrims cross a mau pas or mauvais pas, meaning a dangerous or difficult passage in rivers or roads. The beautiful woodwork inside the church—specifically the organ and pulpit—was brought here from the old, demolished church of St-Benoît (see p. 140). We can see several good paintings. The fine stained glass that was once here was all broken during the Revolution. The hôpital Cochin remembers its founder, an eighteenth-century vicar, in its name. The churchyard was where Rue de l’Abbé-de-l’Épée now runs, which was once known as Ruelle du Cimetière-St-Jacques.

No. 254 bis, the national Deaf and Dumb Institution, is the old commanderie of the Frères hospitaliers de St-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas—the Pontifici—established for this purpose in 1790 and partially rebuilt in 1823. The statue of Abbé de l’Épée, who created the alphabet for the deaf and dumb, located in the courtyard, was crafted by a deaf and dumb sculptor. The trunk of the tree nearby is believed to be that of an elm planted by Sully three hundred years ago. At No. 262, we can see remnants of a vacherie, which used to be the farm St-Jacques. At No. 261, we can turn into Rue des Feuillantines, where at No. 10 we find remains of the convent that was once home to George Sand and later to Mme Hugo, the poet's mother, and her children; afterward, Jules Sardou lived in the impasse, which is now part of the rue. At No. 269, there are some walls of the monastery founded by English Benedictines in 1640, to which they added a chapel dedicated to St. Edmond a few years later. The premises are still owned by English bishops and serve as a prominent music school: “Maison de la Schola Cantorum.” The door seen between two beautiful old pillars at No. 284 once led to the Carmelite convent where Louise de la Vallière found refuge and served as “sacristan” until her death; Rue du Val-de-Grâce now runs where the convent used to be.[D]

The military hospital Val-de-Grâce was established as a convent in the early seventeenth century. Anne d’Autriche brought in the struggling Benedictine nuns from Val Parfond, who had to leave their home due to flooding from the Bièvre. Out of gratitude, they changed their name: the nuns of Val Profond became the sisters of Val-de-Grâce. In 1645, Louis XIV, the child Anne d’Autriche had fervently prayed for, laid the first stone of the chapel dome, which was modeled after St. Peter’s in Rome. The church is now only used for funerals and necessary military services. The Val-de-Grâce dependency was built by Catherine de’ Medici, with catacombs lying beneath it and the surrounding houses.

It was in the early years of the 17th century that the King’s physician purchased a piece of unused land—a butte made from centuries of accumulated waste—for the growth of the many herbs and plants that formed the medicine cabinet of the time. This led to the creation of the “Jardin Royal de herbes médicinales,” which was established in 1626. Chairs of botany, pharmacy, and surgery were created and funded, and in 1650, the garden was opened to the public. A century later, Buffon was appointed as the superintendent of the royal garden. He set out to reorganize and expand it. The amphitheater, the natural history galleries, the chemistry labs, and the beautiful lime-tree avenue all came from his efforts. Renowned naturalists took turns as directors of the garden, and after the death of Louis XVI, a museum of natural history and a menagerie were established with what remained of the King’s collection at Versailles. Improvements and additions were made in the following years until, after the outbreak of war in 1870, the garden was bombarded by the Prussians, and during the siege, much of its livestock was used to feed the population of Paris. The garden and its buildings have frequently been expanded. The labyrinth is located where the hillock was purchased by Guy de la Brosse, who originally designed it. A granite statue marks the spot where he and two notable travelers were buried. The surrounding streets bear the names of great naturalists from different periods.

In Rue Geoffroy St-Hilaire, formerly Rue Jardin du Roi, No. 5, which is now the Police Station, was built in 1760. At No. 30, a wheel used to operate, powered by the water from the Bièvre, which is now a foul-smelling drain hidden under the pavement. No. 36 was the home of Buffon. He died here in 1788. Daubenton lived at No. 37. At No. 38 used to stand the grand gate, the Porte-Royale, of the Jardin du Roi, with a narrow hall to its left, where the famous surgeon Dionis shared his remarkable discoveries with an amazed group of students (1672-73). That small cabinet was the foundation of the great anthropological museum that would follow in the centuries to come.

In Rue Cuvier, originally called Rue Derrière-les-Murs de Ste-Victoire, which accurately describes its location, we find a modern fountain (1840) at No. 20, replacing one that was installed in 1671, along with remnants of the abbey St-Victor in the courtyard. The "de l’Administration" pavilion of the Garden is the former hôtel Jean Debray (1650), which was later occupied by several notable figures. At No. 47, Cuvier passed away in 1832. In the eighteenth century, fiacres, a newly introduced form of transportation, could be hired at No. 45. The eleventh-century Rue Linné still shows many traces of its history. We can see Gothic arches from the long-gone abbey at No. 4.

In Rue des Fossés St-Bernard, along the line of Philippe-Auguste’s wall, between the locations of two major gates: Porte St-Victor, a place tarnished by the massacres of September, and Porte St-Bernard, we find Halle-aux-Vins, where the abbey buildings once stood. The Halle-aux-Cuirs, on Rue Censier, is located where the famous orphanage “La Miséricorde,” commonly referred to as “les Cent Filles” or “les Cent Vierges,” used to be. An apprentice from the Arts and Crafts Institution who chose one of these orphaned women as his wife received the privilege of instantly becoming a full member of the Corporation with her dowry.

In Rue de la Clef at No. 56, you can find part of the infamous Ste-Pélagie prison. No. 26 is still owned by the Savouré family, whose ancestors ran the school where Jérôme Bonaparte and many of his peers were educated. Rue du Fer-à-Moulin, which dates back to the twelfth century, is a stretch of blackened walls that has gone by many names. In the small Rue Scipion that branches off from it, at No. 13, there’s the hotel built in the sixteenth century for the Tuscan Scipion Sardini, who came to France with Catherine de’ Medici. He was a wealthy and quite scandalous financier, and terra-cotta medallions decorate its walls. Today, it serves as the bakehouse for Paris hospitals. In the square opposite, there’s an interesting piece of statuary: “des Boulangers,” by Charpentier.

Rue Monge, which stretches from boulevard St-Germain to Avenue des Gobelins, was created through the old streets of the area in 1859. A Louis XV fountain, relocated from its original spot on Rue Childebert, was installed in the square, along with various historical artifacts: statues from the old City Hall, debris from the Palais de l’Industrie that burned down in 1897, and a replica of the statue of Voltaire by Houdin, among other items.

Rue d’Arras, named after a college that used to be there, was originally called Rue des Murs, which referred to the walls of Philippe-Auguste. The concert hall we see today used to be Père Loyson’s church. L’École Communale, No. 19 Rue des Boulangers, is located on the site of part of the convent des “Filles Anglaises,” which had been there since 1644 but was demolished in 1861.

Rue Rollin started in the sixteenth century as Rue des Moulins-à-vent. The house at No. 2 is where Pascal died in 1662. No. 4, with its beautiful staircase, its grille, and an ancient well in the courtyard, was the home of Bernardine de St. Pierre during the years he wrote his famous Paul and Virginie. Rollin lived and died (1741) at No. 8. Descartes lived at No. 14. When the street was longer and known as Rue Neuve-St-Etienne, Manon Philipon, later known as Madame Roland, was a student in the annexe of the English Augustine convent on a site now crossed by Rue Monge and Rue de Navarre.

In Rue de Navarre, we come to Les Arènes, the uncovered remains of the Roman Arena. They were discovered here just before the war of 1870, then quickly covered up again, partially restored in 1883. We see in front of us the gray stones, large blocks, and tiered seats where the city's inhabitants—Lutetians at the time—spent their leisure hours watching wild animal fights. This might not be the original arena built by the Romans, as it was attacked twice, first by northern invaders and then by Christians, with many of its stones repurposed for the city walls. However, it was soon rebuilt... obviously. Over time, through further invasions, conquests, new settlements, constructions, and the passing years, the Roman theater sank beneath the surface, only to be unearthed in the nineteenth century. Modern garden paths and an imposing yet mismatched entrance in the Louis XIV style now surround this incredibly fascinating remnant of a bygone era. Children play where fierce beasts once fought. Women knit and sew, old men rest, and young men and women court, where Roman soldiers and a primitive Gallic population once eagerly gathered to watch intense battles.[E]

Rue Lacépède: at No. 1 stood the Hôpital de la Pitié until recently, founded by Marie de' Medici in 1613, now replaced by a modern building on the boulevard de l’Hôpital. Its main purpose was to provide shelter for beggars—a refuge—to help clean up the streets of Paris from the crowds who “made their living” by asking for donations. The beggars preferred to stay free. However, a decree issued a few years later led to beggars being taken there and closely confined, under secure guard. Consequently, they were called “les Enfermés.” The hospital expanded in size and importance and was known as “Notre-Dame de la Pitié.” The convent Ste-Pélagie was established in part of its buildings in 1660 and later became the infamous prison during the Revolution. No. 7 is a beautiful eighteenth-century hôtel. Rue Gracieuse still carries the elegant name of a family that lived there in the thirteenth century along with some historic houses. In Rue du Puits de l’Ermite, the sculptors Coysevox, Coustou, and painter Bourdon lived. The hospice for the elderly poor on Rue de l’Épée-de-Bois was once an asile founded by Sœur Rosalie, renowned for her selfless work among the cholera victims in 1832 and during the Revolution of 1848. The very name Rue des Patriarches invites us to look for remnants of past ages. The patriarchs remembered in this name were two fourteenth-century clergymen, one a bishop of Paris and Alexandria, the other of Jerusalem, who lived in a fine old hôtel. Its large courtyard has turned into a marketplace, while the street named after them and a peculiar impasse run across the site of the demolished mansion. The area was a hub of Calvinism during the religious conflicts. The bishop’s old house, “hôtel Chanac,” housed many Protestants, and religious services were held there.

Rue de l’Arbalète takes us back to the time when archers had their gardens and training grounds here. Later, an apothecary's garden was established, where now we see the large modern buildings of the Institut Agronomique. A pharmaceutical school was built on this old street, and medicinal herbs were grown from the late fifteenth century through the early years of the sixteenth century. Remnants of a Roman cemetery were discovered a few years ago beneath the paving stones near No. 16.

In Rue Daubenton, we find the presbytery and the old side entrance of St-Médard, and in the ancient wall, clear signs of two large gates that used to lead to the churchyard. Signs of history are also visible in Rue de la Pitié, where Robespierre’s sister lived at No. 3 and died in 1834.

Rue Cardinal-Lemoine runs across the site of the college that the Cardinal established in 1302, which was shut down during the Revolution, later used as a barracks, and then demolished. The wall of Philippe-Auguste extended over the area of No. 26. Beneath the house, an interesting lead coffin was discovered in 1908. At No. 49, we see the attractive but worn-down façade of the house belonging to the painter Lebrun, where Watteau also lived for a while. This is where the Dames Anglaises had their famous convent from 1644 to 1859, when they relocated to Neuilly. During the Revolution, the convent was taken over, but Mass continued to be held daily in the chapel throughout the Terror (see pp. 11, 28).

At No. 65, we find the Collège des Écossais, which was founded in 1325 by David, the bishop of Moray. A second foundation established by the bishop of Glasgow in 1639 was added later and moved here from Rue des Armendiers by Robert Barclay in 1662. It was closed down in 1792 and used as a prison during the Terror, but was returned to the Scots once the Revolutionary period ended. The seventeenth-century chapel is still standing, and the heart of James II is kept in a casket there. The college staircase, which has been preserved, is remarkably fine. Nearby, at the end of Rue Thouin, in what used to be Place Fourcy, lived and died the Perrault brothers—one was the famous architect, and the other is even more widely recognized as the writer of fairy tales. Rue de l’Estrapade brings to mind the days when rebellious soldiers were punished by being hoisted to the top of a pole with their hands tied behind their backs and then dropped to the ground. Remnants from the past can be seen all along the street. Rue Clotilde crosses what were once the grounds of the abbey Ste-Geneviève.

THE palace that gives its name to the district was founded by Marie de' Medici and built based on the design of the Pitti Palace in Florence by Salomon de Brosse between 1615 and 1620. The chosen location was near the large monastery and expansive grounds of the Chartreux. The duc de Luxembourg had a mansion there. It was sold to the Queen and demolished; however, the new building constructed on the site was called “Palais Médicis” by its builder. The name of the demolished mansion remained more prominent than that of the Queen.

A garden was started in 1613 on a spot in the Abbey grounds where, in an earlier time, a Roman camp had been located.

Jardin et Palais du Luxembourg

Marie left the palace to her second son, Gaston d’Orléans. It was home to various royal figures until the Revolution broke out. After that, it became a prison. Camille Desmoulins and many of his peers were locked up there. The Chartreux fled, and their monastery was torn down. Once the Terror was over, the palace became the Palais des Directeurs, Sénat Conservateur, Chambre des Pairs and, in 1852, Sénat Impérial. After Sedan, it turned into the Sénat de la République. The gardens were expanded across the property of the Chartreux. They are beautiful gardens. The Renaissance fountain was created by Jacques de Brosse. The statues we see all around in the lawns and flower beds, in the shady paths, most of them made by famous sculptors, depict well-known men and women from every period of French history, from Ste-Bathilde and Ste-Geneviève to our own time.

The Petit Luxembourg was also established by Marie de’ Medici, built a few years after the larger palace was finished. Since Richelieu inaugurated it, many notable residents have lived there, including Barras, Bonaparte, and Joséphine. At one point, it served as a senate house, then as a Préfecture. On an adjacent wall, you can see a marble mètre—the standard measure placed there during the Directoire. Eventually, the mansion was selected as the official residence of the president of the Senate.

Rue Vaugirard, which is the main entrance to both of these palaces, is the longest street in Paris and one of the oldest. Like many other long streets in Paris, it consists of several once-distinct thoroughfares. The first of these, Rue du Val-Girad, led from the village named after its primary landowner, an abbé of St-Germain-des-Prés, Gérard de Meul. Close to the Palace is the Odéon, the second Théâtre-Français, originally the “Français” itself, built in 1782 on the site of the hôtel de Condé, which was burned down in 1799, rebuilt by Chalgrin, and reopened in 1808 as the théâtre de l’Impératrice, only to be badly burned a few years later, restored as the théâtre Français, and then again restored in 1875. The place around the theatre and the surrounding streets are rich in historic and literary connections. No. 1, Café Voltaire, was a gathering spot for eighteenth-century writers of every type. At No. 2 lived Camille Desmoulins and his Lucile, where he was arrested. Rue Rotrou, No. 4, now a famous bookstore, was once the renowned Café Tabourey. André Chenier lived in Rue Corneille. Rue Tournon was opened in 1540, across the site of a horse market with the realistic name Pré-Crotté, on land owned by the Chapter of St-Germain-des-Prés, named after its abbé, Cardinal de Tournon. At No. 2, the hôtel Chatillon (seventeenth century), Balzac spent three years from 1827 to 1830. No. 4 dates back to the days of Louis XIV as hôtel Jean de Palaiseau, later hôtel Montmorency, where Lamartine lived in 1848. At No. 5 lived and died the infamous devineresse Mlle Lenormand, known as the “sybille de l’Impératrice Joséphine.” Another prophetess, Mme Moreau, was also a resident during the time of Napoléon III. No. 7, hôtel du Sénat et des Nations, housed Gambetta for some time, as well as Alphonse Daudet. At No. 6, hôtel de Brancas (1540), originally occupied by the duchesse de Montpensier, rebuilt during the Regency, features a beautiful staircase and frescoed boudoir. Pacha lived for several years at No. 13. No. 8 dates back to 1713, on the site of a more recent hôtel. At No. 10, hôtel Concini, Louis XIII stayed for a time to be near his mother, Marie de’ Medici, at the Luxembourg. St. François de Sales also stayed here. It served as the hôtel des Ambassadeurs Extraordinaires (1630-1748), was seized during the Revolution, and became a barracks as it is today. At No. 19, the Scot Admiral Jones, famous for his assistance in the American War of Independence, passed away in 1791; his remains were taken to America in 1905. No. 33, the well-known restaurant Foyot, used to be the hôtel de Tréville, where royals sometimes dined incognito. At No. 19, we come upon an old curiosity shop with a barber’s pole, and on the doorpost, we read the words with a delicate touch of irony:

When the recent war was happening, the patriotic barber put up signs in French, Greek, and Latin that said the following:

He passed away a few months ago, leaving his widow his shop full of valuable antiques.

Rue Garancière gets its pleasant name from a famous sixteenth-century dyeing company—la Maison Garance, which was located where the current publishing house Plon stands. In the seventeenth century, the Garance hôtel was rebuilt into a mansion for the Breton bishop, René de Rieux. After the Revolution, it served as the town hall for thirty years. The words “stationnement de nuit pour huit tonneaux” on the wall at No. 9 reference a now-gone market fountain. The Dental School at No. 5 was originally the home of Népomacène Lemercier. As we walk through Rue Palatine, remembering Charlotte de Bavière, the widow of Henri de Bourbon, who once lived at the Luxembourg, we turn down Rue Servandoni, named in recent times to honor the architect of the façade of St-Sulpice church, who died in the house across from No. 1 in 1766. Among the bas-reliefs at No. 14 is one of Servandoni unfurling a plan of St-Sulpice. We notice interesting remnants of the past on every side. Rue Canivet and Rue Férou feature many old houses. Rue du Luxembourg is modern, built along what used to be a shaded pathway in the garden. The café at No. 1, Rue Fleurus, was once a gathering place for renowned artists like Corot, Murger, and others of their era. Rue Auguste Comte is another modern street along an old garden path.

Rue d’Assas, across the garden at one point, runs through the entire area over what used to be the grounds of two old convents: the Carmes and Cherche-Midi; it features a few historic houses. No. 8 is from the eighteenth century. No. 19, l’Institut Catholique, is the former Carmelite convent. George Sand once lived in a house that stood where No. 28 is now, and Foucault, a famous physician who also provided the important proof of the earth’s rotation using a pendulum, died here in 1868. Littré, the great lexicographer, passed away at No. 44. Michelet at No. 76.

Turning again onto Rue Vaugirard, we find at No. 36 the house built for the household staff of the Princesse Palatine, with its kitchen connected to the Petit Luxembourg by an underground passage. At No. 19, remnants of the convent of the Benedictine Sisters of Calvary, founded in 1619, can still be seen. On the site of the Orangery is the Musée du Luxembourg, opened in 1818, which originated from an exhibition in 1750 featuring a hundred paintings owned by the King. Massenet lived and died at No. 48. No. 50, the Hôtel de Trémouille, was known during Revolutionary times as the Hôtel de la Fraternité, where Mme de Lafayette passed away in 1692. Nos. 52 and 54 are historic buildings, while No. 56 was the Hôtel Kervessan (1700). At No. 70, we reach the old convent of the Carmes Déchaussés.

THE tragic story of “les Carmes” has been told many times. The convent was founded in 1613 by Princesse de Conti and la Maréchale d’Ancre for the Carmes Déchaussés, who came from Rome. The first stone of their chapel, dedicated to St. Joseph, was laid by Marie de’ Medici; it had the first dome built in Paris, and Italian artists painted frescoes on its walls. The Order became very popular among Parisians who enjoyed the eau de Mélisse, which the nuns made and sold as part of their secular activities, and they were respected for their kindness to the poor. During the horrors of the Revolution that filled the city with blood, the Carmes were left unharmed, with some even hidden away in secret corners of the convent with the help of Revolutionary leaders. Priests who refused to take the oath of allegiance were imprisoned there, and today we see in the old crypt the bones of over a hundred of them, killed by a group led by a revolutionary known as “Tape-dur”—strike-hard. The convent served as a prison during the Terror, where Mme Tallien, Joséphine de Beauharnais, and more than seven hundred others were held, many of them taken out for execution. After these tragic events, the convent was leased to a manager of public events, turning its large hall into a ballroom for “le bal des Marronniers.” That remarkable woman Camille de Soyecourt, Sœur Camille, who had previously reorganized the convent, bought it back in 1797. The garden-shed where the bodies of the murdered priests had rested was converted into a memorial chapel, demolished in 1867. The priests’ bones were then moved to the crypt where we still see them today. Every year in the first week of September, on the anniversary of the Massacre, the convent, crypt, and ancient garden, little changed since the Revolution, are opened to the public, featuring not only the bones of the massacred priests but also many interesting tombs and relics that are respectfully maintained. It was at the Institut Catholique in the old Carmelite buildings that the principle of wireless telegraphy was discovered in 1890.

The old cemetery of St-Sulpice is located under the buildings at Nos. 100-102 on the long Rue Vaugirard. No. 104, the Salle Montalembert, is the former convent of the Marist Fathers. At No. 85, there’s an old boundary stone and some bas-reliefs.

NUMEROUS ancient streets and some modern ones, on historic ground, lead out of Rue Vaugirard. Rue Bonaparte, extending to the banks of the Seine, was created in 1852 by combining three old streets. Most of its houses are old or show remnants of past eras and have historic connections. At No. 45, Gambetta lived in 1866. No. 36 was the home of Auguste Comte; on the site of No. 35 was the kitchen of the great abbey St-Germain-des-Prés, which extended across many streets in this area (see p. 201). No. 20, the hotel of the Duke of Vendôme, son of Henri IV and Gabrielle d’Estrées. No. 19, Hotel de Rohan-Rochefort, where the wife of the unfortunate Duke d’Enghien, who was shot at Vincennes, used to secretly meet her exiled husband when he came to Paris in disguise. No. 17 is noted as the office of the Revue des Deux Mondes until recent years, which first published there in 1829 as a travel magazine!

No. 14, École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, is located on the site of the convent des Petits-Augustins, which was established by Margaret de Valois in 1605. Some of the original walls still stand, and in the nineteenth century, the hôtels de Conti and de Bouillon were added, the latter also known as hôtel de Chimay. The core of the artworks displayed here originated from a collection of sculptures and other valuable relics saved from buildings that were destroyed or demolished during the Revolution. These items were carefully placed in what was initially called a dépôt des ruines des Monuments. The term ruines was eventually dropped, and the dépôt was renamed the Musée des Monuments Français, under the skilled direction of Lenoir. However, remnants of the past can still be seen there, including magnificent and historic ruins—the façade of the château d’Anet, built for Diane de Poitiers, and remains of several other grand hôtels from earlier times. The treasures of the Beaux-Arts include a lovely chapel, paintings by Delaroche and Ingres, statuary, and moldings of Grecian and Roman sculpture. Nos. 1 and 3, which make up l’hôtel de Chevandon, were once home to the vicomte de Beauharnais, the first husband of Empress Joséphine.

St-Germain-des-Prés Abbey

Rue des Beaux-Arts, which opened a century ago, has always been home to distinguished artists and writers. Rue Visconti, which runs through the Petit Pré-aux-Clercs, or Students’ Fields, was known until the mid-nineteenth century by the more traditional name Rue des Marais-St-Germain. The Visconti commemorated here was the architect of Napoléon’s tomb and worked on the restoration at the Louvre. In its early days, it was a hangout for Huguenots, earning it the name “Petite Genève.” It is very narrow, and almost every building is old; Racine died at either No. 13 or No. 21. No. 17 was the printing house founded by de Balzac, which ultimately led to his ruin. No. 21 is the hôtel de Ranes.

Rue Jacob, extended in the nineteenth century by Rue Colombier, the old Chemin-aux-Clercs, is named after a chapel built by Margaret de Valois, Queen Margot—dedicated to the Hebrew patriarch in fulfillment of a vow made when the Queen was imprisoned in Auvergne. The street has always been home to notable writers, artists, and others. Sterne lived at No. 46. No. 47, Hôpital de la Charité, another of Marie de’ Medici’s foundations, was constructed for the Frères de St-Jean-de-Dieu. The chemists at No. 48—Rouelle—have been around since 1750, originally located on the other side of the street. At No. 19, you can see remnants of the old abbey infirmary in the courtyard. The abbey gardens once covered the area where several houses stand now. No. 26 is the Hôtel Lefèvre d’Ormesson (1710). At No. 22, there’s an eighteenth-century building in the courtyard called “temple de l’Amitié.” At No. 20 lived the famous eighteenth-century actress, Adrienne Lecouvreur. On Rue Furstemburg, we can find remnants of the abbey stables and coach-house.

Rue de l’Abbaye, which opened in the final year of the eighteenth century, runs through what was once the main area of the famous abbey grounds. The first church on the site of the impressive building we see today was constructed under the direction of Germain, the bishop of Paris, during Childebert’s reign, around the mid-sixth century. It was dedicated to St-Vincent and known as St-Vincent et Ste-Croix because of its cross-shaped design. Bishop Germain also established a monastery. In the ninth century, the devastating Normans invaded, destroying the church and convent, which were rebuilt on a grand and expansive scale two centuries later, with strong fortifications and a moat, watch-towers, etc.—a masterpiece of thirteenth-century architecture. In the eighteenth century, the state took over the abbey prison, housing the Garde Française there. In September 1792, Mme Roland, Charlotte Corday, and many other notable prisoners from those dreadful times were confined within its walls. The fine library and beautiful dining hall were burned, and that fateful September witnessed around three hundred victims of Revolutionary rage put to death, most of them killed on the very spot where Rue Buonaparte meets the place in front of the church. The prison remained until 1857. The church is filled inside and out with fascinating architectural and historic features: its tower is the oldest church tower in the city. In the little garden square, we see the ruins of the lady-chapel built by Pierre de Montereau, the architect of Ste-Chapelle. The Gothic roof, the round-arched nave, the splendid chapel of the Sacré-Cœur, formerly the church choir, with its deep red pillars, the magnificent capitals of the chancel, the old glass in the chapel Ste-Geneviève, the tombs and statues, and Flandrin’s glorious frescoes all attract lovers of beauty and history. Among the houses near the church, many are old, while others are built on the site of abbey structures that were cleared away. No. 3 Rue de l’Abbaye, the abbey palace, dates back to 1586, built with an underground passage by Cardinal Charles de Bourbon. The last abbot who lived there was Casimir, King of Poland, whose tomb is in the church. In modern times, it has served as a studio and is now a dispensary. At No. 13, we see the last remnants of the monastery with its thirteenth-century cloister. At No. 15 Rue St-Benoît are the remains of an old tower; at No. 11, traces of an ancient wall; at No. 2, an old house that was once home to Marc Orry, a well-known printer from the time of Henri IV. Through pipes along this old street, water once flowed from the Seine to the abbey, and it was called Rue de l’Égout. The painter of the last portrait of Marie-Antoinette lived for a while at No. 17.

Rue du Four, or Oven Street, was once home to the abbey's bakehouse and is one of the key streets in the abbey area. Originally known as Chaussée du Roi, it has mostly been completely remodeled in modern times. However, there are still a few remnants from the past. Robespierre lived here.

Rue du Vieux-Colombier, named after the abbey dove-cot, has been home to notable residents like Boileau, Lesage, and the husband of Mme Récamier. There are now only a few old houses left. At No. 1, we can see bas-reliefs.

Rue de Mézières gets its name from the hôtel Mézières, which was given to the Jesuits in 1610 to serve as their noviciat. No. 9 is quite old. Rue Madame, which intersects with it, has been around since the sixteenth century under different names, part of it known as Rue du Gindre, referencing the abbey bakehouse that was once nearby, since a gindre is the head baker. The name Madame was given in 1790 to the newly opened part across from the Luxembourg gardens by the new occupant of the palace, Comte de Province, brother of Louis XVI, in honor of his wife. However, that didn’t stop the count from building a beautiful mansion for his mistress, Comtesse de Balbi, which was demolished a few years ago. Flandrin lived at No. 54 and Renan at No. 55. Rue Cassette features a line of historical houses, many linked to notable figures of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Alfred de Musset lived there. No. 12 was occupied by the Carmelites until the Revolution. No. 21 belonged to the Jesuits until their expulsion in 1672. In the garden of No. 24, the vicar of St-Sulpice hid after escaping from the Carmes during the Massacre. Rue Honoré-Chevalier, known as Rue du Chevalier Honoré in the time of Henri IV, has its name linked to the abbey bakehouse as it was associated with the master baker who cut the street through his own property.

The church of St-Sulpice, with its distinctive façade created by Servandoni, began construction in the mid-17th century on the site of a 13th-century church dedicated to St. Pierre, but it wasn't completed until almost a century later. Many disapproved of Servandoni’s towers; one was torn down and rebuilt by Chalgrin while the other remains as Servandoni designed it. Upon entering the church, you see the walls adorned with frescoes and paintings, all by famous artists. The works in the lady-chapel are by Van Loo, while the rest are by Delacroix and other modern masters. The high altar is unusually large. The shells for holy water were a gift from the Republic of Venice to François I. The pulpit, featuring carved figures, was a donation from Richelieu. In the Chapelle-des-Étudiants is an organ that belonged to Marie-Antoinette for her young son, which has been played by Glück and Mozart. During the Revolution, a sacrilegious fête took place in the church, and a grand banquet was held in honor of Napoléon. The grand organ is quite impressive, with woodwork designed by Chalgrin. The services are renowned for their beautiful music. The place dates back to 1800, built on the location of the ancient seminary “des Sulpiciens,” which was demolished by Napoléon. The current Séminaire, no longer a seminary as it was taken over by the State in 1906, was constructed between 1820 and 1825. The large fountain was added nearly fifty years later, replacing an old, smaller one.

Almost parallel to Rue Bonaparte, the old Rue de Seine stretches from the riverbank to Rue St-Sulpice. Its oldest section dates back to 1250 as the Pré-aux-Clercs road. No. 1 is part of the Institute. No. 6 was built on the site of a palace created by Queen Margot after leaving the hôtel de Sens, with some remnants still visible among the buildings there, along with part of the Queen’s gardens. No. 10 used to be the Art School of Rosa Bonheur. At No. 12, there are remnants of the hôtel de la Roche-Guyon and Turenne (1620). Nos. 41, 42, 57, 56, and 101 feature interesting seventeenth-century architecture. Rue Mazarine is another parallel street that has ancient houses. No. 12 is significant as the location of the Jeu de Paume, a tennis court where Molière established his Illustre théâtre in 1643. No. 30, known as hôtel des Pompes, was where the founder of the Paris Fire Brigade died in 1723; he was an impressive man, an actor in Molière’s troupe, and the father of thirty-two children! On the site of No. 42 used to be another tennis court, which later became the théâtre Guénégaud, the venue for the first attempts at Opera.

Rue de Nesle, until the middle of the last century Rue d’Anjou-Dauphine, runs through the site of part of the famous hôtel de Nesle; a hidden passage used to be beneath it. The notable house at No. 8 is one of several believed to be a palace of la Reine Blanche, the mother of St. Louis. However, in reality, there were many “Reines Blanches” in France in ancient times, as royal French widows wore white instead of black for mourning.

Rue de Nevers (thirteenth century) used to be closed at both ends and was therefore called Rue des Deux-Portes. On Rue Guénégaud, at No. 29, there's a tower from Philippe-Auguste’s wall. All the houses there are old. At No. 1, you can see the remnants of a famous puppet theater.

Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie, aligned with Rue Mazarine and formerly Rue des Fossés-St-Germain, is rich in history. The Café Procope at No. 13, now a restaurant, was the first café to open in Paris (1689). Influential figures from every century have enjoyed drinks, conversations, celebrations, or voiced their complaints within its walls: contemporary paintings there capture some of their likenesses. No. 14 housed the theater that gave the street its name, later replaced by the Odéon (see p. 184). Rue Grégoire-de-Tours features several interesting old houses. No. 32 showcases beautifully carved statues on its façade. Rue de Buci, originally Rue de Bussy named after the buis—box-bush—that once grew there, was also known as the ecclesiastical “Via Sancti Germani de Pratis” and later Rue du Pilori. In ancient times, it passed through Philippe-Auguste’s wall via a grand gate with two towers that were specifically opened for this purpose. It was a vital thoroughfare. The carrefour where it began was the busiest spot in the entire area. People of questionable character were often chained there; those sentenced to death were executed there. Sedan chairs for the respectable were rented there. During 1792, revolutionary volunteers gathered to enlist, and it was also the site of the first September massacres. Most of the old buildings along the street have been replaced by modern ones. The street has been partially widened; the locations of some recently demolished old structures remain vacant.

Rue Dauphine, named after the son of Henri IV, later Louis XIII, goes back to 1607. Most of the buildings are from that century or the next. Rue Mazet, branching off at No. 49, was well-known in the past for the old inn and coaching station—“le Cheval Blanc.” It operated from 1612 to 1906. Nearby was the restaurant Magny, where literary greats of the early nineteenth century—G. Sand, Flaubert, the Goncourts, etc.—gathered and dined. Some old houses are still standing there.

COUR DE ROHAN

Rue St-André-des-Arts, where in ancient times the makers and sellers of “arcs,” or bows, lived, was also the route taken by the faithful to pray at St-André on abbey land for those who had been executed by burning, (les Arsis). It was once a vine-lined path leading to the city wall. At one point, it was called Rue St-Germain and was a bustling shoemaking street. The street is filled with remnants of the past, and almost every house has something interesting about it. The modern Lycée Fénelon at No. 45, Paris's first girls' lycée, is located where the ancient hôtel of the ducs d’Orléans once stood. No. 52 is the hôtel du Tillet-de-la-Bussière. Nos. 47-49 sit on the site of the old mansion of the Kings of Navarre and the Vieuville, of which some traces are still visible. At No. 11, a house stands where the old church once was; it’s also where Gounod was born in 1818. Leading off is the Passage du Commerce-St-André, created in 1776 and built over the site of Philippe-Auguste’s massive wall; at No. 4, you can see the base of a tower, and in the Cour de Rohan, or more accurately, Rouen, there’s a well-preserved section of the city rampart. The archbishops of Rouen had an hôtel here, and the remnants we see now are from a mansion built on its site by King Henri II for Diane de Poitiers. Rue des Grands-Augustins, partially located on the site of an old Augustinian convent, was known in the thirteenth century as Rue l’Abbé de St-Denis. Many of its buildings show fascinating signs of the past. The famous restaurant Lapérouse at No. 1 is a Louis XV hôtel. At No. 5 and No. 7, you can find remnants of the ancient hôtel d’Hercule, known for its mythological paintings and tapestries, which once served as the Paris residence for Princess of Savoie Carignan. At No. 3 Rue Pont de Lodi, leading to No. 6, there are traces of the convent's refectory. Littré was born at No. 21 (1808). In 1841, Heine lived at No. 25. Sardou lived in his youth at No. 26. Augustin Thierry spent ten years in a house near the quay.

Almost every house on Rue Christine, named after Henri IV's second daughter, is from the seventeenth century.

AN ancient place and part of the old Rue de l’Hirondelle, and an ancient chapel used to stand where we now see the spacious new Place St-Michel. The massive fountain there was built in 1860, replacing a seventeenth-century fountain that used to be on the old place, which was a bit further south. We will discuss the boulevard—the famous “Boule Miche”—later (see p. 306).

Turning onto Rue de l’Hirondelle, known in the twelfth century as Rue l’Arondale-en-Laac and later Rue Herondalle, we spot the remnants of the ancient Collège d’Antin, which was founded in 1371, along with an eighteenth-century house that stands where the mansion of the bishop of Chartres used to be. Rue Gît-le-Cœur probably referred back in the fourteenth century to the home of the King’s cook ... his name was Gille; the term cœur is a misspelling of queux, meaning cook. At No. 5, we see the remains of hôtel Séguier.

Rue Séguier was a country road during Childebert’s time; by the fourteenth century, it became known as Pavée-St-André-des-Arts. Every house has something interesting about it. The famous Hostellerie St-François, which existed until the eighteenth century at No. 3, was the departure point for coaches heading to Normandy and Brittany. At No. 6, you can see remnants of the hôtel de Nemours. The Frères Cordonniers de St-Crépin, established in 1645 (Shoemakers’ Confraternity), had its quarters where Nos. 9, 11, and 13 now stand. J. de Ste-Beuve, the Jansenist, was born and died in 1677 at No. 17. At No. 18, you can see what remains of a fourteenth-century hôtel de Nevers built on the site of an older hotel. The burial ground of the church St-André extended along part of Rue Suger: the presbytery was located at No. 13. Each house in this narrow old street speaks of days gone by. At No. 3, we find remnants of the chapel of the Collège de Boissy, founded in 1360 by a Canon of Chartres for seven poor students. Another historic college was located on Rue de l’Éperon, and until 1907, an ancient house related to the church St-André-des-Arts stood there. Rue Serpente, initially a winding path, became a street around 1200 and was home to the famous hôtel Serpente and a printing company where Tallien worked. The very modern Rue Danton, with its contemporary reinforced concrete structures, has replaced many old houses. The hôtel des Sociétés Savantes is on the site of the hôtel de Thou, and the hôtel des États-de-Blois was there during the time of Louis XV.

Rue Mignon, twelfth century, recalls yet another college founded in 1343 by a dignitary of Chartres of this name; ancient houses at Nos. 1 and 5.

The most interesting of these old streets is Rue Hautefeuille, featuring two turrets: one at No. 5, the historic hôtel of the Abbots of Fécamp from the fourteenth century, and the other an octagonal turret at No. 21, on the corner of what used to be part of the Collège Damville from the same period. In Roman times, the castle Altum Folium—Hautefeuille—stood there, and its remains were discovered in the fourteenth century. This old street undoubtedly served as a route to the citadel.

RUE HAUTEFEUILLE

AN interesting area of Old Paris is located on the northeast side of the Odéon. Rue Racine, which opens onto the square in front of the theater, runs through the old territory of the Cordeliers. In recent years, remnants of a Roman cemetery were discovered beneath the ground at No. 28, and at No. 11, traces of the city wall built by Philippe-Auguste were found. George Sand lived for a while at No. 3. Rue de l’École de Médecine used to partly be Rue des Cordeliers and partly Rue des Boucheries-St-Germain, a name that tells its own story. At one time, twenty-two butcher shops thrived here. When the Revolution started, a butcher was the president of the famous club des Cordeliers that was established in the old convent chapel (1791-94). The refectory, the church-like structure we see at No. 15, which is now an anatomy museum, was built by Anne of Bretagne in the fifteenth century and is all that remains of the convent buildings dating back to the early twelfth century, which occupied a large part of this area since the days of Louis IX. Many of these buildings were repurposed for secular use before the Revolution broke out. The cloister remained until 1877, when it was turned into a prison, and was then demolished to make way for the École de Médecine, which was built partly with stones from the old cloister. The chapel was situated where Place de l’École-de-Médecine is now. The amphitheater of the School of Surgery at No. 5, an association founded by St. Louis, dates back to the late seventeenth century, located on the site of an older structure. Above the cellars at No. 4, there used to stand the College of Damville. The Faculté de Médecine at No. 12 sits on the site of the Collège-Royal de Bourgogne, which was established in 1331. The first stone of the current building was laid by Louis XVI. The building was expanded later and restored in 1900. The bas-relief on its front, originally sculpted as a figure of Louis XV, was changed by order of the Commune in 1793 into the draped woman we see now. Skulls of famous people, including some noted criminals, can be seen at the Museum. Marat lived and died on Rue des Cordeliers. That’s where Charlotte Corday was captured by the angry mob. Remnants of the ancient convent can be found on the short Rue Antoine-Dubois. Rue Dupuytren crosses what used to be the convent cemetery. Nos. 7-9 were part of the old convent. No. 7 later became a free school of drawing run by Rosa Bonheur. Rue Monsieur-le-Prince, named in 1806 because of its proximity to the hôtel du Prince de Condé, used to be Chemin des Fossés. There, we see many characteristic houses. Auguste Comte died at No. 10 in 1857.

PASSING to the western part of the neighborhood, we turn onto the modern Rue de Rennes, which runs south from Place St-Germain-des-Prés along the lines of demolished convent buildings or their disappeared gardens. The short Rue Gozlin, which branches off from it, dates back to the thirteenth century, and its current name honors a bishop of Paris who defended the city against invading Normans in the ninth century. Only two of the houses we see there now are old, Nos. 1 and 5. At No. 50, we find the seventeenth-century entrance of the old Cour du Dragon, featuring its balcony and a large piece of sculpture from 1735; the charming houses in the alley, with their central gutter, were once home to ironmongers. It leads down to the old Rue du Dragon, which originally started as Rue du Sépulcre, then owned by the monks of St-Sépulcre. A grand hôtel used to stand at each end. At No. 76, we can see the remnants of a mansion that later became a convent, where Bossuet stayed. Nos. 147-127 are on the site of a Roman cemetery.

Rue Cherche-Midi, formerly known as Chasse-Midi, gets its name from an old sign that illustrates the French proverb: “Chercher midi à quatorze heures,” meaning to look for something that is way off. Many old houses still line the street. It begins at the Carrefour de la Croix-Rouge, where criminals and political offenders were executed in front of a cross in the center of the square. The name likely comes from a sign rather than from the supposed color of the cross. As historians have noted, a bright red cross would not have suited the temperament of its patrician residents. The Revolutionists called it Carrefour du Bonnet-Rouge. At No. 12, you can see a beautiful grille. One of the most historically significant hôtels in the city was located at No. 37 until 1907; it used to be part of a convent and later became the hôtel des Conseils-de-Guerre, which was demolished to make way for the new boulevard Raspail. The military prison across the street is on the site of a convent that was organized in the house of an exiled Calvinist, which was torn down in 1851. Nos. 85, 87, and 89, dating from the eighteenth century, belonged to a branch of the Montmorency family and hosted various notable historical figures. A lovely fountain can be found in the Cour des Vieilles-Tuileries at No. 86. Several shorter old streets branch off this long one. In Rue St-Romain, named after a previous Prior of St-Germain-des-Prés, stands the beautiful old hôtel de M. de Choiseul, which is now the headquarters of the National Savings Bank. Rue St-Placide, from the seventeenth century and named after a famous Benedictine monk, still shows some ancient remnants. Huysmans passed away at No. 31 in 1907. In Rue Dupin, formerly Petite Rue du Bac, you can see old houses at Nos. 19-12, with a carved wood Louis XIII staircase in the latter. Rue du Regard, another “Chemin Herbu” from the past, is named after an old fountain that once stood here, now located near the Médici fountain in the Luxembourg gardens. The publishing house Didot at No. 3 is on the site of a beautiful old mansion that was once home to the children of Mme de Montespan, which was sacrificed for the boulevard Raspail in 1907. Nos. 5-7 are from the early years of the eighteenth century. The doors of the Mont de Pitié are all that remain of the hôtel de la Guiche that once occupied the site.

Rue de Sèvres, primarily marking the boundary between the VI and VII arrondissements and extending into the XV arrondissement, was commonly known in the past as Rue de la Maladrerie due to its many hospitals. They are still numerous today. At No. 11 and No. 13, we find remnants of the Couvent des Prémontrés Réformés, founded by Anne d’Autriche in 1661. Rue Récamier was recently opened where the famous Abbaye-aux-Bois once stood, where Mme de Récamier lived the “simple life” for thirty years, nonetheless pursued by a crowd of devoted admirers—the tout Paris of that era. The Abbaye, as a convent, had notable women as abbesses; it was closed during the Revolution and later turned into apartments until its unfortunate demolition in 1908. The Square Potain nearby, now known as Square du Bon Marché, is located on the site of a leper hospital dating back to the reign of Philippe-Auguste. An ancient convent and surrounding buildings were destroyed to allow boulevard Raspail to continue. An old building still stands at No. 26, with remnants at No. 31. At No. 42, we see the Hospice des Incurables, founded in 1634 by Cardinal de la Rochefoucauld and known since 1878 as l’Hospice Laennec. Here, in 1819, died Simon, the jailer of the little dauphin “Louis XVII,” after living there for twenty-five years. The minister Turgot and other notable individuals are buried in the chapel. The Egyptian fountain dates back to 1806. At No. 84, we see newly built apartments on the site of the Couvent des Oiseaux, which originated in the early eighteenth century—the prison du Bonnet Rouge during the Revolution, a convent school and pension in 1818 until it was closed in 1906. The “Oiseaux”—birds—could refer to those from an aviary or perhaps the ones painted by Pigalle on the walls of one of the rooms. The Lazarist convent at No. 95 was formerly a private mansion from the time of Louis XV. The chapel, dating from 1827, housed for several years the remains of St-Vincent-de-Paul. In the eighteenth century, wild beast fights occurred on the site of No. 125. The later numbers of the street are in the XV arrondissement, where we find the old Benedictine convent, closed in 1779, which became l’Hôpital Necker. The hospital at No. 149 started in 1676 as a community of “gentilshommes”; seventy years later, it was the “Maison Royale de l’Enfant-Jésus” under the patronage of Marie Leczinska, expanded by the donation of an adjacent mansion. Closed during the Revolution, it was used temporarily as a coal store, then became a National orphanage, and in 1802 was renamed the “Enfants Malades”; its original chapel was replaced by the chapel we see under Napoléon III.

IIt was Henri IV, the good King, who first envisioned a special hotel to provide shelter for elderly and injured soldiers. In the meantime, they were housed in barracks scattered across the city. The impressive hotel we recognize today was built by Louis XIV, opened in 1674, and later restored by Napoléon I and again by Napoléon III. The most notable military figures in France's history are listed among its governors.

On July 14, 1789, the people of Paris rushed to the Invalides to grab weapons to storm the Bastille. On March 30, 1814, nearly fifteen hundred flags and trophies were destroyed in a huge bonfire set up in the courtyard to keep them from falling into enemy hands. But the chapel is still adorned with flags and trophies from wars long past, and three museums—le Musée Historique, le Musée d’Artillerie, and le Musée des Plans-en-relief—have been important parts of les Invalides since 1905. The ancient dining hall has become la Salle-des-Armures, decorated with frescoes portraying the great battles from the time of Louis XIV onward. The large cannons—la batterie triomphale—that we see behind the moats were captured during the Napoleonic wars. Now, during these heavy days of unprecedented warfare, huge, modern cannons, massive airships, and wrecked zeppelins are gathered in the large courtyards. In the chapel St-Louis, we see the tombs of distinguished soldiers and memorials honoring the heroes of past wars. The dome church, separated from it by a massive stained-glass window, was built as a special chapel for the King and Court, its dome adorned with paintings by the greatest artists of the time. The grand tomb of Napoléon I, created by Visconti, was placed there in the second half of the nineteenth century.

The gravestone from St. Helena and other souvenirs were placed in the St. Nicolas chapel in 1910. In recent years, no new pensioners were taken in; the veterans from past wars were for a long time the only residents of the soldiers’ quarters—the only “invalides.” Now, the institution is once again going to be filled with a group of disabled heroes, victims of the terrible war.

Avenue de Tourville, which was planned when the hôtel des Invalides was built, didn’t open until the next century. Of the four avenues leading from it, Avenue de Ségur, Avenue de Villars, and Avenue de Breteuil, which opened in 1780, are named after distinguished generals from Napoléon’s era, but they don’t have any historic buildings. On Avenue de Lowenthal, we see the façade of l’École Militaire, a large building that stretches to Avenue de la Motte-Picquet. It was built in 1752 by Gabriel and was originally meant for the military education of five hundred “young gentlemen.” During the Convention, it was converted into a flour storage facility. After being restored as a school, “Enfants de Mars”—military students from all ranks—were admitted. Young Buonaparte, who came from Corsica to study in Paris, spent a year here and was confirmed in its chapel, which is now used for storing clothes. When that young student became Emperor, the Imperial Guard set up their quarters here, followed by the Royal Guard in 1824. Under Napoléon III, the building underwent significant changes.

At 13 Boulevard des Invalides, we can see the former Couvent du Sacré-Cœur, the old Hôtel Biron: the main entrance is on Rue de Varennes (see p. 194). Number 41 was the Hôtel de Condé. Number 50 was the Hôtel de Richepanse. Number 52 was the Hôtel de Masserano. Number 56 is the Institution Nationale des Jeunes Aveugles, a modern building, founded in 1791, one of the last initiatives of Louis XVI. The statue we see is of Valentin Haüy, its original organizer.

Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg is lined with nice hotels, all modern, with just the names of their owners reminding us of days gone by. Avenue de la Motte-Picquet is equally lacking in historical interest, except for l’École-Militaire (see p. 191). But if we turn away from these modern avenues, we find several of the oldest historic streets of the Rive Gauche near the Invalides.

Rue de Babylone has had different names since the early 1400s. Its current name honors Bernard de Ste-Thérèse, the bishop of Babylon, who owned land there where the Séminaire des Missions Étrangères was built at No. 22 in 1663. At No. 20, there's a statue of Notre-Dame de la Paix with the inscription: “The original of this image is such a perfect masterpiece that the Almighty who created it has enclosed Himself within His work.” At No. 21, the “sisters” of St-Vincent-de-Paul live, always active in Christian work and service. No. 32 is the old Petit hôtel Matignon. No. 33 belongs to the sisters from No. 21. At No. 49, we find the historic barracks of les Gardes Françaises, which were bravely defended by the Suisses in July 1830.

In the short Rue Monsieur (the Monsieur of the day was the brother of Louis XVI), we find at No. 12 the hôtel built for Mademoiselle de Bourbon-Condé, aunt of the duc d’Enghien, abbesse de Remiremont, who is buried beneath the pavement of the Benedictine convent at No. 20. No. 5 shows us the remains of the hôtel of duc de Saint-Simon, the famous diarist-historian. Passing up Rue Barbet de Jouy, created in 1838 across the site of an ancient mansion, we come to Rue de Varennes, a long line of splendid homes dating from a past era.

THE word Varennes is a corruption of Garennes: in English, Rue de Varennes would be Warren Street, a name that takes us back to a time when the area was wild, undeveloped land filled with rabbit warrens. Another street connected to Rue de Varennes in 1850, and in losing its own name, created the long street we enter. No. 77 is the beautiful mansion and park built early in the eighteenth century by Gabriel for a wealthy wig-maker. Later, it was l’hôtel de Maine, then hôtel Biron, and in 1807 became the well-known convent of the Sacré-Cœur. The chapel from its convent days is now the Musée Rodin. Other structures from the same period, built to house the nuns, were demolished after they left in 1904 when educational congregations were disbanded. The State, now in control of the property, rented it out temporarily as apartments, briefly used it as a National School, and then leased the entire estate to the great sculptor, Rodin, who always kept an eye out for beautiful old buildings at risk of decay or destruction. “I could cry,” he once told me, “when I see fine historic walls destroyed.” The once-disused chapel became his studio, and he began to develop the plan, which was faithfully carried out after his death, to establish there a national museum. He offered all of his works and the valuable artworks he had collected to the State for this purpose. A clause in the agreement states that in the unlikely event of the chapel being returned to religious authorities after many years, it should be replaced as a museum by a new building on the grounds. No. 73 is hôtel de Broglie, 1775. No. 69 is hôtel de Clermont, 1714. No. 80 is the Ministère du Commerce. No. 78 is the Ministère de l’Agriculture, built in 1712 as the home of an actress. No. 65 started as l’hôtel de la Marquise de la Suze, 1787, later becoming l’hôtel Rochefoucauld-Doudeauville. No. 72 is l’hôtel de Dufour, 1700. No. 64 was an eighteenth-century inn. No. 57, l’hôtel de Matignon, was renovated by the duchesse de Galliera after her husband’s death to become the Austrian Embassy—until 1914. Many historically significant individuals have stayed or lived in this grand old mansion. At one time, it was owned by Talleyrand, whose home was next door at No. 55; it was also owned by the comte de Paris, who hosted a lavish party there in 1886 to celebrate his daughter Amélie’s marriage to Don Carlo of Portugal, which ultimately led to the exile of the Orléans and other royal families from France due to royalist politics. Nos. 62-60 are ancient. No. 58 is l’hôtel d’Auroy, 1750; l’hôtel Rochefoucauld in 1775. No. 56 is l’hôtel de Gouffier, 1760. No. 55 is l’hôtel d’Angennes. Nos. 52-52 bis is l’hôtel de Guébriant. No. 47 is l’hôtel de Jaucourt, 1788, later becoming de Rochefoucauld-Dundeauville. No. 48 is the hôtel de Charles Skelton. Monseigneur de Ségur was born here in 1820. No. 45 is l’hôtel de Cossé-Brissac, 1765. No. 46 is the petit hôtel de Narbonne-Pelet. Nos. 43-41 is l’hôtel d’Avrincourt. At No. 23 are remnants of l’hôtel St-Gelais, 1713. No. 21 is l’hôtel de Narbonne-Pelet. No. 22 is l’hôtel de Biron, 1775. No. 19 is l’hôtel de Chanterac. In its course here, as elsewhere, Boulevard Raspail has demolished historic buildings.

The Esplanade on the north side of the Hôtel des Invalides, formerly known as Plaine-des-Prés-St-Germain, runs along three long, historic streets—Rue de Grenelle, Rue St-Dominique, Rue de l’Université—all spanning nearly the entire length of the 7th arrondissement.

Rue de Grenelle, originally Chemin de Garnelle in the fifteenth century and later Chemin des Vaches, is a country road. Near its higher end, where we start, are two old streets branching off: Rue de la Comète (1775), named to commemorate the famous comet of 1763, where at No. 19 we find a curious old courtyard, and Rue de Fabert, which has a historic one-story house at its corner. No. 127, hotel de Charnac, home of the abbé de Pompadour, was the palace that Mgr. Richard had to give up in 1906—now the Ministère du Travail. Nos. 140-138, a lovely mansion built in 1724 and occupied until the eighteenth century by notable nobles, is now the hôtel de l’État-Major de l’Armée and Service Géographique de l’Armée. At No. 115, the former hôtel du Marquis de Saumery, the actress Adrienne Lecouvreur died and was secretly buried. The short Rue de Martignac, starting at No. 130, shows no notable features and was built in 1828 on the ancient grounds of the Carmelites and the Dames de Bellechasse. No. 105 was owned by Berryer, the famous lawyer, in 1766, and then by Lamoignon de Basville. No. 122, hôtel d’Artagnan, belonged to Maréchal de Montesquieu. At No. 101, hôtel d’Argenson, built in 1700, where Casimir Perier died of cholera in 1832; now the Ministère de Commerce de l’Industrie. No. 118, hôtel de Villars, has very beautiful woodwork. No. 116 has been the Mairie since 1865, an old hotel transformed and expanded in modern times. No. 110, hôtel Rochechouart, was built on land taken from the nuns of Bellechasse and was once home to Marshal Lames, duc de Montebello; it is now the Ministère de l’Instruction Publique. At No. 97, Saint Simon wrote his diaries and died here in 1755. No. 106, in 1755 the Temple du Panthémont, was the home of a community of nuns from a Benedictine abbey near Beauvais, sold in lots after the Revolution; its chapel became a Protestant church. No. 87, known in the past as hôtel de Grimberghe, boasts a beautiful staircase. No. 104 was part of the Panthémont convent. No. 85, hôtel d’Avaray, built in 1718, was home to Horace Walpole when he was ambassador in 1727. No. 83 is hôtel de Bonneval, built in 1763. No. 81, the Russian Embassy, was constructed by Cotte in 1709 for the duchesse d’Estrées. No. 102 was designed by Lisle Mansart in the early years of the eighteenth century. At No. 90, we briefly turn onto Rue St-Simon to view the Latin inscriptions on Nos. 4-2, which are from 1881. No. 77, École Libre, originally hôtel de la Motte-Houdancourt, was recently occupied by marquis de Gallifet. No. 75, from the seventeenth century, was built by Cardinal d’Estrées. No. 88 is hôtel de Noailles. No. 73, the Italian Embassy, was built by Legrand in 1775. At No. 71, attached to the Italian Embassy, the duke of Alba died in 1771.

The beautiful Fontaine des Quatre Saisons, built in 1737 by Bouchandon, was opened by Turgot, Prévôt des Marchands, in 1749. Here, at No. 59, Alfred de Musset lived and wrote from 1824 to 1840. No. 36, “A la Petite Chaise,” dates back to 1681; No. 25, hôtel de Hérissey, from 1747. No. 15 is where an ancient hôtel Beauvais used to stand. No. 20, Petit hôtel de Beauvais, was established in 1687. The modern house and garage at Nos. 16-18 are on the site of a house owned by a nephew of La Fontaine, which was lived in by the Beauharnais family. At No. 11, we find remnants of the hôtel of Pierre de Beauvais, a grand mansion where the Doge of Venice stayed in 1686 while visiting Paris to pay respect to Louis XIV; it later became a convent and then the district town hall until 1865, when the expansion of Rue des Saints-Pères demolished it.

Rue St-Dominique, once like Rue de Grenelle a country road—“Chemin aux Vaches,” then “Chemin de la Justice”—has transformed into a main street lined with elegant hôtels, some still there and others replaced by the modern boulevard St-Germain or integrated into newer hôtels. This area is known as Gros Caillou, named after the large stone that once marked the boundary of the abbey grounds of St-Germain-des-Prés. The fountain at No. 129, from the early 1800s, is by Beauvalet. The sculpture of Hygia healing a warrior reminds us of the military hospital that was recently torn down. The church St-Pierre du Gros-Caillou was built in 1738 on the site of a chapel established in 1652. In the courtyard at No. 94, there's an old pavilion. A unique old house stands at No. 74, with an old courtyard at No. 66. At No. 81, an ancient inn used to have the sign “Le Canon ci-devant Royal.” No. 67 was the “Palais des Vaches laitières.” No. 32 is the hôtel Beaufort. No. 57 is the hôtel de Sagan, built in 1784 for the princess of Monaco, née Brignole-Salé, which is now owned by an antiquarian. No. 53 was the hôtel de la princesse de Kunsky, from 1789. At No. 49, there’s an eighteenth-century hôtel in the courtyard. The beautiful hôtel at No. 28, dating from 1710, used to be the Nunciate. No. 47 is the hôtel de Seiguelay, where gas, a recent invention, was first used in the early nineteenth century. No. 45 is hôtel Comminges. No. 43 is hôtel de Ravannes. No. 41 is very old. At Nos. 22-20, we see the street name “... Dominique,” with the word saint dropped during the Revolution. No. 35 is l’hôtel de Broglie. Nos. 16-14, built in 1730, now serve as the official residence of the War Minister (1730) and was Napoleon’s mother, “Madame Laetitia,” home in Paris. In the first of these two combined hôtels, there are Louis XV woodwork decorations, while the other features “Empire” decorations. No. 33 is l’hôtel Panouse.

The church Ste-Clotilde, 1846-56, is built on the site of a demolished Carmelite convent. The beautiful bas-reliefs by Pradier and Duret are the highlight there. Nos. 12, 10, 8, Ministère de la Guerre since 1804, used to be the couvent des Filles de St-Joseph, founded in 1640. No. 11 is the site of the Pavillon de Bellechasse, the home of Mme de Genlis. Nos. 5-3 are the hôtel de Tavannes. Gustave Doré passed away at No. 5, in 1883. No. 1 is the hôtel of duc de Mortemart, built in 1695, where we see an oval courtyard.

Rue Solférino, No. 1, the Office of the Legion of Honor (see p. 205).

Rue de l’Université, a long and intriguing street, reminds us of the time when the Pré-aux-Clercs it passes through was the traditional hangout for Paris students. Initially known as Rue de la Petite-Seyne, it later became Rue du Pré-aux-Clercs. During the seventeenth century, there were multiple lawsuits between the landowners and the University, with the latter claiming various rights and privileges. The University lost, and the only concession granted to Alma Mater was the honor of giving her name to the old street. No. 182, an old furniture and statue storage place, was recently Rodin’s studio. No. 137 was constructed around 1675 using leftover stones from the building of les Invalides. No. 130, the Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, is a modern building. No. 128 is the official residence of the président de la Chambre. No. 126 is the Palais Bourbon (see p. 304). No. 108 is where Turgot died in 1781. No. 102 was home to the duc d’Harcourt in 1770. The side of the Ministère de la Guerre at No. 73, a modern structure, occupies the site of several historic hotels that were demolished to make way for it and for the new boulevard. Lamartine lived at No. 88 in 1848 after moving from No. 80 in 1843. No. 78 was built by Harduin-Mansart in the seventeenth century. No. 72 was the hôtel de Guise (1728). Mme Atkins (see p. 205) lived at the hôtel Mailly, now Rue de Villersexel, in 1816. The beautifully designed hôtel de Soyecourt at No. 51 dates back to 1775. No. 43 was the hôtel de Noailles. Alphonse Daudet passed away at No. 41 in 1897. No. 35 was home to Valdeck-Rousseau. The Magasins du Petit-St-Thomas, built where the ancient hôtel de l’Université (seventeenth century) once stood and occupied by figures like the duc de Valentinois and Henri d’Aguesseau, have been torn down to make way for a large new bank. Montyon, the philanthropist and founder of the Virtue prizes given annually by the French Academy, died at No. 23 in 1820 (see p. 225). No. 15 was built in 1685 for a notable Fermier-général. No. 13 housed the Venetian Embassy in 1772. At No. 24, in the courtyard, there's a fine old eighteen-century hotel built by Servandoni. Nos. 18 and 20 were constructed on the old gardens of la Reine Margot, which extended down from her palace on Rue de Seine. From the Place du Palais-Bourbon, attributed to Louis de Bourbon, prince de Condé, we can see one side of the Chambre des Députés, built as the Palais-Bourbon by a daughter of Louis XIV in 1722. It was later expanded by the prince de Condé, confiscated in 1780, and renamed Maison de la Révolution, almost completely rebuilt under Napoléon. Its Grecian peristyle dates back to 1808. In 1816, a prince de Condé regained possession. The Government repurchased it in 1827 and constructed the current Salle des Séances. On the opposite side of the place, along Rue de Bourgogne, there are several eighteenth-century hotels. No. 48 was the hôtel Fitz-James. No. 50 has been the archbishop’s palace since 1907. Mgr. Richard passed away there in 1908.

The Champ-de-Mars, completely modern as we see it today, surrounded by brand new streets and avenues, stretches across ancient historic ground. Not yet named as such, the area was essentially a champ de Mars more than a thousand years ago when, in 888, the warrior bishop Eudes led the Parisians to confront the Norman invaders there and forced them to retreat. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, this vast space was enclosed as a training ground for the École Militaire. The Fête Nationale de la Fédération took place there on July 14, 1790, presided over by Talleyrand; a year later, on July 17, 1791, La Fayette-Bailly fired upon the crowd that gathered here, demanding the deposition of the King. At the corner where the Avenue de la Bourdonnais now runs, the guillotine was set up for Bailly's execution in 1793. On June 8, 1794, people from far and wide gathered for the Fête de l’Être Suprême. In 1804, the Champ-de-Mars was briefly called Champ-de-Mai. However, it still remained a site for military displays. Napoléon’s eagles and the new decoration, la Légion d’Honneur, were first awarded here, and when, in 1816, Louis XVIII ascended to the throne of France, it was on the Champ-de-Mars that soldiers and civilians once again received the drapeau blanc.

Horse races happened here. Here, as far back as 1783, the first basic airship was launched. Later on, a giant balloon was also sent up. The major exhibition of 1798 and all subsequent large exhibitions, along with many smaller ones, were held at Champ-de-Mars. The park we see was created in 1908.

THE large area on the left bank of the Seine, where the wide boulevard St-Germain was built in modern times, was originally known as the Villa Sancti Germani, with its “prés-aux-clercs” being a rural space surrounding the abbey and quite separate from the city of Paris. The residents of this privileged area were exempt from Paris “rates and taxes,” as we would say today, and enjoyed other legal protections. They were only under the authority of the abbey's administration and worked in agricultural and other rural jobs to benefit the abbey. The area was filled with thatched-roof houses, barns, and granaries. Eventually, some grands seigneurs chose the area to build country mansions, but these new houses were soon abandoned, with many being destroyed during the Hundred Years’ War. Over a century later, more mansions were constructed, and the bourg St-Germain developed into the aristocratic neighborhood it eventually became after the construction of the Tuileries, Catherine de’ Medici’s new palace, in the mid-sixteenth century. The historic Rue du Bac was established on the left bank of the Seine in a straight line with the ford (bac) across the river in 1550, to transport materials needed for the palace's construction. The rough road that cart drivers used to bring loads, such as stone from southern quarries, developed into a fashionable street in the early years of the following century. After obtaining permission from the abbé of St-Germain-des-Prés, large new hôtels were built throughout the Prè-aux-Clercs, making them easily accessible to the Tuileries and the Court. This led to the creation of the upscale Faubourg St-Germain in the early eighteenth century. The old houses on Rue du Bac closest to the river were burned by the Communards in 1871, when the Tuileries itself was destroyed.

The headquarters of the Mousquetaires Gris used to be located where houses Nos. 18-17 are now. Many houses from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries still exist. At No. 37, there’s an old and interesting courtyard. No. 46, hôtel Bernard, was home to several notable figures, though much of its original interior decoration has been taken away. No. 94 belonged to the Frères Chrétiens until recently. No. 85 was formerly the royal monastery called les Récollettes, and later became a theater, a dance hall, and a concert venue. At No. 98, it’s said that Pichegru spent his first night in Paris. This is where the Chouans held their secret meetings and where Cadoudal was in hiding. At No. 97, we can see a beautiful door, balcony, and staircase. No. 101 dates back to the time of Louis XIV. Nos. 120-118, hôtel de Clermont-Tonnerre; Chateaubriand died here in 1848. No. 128 is the Séminaire des Missions Étrangères, founded in 1663 by Bernard de Ste-Thérèse, bishop of Babylone. No. 136 is hôtel de Crouseilhes. No. 140 started as a maladrerie, later became the home of the King’s falconer, and was given to the Order of St-Vincent-de-Paul in 1813. Mme Legras, a devoted co-worker of St-Vincent-de-Paul, was buried in the chapel. The grand stores of the Bon Marché now occupy the space where private mansions once stood.

Rue de Lille, previously Rue de Bourbon, has many historic houses. At No. 14, there's an old sundial with Latin inscriptions on the wall. At No. 26, we find remnants of a chapel founded by Anne d’Autriche. No. 67, built in 1706 for President Duret, was later added to the hôtel of Prince Monaco-Valentinois. No. 79, Hôtel de Launion, built in 1758, was the home of Charlotte Walpole, who later became Mrs. Atkins, a devoted friend of the Bourbons. She spent a fortune trying to save the Dauphin and passed away here in 1836. No. 64, constructed in 1786 for the Prince de Salm-Kyrburg, was won in a lottery by a wig-maker’s assistant during the early days of the First Empire. This adventurer bought the beautiful palace of Bagatelle near Paris but was arrested for forgery and then vanished. It was used as a club, then in 1804 as the palace of the Légion d’Honneur, but it was burned down by the Communards in 1871 and rebuilt at the expense of the légionnaires in 1878. No. 78, designed by Boffrand, was the residence of Eugène de Beauharnais, where we can see the bedroom of Queen Hortense. It was the German Embassy before the war.

Rue de Verneuil is another 17th-century street that runs across the Pré-aux-Clercs. Nos. 13-15 was originally a famous 18th-century riding school, then the Académie Royale Dugier; later, until 1865, it served as the town hall for the arrondissement. The inn at No. 24 was where royalists gathered during the Empire.

Rue de Beaume has several interesting hôtels, their historic features well preserved. In the seventeenth century, Carnot’s ancestors lived between Nos. 17-25. At No. 10, we can see remnants of the headquarters of the Mousquetaires Gris, which stretched across the meeting point of the four streets: Beaume, Verneuil, Bac, and Lille. No. 2 was the hôtel Mailly-Nesle.

Rue des Saints-Pères marks the boundary between the 6th and 7th arrondissements, an old street filled with history. It started in the late 13th century as Rue aux Vaches; in those days, cows passed through here to and from the farmyards of the abbey St-Germain-des-Prés. In the 16th century, it was called Rue de la Maladrerie, like Rue de Sèvres which it connects to, and later became Rue des Jacobins Réformés, finally being named Rue St-Pierre after the chapel built there, a name that evolved into Saints-Pères. No. 2 is l’hôtel de Tessé. No. 6 (1652) was once the stables of Marie-Thérèse de Savoie. No. 28 is l’hôtel de Fleury (1768). The courtyard at No. 30 is the site of an old Protestant graveyard. A few old houses remain on Rue Perronet, starting at No. 32, where there used to be an abbey windmill. No. 39 is Hôpital de la Charité, an order founded by Marie de’ Medici in 1602, with its main entrance on Rue Jacob. Displaced from their original location on Rue de la Petite-Seine, where Rue Bonaparte now runs, by Queen Margot, who wanted the site for her new palace after leaving l’hôtel de Sens, the nuns moved here around 1608. At No. 40, we see medallions over the door, one of Charlotte Corday, and the other, contrary to some claims, not of Marat but a Moor’s head. In the courtyard, there are more medallions and moldings mainly derived from the sculptures on the tomb of François I at St-Denis. The hôtel de la Force, where Saint-Simon lived, once stood nearby. That and other historic hôtels were demolished to create boulevard St-Germain. No. 49 is the chapel of the “frères de la Charité,” built on the site of the ancient chapel St-Pierre, of which the crypt still exists, and it has been the medical Academy since 1881. The adjacent square is an old Protestant burial ground. Nos. 50-52 are historic. No. 54 houses the French Protestant library; Cuvier and Guizot were among its presidents. No. 56 was built in 1640 for la Maréchale de la Meilleraie. At No. 63, Châteaubriand lived from 1811 to 1814.

THE beautiful church that stands out in this part of the city started construction in 1764 to replace an older church, which was originally a convent chapel, in the area known as Ville l’Evêque because the bishop of Paris had a country house— a villa—there.

The Revolution found the new church unfinished, and when Napoléon was in power, he decided to complete the structure as a temple of military glory dedicated to the Grande Armée. Napoléon fell. The building was returned to the church authorities, and its construction as a church, dedicated to Ste. Marie-Madeleine, was completed between 1828 and 1842. It was started based on the design of the Pantheon in Rome and finished with the layout of the Maison Carrée in Nîmes. It is 108 meters long and 43 meters wide. The impressive Corinthian columns we see are forty-eight in total. The large bronze doors are the biggest church doors known. Their stunning bas-reliefs were created by Triquetti in 1838. Various types of marble from France have been used in the grand interior. In the beautiful painting “l’Histoire de la France Chrétienne,” we see Pope Pius VII and Napoléon at the center, making the Concordat, surrounded by King Clovis, Charlemagne, St. Louis, Jeanne d’Arc, Henri IV, Sully, Louis XIII, and others. The statues and other decorations are all modern, made by the most distinguished artists of the nineteenth century. The abbé Deguerry, a vicar in 1871, who was shot by the Communards, is buried there in the chapel Notre-Dame de la Compassion.

The place around the church dates back to 1815. At No. 7 lived Amédée Thierry (1820-29), Meilhac, and for fifty years, Jules Simon, who passed away there in 1896. His statue stands in front of the house. Behind the church, there’s a statue of Lavoisier, who was executed during the Revolution. The streets branching off from Place de la Madeleine are modern and cut through ancient convent lands and the old farmlands of les Mathurins. No. 5 Rue Tronchet is said to have once been Chopin's home. Rue de l’Arcade, formerly known as “Chemin d’Argenteuil”—Argenteuil Road—got its name from an arcade that was destroyed during the time of Napoléon III, which used to stretch across the gardens of the convent of Ville l’Evêque, where houses 15 and 18 now stand. Several of the buildings along the street are from the eighteenth century, but none are particularly noteworthy.

Rue Pasquier leads us to Square Louis XVI and the chapelle Expiatoire, which was built on the former graveyard of the Madeleine. This graveyard, established in 1659 on what used to be the convent's kitchen garden, became the resting place for many prominent figures from the tragic later years of the eighteenth century. Here lie numerous victims of the fire at Place de la Concorde, then known as Place Louis XVI, which occurred due to fireworks during the festivities following Louis XVI's wedding. The thousand Swiss Guards who lost their lives defending the Tuileries, Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, Madame Roland, Charlotte Corday, and hundreds of others who faced the guillotine were all buried there. In 1794, when the cemetery was decommissioned and put up for sale, an enthusiastic royalist purchased the entire area, and under Louis XVIII, the chapel you see today was constructed; an altar in the crypt marks the location where some of the remains of the King and Queen were discovered.

Rue d’Anjou, which opened in 1649 and was previously known as Rue des Morfondus, has had many famous residents: Madame Récamier, the comtesse de Boigne, and more. La Fayette passed away at No. 8 in 1834. No. 22 was built in 1763. The town hall was originally the hôtel de Lorraine. Many of the old hôtels have been replaced by modern buildings.

In Rue de Surène, formerly known as Suresnes Road, we see at No. 23 the beautiful hôtel de Lamarck-Arenberg, built in 1775, and the petit hôtel du Marquis de l’Aigle from around the same period.

Rue de la Ville l’Évêque dates back to the seventeenth century, and its name recalls the time when, starting in the thirteenth century, the bishops of Paris had a country home, a villa, and possibly a farm in this then rural area. Around the villeta episcopi, a small town developed, which became part of the city limits during the reign of Louis XV. The old thirteenth-century church, dedicated like its modern counterpart to Ste-Marie-Madeleine, was located at what is now No. 11 on the modern boulevard Malesherbes. The nearby Benedictine convent, established later and built like most of the well-known Paris convents in the early seventeenth century, was dissolved and demolished during the Revolution. Many prominent figures from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries lived in Ville l’Evêque. Guizot passed away there in 1875. No. 16, the hôtel du Maréchal Suchet, is now an Institut. No. 20 is the hôtel of Prince Arenberg. Nos. 25-27 are historic.

Rue Boissy d’Anglas, which opened in the 1700s, has had three different names along its path, and its current name honors a famous figure (1756-1826). In the well-known grocery store, Corcellet, on Avenue de l’Opéra, you can see the portrait of the famous Gourmet, who, before the Revolution, lived in the grand mansion at No. 1, now the Cercle artistique “l’Épatant,” where he indulged his luxurious and exceptional taste for food and presentation. Horses that couldn't enjoy a recherché cuisine had their oats served to them in silver troughs. Although it was secluded during the Revolution, it remained the home of a well-known gourmet; later, it was sold to the State and became an embassy, then a club. No. 12, dating from the reign of Louis XV, has housed several historically significant families. The Prince de Beauvau lived there in more recent times, and Baron Hausmann died there. Lulli died at No. 28 (1637). Interesting old buildings can be seen in Cité Berreyer and Cité du Retiro.

Rue Royale, originally called Chemin des Remparts—Rampart Road—near the third Porte St-Honoré in the city wall where it meets Rue du Faubourg, became Rue Royale-des-Tuileries in the mid-eighteenth century. In 1792, it was renamed Rue de la Révolution, and from 1800 to 1814, it was known as Rue de la Concorde. Most of the buildings we see today were constructed in the eighteenth century by architect Gabriel, who lived at No. 8. Mme de Staël resided for a time at No. 6. This brings us to Place de la Concorde, designed by Gabriel; it was opened in 1763 as Place Louis XV, later becoming Place de la Révolution a hundred and thirty years later, with a statue of Liberty replacing the toppled statue of the King at its center. Its name changed multiple times over the years until 1830 when the name given by the Convention was permanently restored. In the past, it was surrounded by moats and had a pont-tournant on one side; the place once hosted national celebrations, just as it does today. It was also frequently the site of tragedy and death. The guillotine was set up there on January 21, 1793, for the execution of the King. Marie-Antoinette, Charlotte Corday, and many other notable victims of the Revolution were beheaded there... eventually, so was Robespierre. In 1814, the Allies gathered there to celebrate a grand Te-Deum. The statues surrounding the vast space represent the major towns of France, with Strasbourg being the most notable. The impressive “Chevaux de Marly” at the start of the Champs-Elysées were crafted by Coustou, while Mercury and la Renommée, at the entrance of the Tuileries gardens, were made by Coysevox. Elegant eighteenth-century buildings line the northern side of the place. The Ministère de la Marine used to serve as the garde meuble for the Kings of France before the Revolution. Splendid jewels, including the famous diamond known as le Regent, were stolen from there in 1792. What is now the Automobile Club was the official residence of the papal Nuncio for many years. L’hôtel Crillon, originally built as a private mansion, served as the Spanish Embassy for a time; most of its beautiful woodwork has been sold and removed.

THIS amazing avenue runs the entire length of the district and originally reached only to the rural area of Chaillot, known first as the Grande Allée-du-Roule and later as Avenue des Tuileries. Colbert, the great minister of Louis XIV, was the one who turned it into a tree-lined avenue. The gardens that line it on both sides between Place de la Concorde and Avenue d’Antin were designed by Le Nôtre in 1670 as Crown land. Cafés, restaurants, toy stalls, and more were established there from the very beginning. The Palais de Glace now stands where a Panorama existed until it was destroyed by fire in 1855. The famous Café des Ambassadeurs, which was established in the eighteenth century, was rebuilt in 1841. The no less famous cirque de l’Impératrice was demolished in 1900.

The Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées was first laid out in 1670, but the houses we see there now are all modern. Avenue d’Antin stretches on either side of it, old only in the part leading from Cours-la-Reine, and was planted in 1723 by the duc d’Orléans. Marguerite Gauthier (la Dame aux Camélias) lived at No. 9. At No. 3 Avenue Matignon, Heine died in his room on the fifth floor (1856). Avenue Montaigne was known in 1731 as Allée des Veuves. It remained an alley—Allée Montaigne—until 1852. The thatched dwelling of Mme Tallien stood at its starting point, near the Seine. There, her divorced and destitute husband was forced to accept shelter from his ex-wife, who became princesse de Chimay; there, the Revolutionist died in 1820. We only see modern houses along the Avenue today. Rue Matignon was opened across the ancient Jardin d’hiver where fine tropical plants once thrived. No. 12 was the Vénerie Impériale.

Avenue des Champs-Élysées is flanked by modern mansions on both sides. No. 25, hôtel de la Païve, which has recently served as the Traveller’s Club and was an ambulance during the war, showcases the style of the Second Empire. Avenue Gabriel, with its grand mansions, was established in 1818 on the Marais-des-Gourdes—marshy land. Rue Marbeuf was known as Ruelle des Marais in the eighteenth century, then Rue des Gourdes. Its current name is a nod to the Louis XV Folie Marbœuf that once stood there. There are few ancient remnants to be found among the modern buildings surrounding us. Rue Chaillot, once the main street of the village of Chaillot, was incorporated into Paris in 1860. It was a popular residential street in the nineteenth century. Rue Bassano, completely modern today, originally existed in part as Ruelle des Jardins in the early eighteenth century. Rue Galilée was called Chemin des Bouchers in 1790, then Rue du Banquet.

So we arrive at the Place de l’Étoile, the elevated area once known as "la Montagne du Roule." Until well into the eighteenth century, it was outside the city limits and beyond the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, which ended at Rue de Chaillot—a tree-lined, uneven, grassy octagonal piece of land. Then it was made round and leveled, becoming a popular and fashionable promenade, known as l’Étoile de Chaillot, or the Rond-Point de Neuilly. The site had long been marked for the construction of an important monument when Napoléon ordered the building of the Arc de Triomphe. The first stone of the arch was laid by Chalgrin in 1806, and on their wedding day, the Emperor and his new wife passed beneath a temporary Arc de Triomphe made of cloth, as the stone arch was not yet complete. Among the sculptures that adorn the arch, the most famous group is the Départ, by Rude. The frieze depicts the departure to battle and the return of Napoléon’s armies, with the names of his generals engraved below.[F]

TURNING down Avenue Wagram, one of the twelve wide, modern avenues branching from the Place de l’Étoile, we arrive at Faubourg St-Honoré, originally known as Chaussée du Roule. The village of Le Roule was famous in the thirteenth century for its goose market. The area became a suburb in 1722 and was incorporated into the city limits in 1787. It has always been a popular neighborhood for intellectuals looking to escape the chaos of central Paris. Here and there, we come across remnants of the past. No. 222 is an old Dominican convent that was disbanded in 1906. A foundry used to be at the corner of Rue Balzac, where public statues of kings and other former royalties were cast or melted down. The house where Balzac died was also nearby, next to an ancient chapel—all of which has long been removed. The walled garden remains, lining the street named after the great novelist, marked by a plaque where we can see, just above the wall, the top of a pillared summer-house that Balzac is said to have built. The Beaujon hospital dates from 1784 but lacks architectural or historical significance. The few old houses we see at intervals in this upper part of the suburb are remnants of the village du Roule. Several that were of more interest were demolished a few years ago. The military hospital was once the site of royal stables. Mme de Genlis died at No. 170.

The church St-Philippe du Roule was built by Chalgrin in 1774 on the site of the seventeenth-century hôtel du Bas-Roule. No. 107 was home to the King’s Pages during Louis XV's reign. At No. 81, comte de Fersan had his stables in the time of Louis XVI. The Home Office (Ministère de l’Intérieur) on Place Beauvau is from the eighteenth century and has served as a private mansion, a municipal hôtel, and a hotel in the English sense of the term.

The Palais de l’Élysée, built in 1718, was purchased in 1753 by Mme de Pompadour. La Pompadour died at Versailles, but at her request, her body was taken to Paris and laid in her Paris home before the funeral. She left the hôtel to the comte de Province, but Louis XV used it for State purposes. Later, it became a private residence again and was lived in by the duchesse de Bourbon, the mother of the due d’Enghien. She eventually rented it out to a tenant who transformed it into an Élysée, a pleasure house, laid out a parc anglais, and hosted lavish fêtes champêtres. During the Revolution, the mansion was taken over and was later sold to Murat and Caroline Buonaparte, then became an imperial property known as l’Élysée-Napoléon. Napoléon gave it to Joséphine after their divorce, but she preferred Malmaison. It was there that the Emperor signed his second abdication, and in 1815, the Duke of Wellington and the Emperor of Russia stayed there. The next residents were the duc and duchesse de Berry. The duchesse left after her husband died in 1820. It then became l’Hôtellierie des Princes. In 1850, Napoléon as Prince-President briefly lived there before the coup d’état. The façade dates from his reign as Napoléon III, when he created the Rue de l’Élysée through its gardens to separate it from surrounding buildings. The Garde Nationale took possession of it in 1871. It was saved from destruction during the Commune by its conservateur, who placed counterfeit scellés. No. 41, hôtel Pontalba, built by Visconti on the site of an older hôtel, now owned by one of the Rothschilds, features beautiful ancient woodwork from the former hôtel St-Bernard on Rue du Bac. No. 39, the British Embassy, was built in 1720 for the duc de Charost; it was given to Pauline Buonaparte, princesse Borghese, in 1803 and then turned over to the English in 1815. It has been the British Embassy since 1825. Nos. 35, 33, 31, 29, and 27 are all eighteenth-century hôtels. At No. 30, the Cité de Retiro was formerly the grand Cour des Coches, home to the "Fermier des carrosses de la Cour." Nos. 24 and 16 are old. No. 14 served as the Mairie until 1830.

The streets leading out of the Faubourg mostly date back to the eighteenth century and show some signs of a past era, but most of the houses along them today are modern. Rue d’Aguesseau was established in 1723 across the property of the Chancellor whose name it carries. The Embassy church there is located on the site of the old hôtel d’Armaille. No. 18 used to be the Mairie of the 1st arrondissement. Rue Montalivet, where at No. 6 we can see the welcoming front of the British Consulate, was known as Rue du Marché-d’Aguesseau for several years. Rue des Saussaies was a willow-lined road in the seventeenth century. Place des Saussaies is modern, built on the site of demolished eighteenth-century hôtels. In Rue Cambacérés, we can see old hôtels at Nos. 14, 8, and 3.

The first buildings on Rue Miromesnil are old and have unique decorations. Châteaubriand lived at No. 31 in 1804. Rue de Panthièvre used to be called Rue des Marais in the seventeenth century, then Chemin Vert. Its houses were home to many notable people over the next two centuries. Franklin is said to have resided at No. 26, as did Lucien Buonaparte. The barracks dates back to 1780, built for the Gardes Françaises, who had previously been housed in private homes. Fersen lived on Rue Matignon; Gambetta at No. 12, Rue Montaigne (1874-78). The Colisée, which lent its name to the street formerly known as Chaussée des Gourdes, was a huge hall used for celebrations from 1770 to 1780, when it was torn down. Part of its site led to the opening of Rue Penthieu at the end of the eighteenth century and Rue de la Bôëtie, which we now turn to. That lovely street had no less than eleven different names along its route before it was renamed in 1879. Several eighteenth-century hotels still stand here; others on the odd-numbered side were demolished in recent years to widen the street. No. 111 was temporarily inhabited at the end of the eighteenth century by the duc de Richelieu. When Napoléon was in power, an Italian minister lived there and hosted lavish parties, where the Emperor often attended. Recently, its owner was the duc de Massa, grandson of Napoléon’s famous Minister of Justice. Carnot lived for a time at No. 122, Eugène Sue at No. 55, and Comtesse de la Valette at No. 44, a hotel known for its large grounds.

Rue de Berri, which opened in 1778 on the site of the royal nursery gardens, went through several names before being named after Charles X's second son, who was assassinated in 1820. The Belgian Legation at No. 20 was built by Madame de Genlis's aunt and later became the home of princesse Mathilde, who died there in 1904. Rue Washington opened in 1789; Rue Galilée, initially called chemin des Bouchers, then Rue du Banquet, opened in 1790. In Rue Daru, which opened around the same time as Rue de la Croix du Roule, there's the Russian church built in 1881, featuring beautiful paintings and frescoes along with rich Oriental decorations.

WE have already mentioned Avenue Wagram. Modern buildings line the entire stretch of the other eleven avenues that branch out from Place de l’Étoile. Avenue Hoche takes us to Parc Monceau, which was developed on land that used to belong to the Manor of Clichy. This land was sold to the prince d’Orléans in 1778, landscaped as a stylish jardin anglais for Philippe-Égalité in 1785, became national property in 1794, was returned to the Orléans by Louis XVIII, purchased by the State in 1852, and handed over to the city authorities in 1870. The Renaissance arcade is a remnant of the old hôtel de Ville, which was burned down in 1871. The oval bassin, known as “la Naumachie,” with its Corinthian columns, was taken from an old church at St-Denis, Notre-Dame de la Rotonde, built as the burial site for the Valois and demolished in 1814. Avenue Friedland was opened in 1719, through the location of a famous eighteenth-century public garden and several demolished hôtels, and was extended to its current length about fifty years later. Avenue Marceau used to be Avenue Joséphine.

Rue de Monceau, opened in 1801, runs along the path of the lost village of Monceau or Musseau. Rue du Rocher, following the route of a Roman road, has had various names in its different sections. Its upper end was wasteland until well into the nineteenth century, and at the end of the eighteenth century, it served as a meeting place for revolutionaries. During the tragic months of 1794, many people executed by guillotine were buried there, including the two Robespierres. In later years, a dance hall was established at that location. It was an area with windmills. The Moulin de la Marmite, Moulin Boute-à-Feu, and Moulin-des-Prés stood on the high ground above Gare St-Lazare until about a century ago. Few traces of the past remain. Rue de Laborde was known in 1788 as Rue des Grésillons, meaning Flour Street (grésillons, which refers to flour in its third stage of grinding). It was later renamed Chemin des Porcherons, and the area was referred to as la Petite-Pologne, named after the residence of duc d’Anjou, who was the King of Poland. In the courtyard of No. 4, there is an ancient boundary stone that was once located on Rue de l’Arcade, marking the city limits under Louis XV.

Rue de la Pépinière, a name that has become familiar to British soldiers recently, marks the location of what used to be the royal nursery grounds long ago. It was established as early as 1555 but didn’t open until 1782. The barracks, originally constructed in 1763 for the Gardes Françaises, were rebuilt under Napoléon III. All the other streets in the area are modern.

THE Paris Opera House was constructed between 1861 and 1875 to replace the building on Rue le Peletier that burned down in 1873. On its elaborate Renaissance façade, we see, among other statues, the famous group "La Danse," created by Carpeaux. We will talk more about the "Grands Boulevards" that surround the Opera later (see p. 297).

Most streets in the area are modern, covering the spots of demolished buildings that were significant in their time, but now very few traces are left.

Rue des Mathurins sits on the grounds of the now-gone convent, Ville l’Évêque. Rue Tronchet runs where the Ferme des Mathurins used to be (see p. 224).

Rue Caumartin, opened in 1779, is named after the Prévôt des Marchands of that time. It was a short street originally, later extended by the old neighboring streets Ste-Croix and Thiroux, which were once the site of the famous porcelain factory of La Reine (Marie-Antoinette). No. 1 dates back to 1779 and was known for its gardens designed in an Oriental style. No. 2, now the Paris Sporting Club, also dates from the same period. No. 2 bis and most of the other houses have been restored or rebuilt. The butcher Legendre, who placed the Phrygian cap on Louis XVI’s head, is said to have lived at No. 52. No. 65 was built as a Capucine convent (1781-83). It was repurposed during the Revolution first as a hospital, then as a lycée, changing names multiple times: Lycée Buonaparte, Collège Bourbon, Lycée Fontanes, and finally Lycée Condorcet, while the rebuilt chapel of the convent became the church St-Louis d’Antin. Rue Vignon was called Rue de la Ferme des Mathurins until 1881, as noted on the walls of No. 1. Rue de Provence, named after Louis XVI’s brother, was opened in 1771, built over a drain that ran from Place de la République to the Seine near Pont de l’Alma. No. 22 is an old house that has been restored. Berlioz lived at No. 41, and Meissonier at No. 43. Nos. 45 to 65 occupy the site of the mansion and grounds of the Duc d’Orléans, which extended to Rue Taitbout. There’s a nice old hotel at No. 59. Cité d’Antin, starting at No. 61, was built in 1825 on the site of the ancient hôtel Montesson. Liszt, the pianist, lived at No. 63. The Café du Trèfle has been around since 1555. The lively Rue de la Chaussée d’Antin was an important road in the 12th century, known as Chemin des Porcherons. The buildings there are mostly from the 18th century, with others built on the sites of demolished buildings. Many notable figures lived here. No. 1, which houses the Vaudeville Theatre (since 1867), was once the site of two historic mansions. No. 2, now a trendy restaurant, dates back to 1792 and was built as Dépôt des Gardes Françaises. Rossini lived there for a year (1857-58). Where Rue Meyerbeer was established in 1860 stood the hôtel of Mme d’Épinay, who hosted Grimm and briefly Mozart. A nearby house belonged to Necker, where his daughter, Mme de Staël, grew up before it became the property of Mme Récamier. The graveyard of St-Roch stretched across the site of Nos. 20-22 until the end of the 18th century. No. 42 belonged to Mme Talma, where Mirabeau died in 1791 and his widow in 1800. Joséphine de Beauharnais, who would later become Empress, lived at No. 62, and Gambetta resided at No. 55. No. 68, hôtel Montfermeil, was rebuilt by Fesch, Napoleon’s uncle. Rue St-Lazare was called Rue des Porcherons before 1770, named after a significant estate in the area over which the abbesses of Montmartre held certain rights. Passage de Tivoli, at No. 96, recalls the original Tivoli with its English gardens extending from this corner. The owner was executed by the guillotine, and his folly became national property. Celebrations were held there by revolutionary authorities until it was restored in 1810 to the heirs of the builder. Avenue du Coq refers to the Château du Coq from the 14th century, also known as Château des Porcherons, the manor of the Porcherons estate. The Square de la Trinité stands where a famous restaurant from the past, the well-known “Magny,” was located, which served as a dance hall—“La Grande Pinte”—until 1851. The church is modern (1867). No. 56 is part of the hôtel Bougainville, where the great actress Mlle Mars lived. At No. 23, dating from the First Empire, we find a beautiful old staircase and in the courtyard, a pump marked with the imperial eagle. Rue de Chateaudun is modern. The brasserie at the corner of Rue Maubeuge is located on the site of the ancient cemetery des Porcherons. Rue de la Victoire, known in the 17th century as Ruellette-au-Marais-des-Porcherons, was renamed Rue Chantereine in 1792, referencing the numerous frogs (rana = frog) that filled the air of that marshy area with their croaking. Buonaparte lived there at one time, hence the name given in 1798, taken away in 1816, restored by Thiers in 1833. Interestingly, an order of nuns, "de la Victoire," named to commemorate a much earlier victory—Bouvines 1214—owned property in this area. At the site of No. 60, now a modern house with rental flats, once stood the main entrance to l’hôtel de la Victoire, a beautifully elegant structure built in 1770, sold and demolished in 1857—unfortunately. At the end of the courtyard at No. 58, we see the ancient hôtel d’Argenson, its salon preserved from the days when notable politicians of the past met and made significant decisions there. The Bains Chantereine at No. 46 has been the théâtre Olymphique, théâtre des Victoires Nationales, théâtre des Troubadours, and for a brief time in 1804 l’Opéra Comique; No. 45, with its busts and bas-reliefs, dates from 1840. Rue Taitbout, which began in 1773, was lengthened by merging adjoining streets, named after an 18th-century municipal official. Isabey, Ambroise Thomas, and Manuel Gracia lived on this historic street, and at No. 1, now a stylish café, two notable Englishmen, the Marquis of Hertford and Lord Seymour, resided at different times. No. 2 was once the famous restaurant Tortoni. No. 30, as a private hôtel, hosted Talleyrand and Mme Grand. There are interesting remnants at No. 44. The Square d’Orléans is the former Cité des Trois Frères, in earlier times a hub for artists and literary figures: Dumas, George Sand, Lablache, etc.

RUE DE CLICHY used to be the Roman road connecting Paris and Rouen, passing through the village of Cligiacum. Later, it became known as Rue du Coq when the old château was near it. It was in a house on Rue de Clichy, occupied by the Englishman Crawford, that Marie-Antoinette and her children had a meal on their way to Varennes. The three successive “Tivoli” were partly located at No. 27 on this historic street. Also found here was the “Club de Clichy,” whose members opposed the Directoire government. The entire area leading up to the heights of Montmartre was, as it is now, a lively quarter filled with entertainment venues and homes to various artists, but there are few remnants from the past. Where Rue Nouvelle was opened in 1879, the debtor's prison known as the prison de Clichy had once stood. No. 81 houses the animal hospital founded in 1811. Zola passed away at No. 21 Rue de Bruxelles. Heine lived at No. 50 Rue Amsterdam from 1848-57. Rue Blanche used to be called Rue de la Croix-Blanche in the seventeenth century. Berlioz resided at No. 43. Remains from Roman times were discovered beneath Nos. 16-18. Rue Pigalle has gone by six or seven different names, including Rue du Champ-de-Repos, due to its proximity to the St-Roch cemetery. No. 12 belonged to Scribe, who died there in 1861. No. 67 is an old post-horse station. Place Pigalle was once called Place de la Barrière de Montmartre. The fountain stands where the old customs house used to be. Puvis de Chavannes and Henner had their studios at No. 11, which is now a restaurant. Rue de la Rochechouart, built on abbey land, has a lower part dating back to 1672 and recalls the name of an abbess from Montmartre. Gounod lived at No. 17 in 1867, and Halévy lived there in 1841. The Musée Gustave Moreau at No. 14 was the great artist’s own home, which he bequeathed along with its valuable collection to the State upon his death in 1898. Marshal Ney lived at No. 12. In Rue de la Tour des Dames, a windmill tower owned by the nuns of Montmartre stood untouched from the fifteenth century until the early nineteenth. The modern building at No. 3 (1822) is on land that once belonged to the Grimaldi family. Talma died in 1826 at No. 9. Rue la Bruyère has always been home to distinguished artists and writers. Berlioz lived for a time at No. 45. Rue Henner, named after the artist who died at No. 5 Rue la Bruyère, was formerly called Rue Léonie. We see an old and interesting house at No. 13. No. 12, hôtel des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques, is a society founded in 1791 by Beaumarchais.

Rue de Douai reminds us along its entire length of famous literary figures and artists from the 19th century. Halévy and several other notable artists lived at No. 69. Ivan Turgenev resided at No. 50. Francisque Sarcey was at No. 59. Jules Moryac passed away at No. 32 (1882). Gustave Doré and Halévy lived for a time at No. 22. Claretie was at No. 10. Edmond About owned No. 6.

The old Rue Victor-Massé used to be called Rue de Laval in honor of the last abbess of Montmartre. At No. 9, the home of an antique dealer, we see impressive modern statues on the Renaissance-style facade. No. 12 was the Chat Noir hotel until recently, the first of the artistic Montmartre cabarets founded by M. Salis in 1881. At No. 26, we turn onto Avenue Frochot, where Alexandre Dumas, père, lived, and where at No. 1, the composer Victor Massé died in 1884. Almost every house on this street is, or was, home to artists. As we walk down Rue Henri-Monnier, previously Rue Breda—which, along with Place Breda, was off-limits to respectable women during the first half of the nineteenth century—we arrive at Rue Notre-Dame de Lorette. This street was established around the same time as the church built there (1823-37), which features excellent nineteenth-century frescoes and paintings. Like most streets in this area, it has been home to notable figures in art and literature, including Isabey and Daubigny. Mignet lived there in 1849. Rue St-Georges originates from the early eighteen hundreds. Place St-Georges was established a century later on land that belonged to the Dosne family. Mme Dosne and her son-in-law lived at No. 27. The house was destroyed by fire in 1871, rebuilt by the State, donated to the Institute by Mlle Dosne in 1905, and transformed into a public library of contemporary history. Nos. 15-13, now the Illustration office, date back to 1788. Auber passed away at No. 22 in 1871. The hotel at No. 2 was owned by Barras and once inhabited by Mme Tallien.

The three busy streets, Rue Laffitte, Rue le Peletier, and Rue Drouot, begin at boulevard des Italiens, intersect with streets we've already explored, and link up with others that aren't very historically significant.

Rue Laffitte, named in 1830 to honor the great financier who started building his wealth as a poor young man by bending down to pick up a pin in front of , a business tycoon waiting to interview him. Laffitte passed away as the Regent of the Banque de France. He was so popular that after 1830, when he had to sell his beautiful mansion at No. 19—l’hôtel de la Borde—a national fundraising campaign was organized to help him buy it back. Offenbach lived at No. 11. At No. 12, there's an interesting old courtyard. The great art lover and collector, the Marquis of Hertford, resided at No. 2, the old hôtel d’Aubeterre. No. 1, once called la Maison Dorée and now a post office, was the former hôtel Stainville where the Communist Cerutti lived, who, in his time, lent his name to the street. Mme Tallien also lived there. For several years before 1909, it was the popular Taverne Laffitte.

In Rue Le Peletier, the Opera House that burned down in 1783 was built in the early years of the nineteenth century on the site of two old mansions: the Hôtel de Choiseul and the Hôtel de Grammont. At No. 2, Orsini attempted to assassinate Napoléon III. At No. 22, there is a Protestant church that was built during the time of Napoléon I.

Rue Drouot, the Salle des Ventes, the great Paris "Auction Rooms" at No. 9, built in 1851, stands on the site of the old hôtel Pinon de Quincy, which later became a town hall. The current town hall of the arrondissement at No. 6 dates back to 1750. In the Revolutionary year of 1792, it served as the War Office, then as the Salon des Étrangers where masked balls were held: les bals des Victimes. No. 2 is the Gaulois office, nearly completely rebuilt at the end of the eighteenth century and again in 1811. Originally, it was a beautiful mansion built in 1717, the residence of Le Tellier, later of the duc de Talleyrand, and subsequently the first Paris Jockey Club (1836-57). The famous dancer Taglioni also lived here at one time.

Rue Grange-Batelière was a farm—la grange bataillée—with fortified towers, owned in the twelfth century by the nuns of Ste-Opportune. At No. 10, we see the beautiful hôtel with a fine staircase and statues, built in 1785 for a brave captain of the Gardes Françaises. In the days of Napoléon III, it was home to the Cercle Romantique, where Victor Hugo, A. de Musset, and other literary figures used to gather.

THE Rue du Faubourg Montmartre is one of the oldest streets in Paris, as it has led, since the earliest days of French history, to the hill where St-Denis and his two companions were executed. The name was only changed once—during the Revolution, when it was briefly called Faubourg Marat. Here, we can see a few old houses. The bathing establishment at No. 4 was a private hotel during the reign of Louis XV. Scribe lived at No. 7. The old cemetery chapel, St-Jean-Porte-Latine, was located on the site of No. 60 from 1780 to 1836.

Rue des Martyrs, named to honor the Christian missionaries who died there, has only been called that in its entirety since 1868. It has always been a home for artists. There are few interesting remnants left. Since 1872, it has been a market street. Costermongers’ carts line it from one end to the other several days a week. The restaurant de la Biche at No. 37 claims to have been established in 1662. The once-famous restaurant du Faisan Doré was located at No. 7. The short streets that branch off this long one mostly date back to the early years of the nineteenth century and together with the longer streets in the area, they form the Paris artists’ quarter.

Rue de la Tour d’Auvergne carries the name of an abbess from Montmartre. Victor Hugo lived at No. 41 at during the time of the coup d’état, from which he fled into exile in England. The school at No. 31 stands on the site of gardens that were once rented for the children of the duc d’Orléans, who were students of Mme de Genlis, and later owned by Alphonse Karr. At No. 14, we find a lovely statue called “Le joueur de flute.”

Rue Rochechouart records the name of another abbess. At No. 7, now a printing house, Abbé Loyson gave his lectures. Rue Cadet, formerly Rue de la Voirie, remembers a family of gardeners who owned the Clos Cadet during the time of Charles IX. Nos. 9, 16, and 24 are buildings from the eighteenth century. Rue Richer was known in the early eighteenth century as Rue de l’Égout. Augustin Thierry lived here for two years (1831-33). No. 18 was the office of the modern revolutionary paper La Lanterne. Marshal Ney lived at the hôtel numbered 13. The Folies Bergères at No. 32 was built in 1865 on the site of the hôtel of Comte Talleyrand-Périgord. In Rue Saulnier, named after another famous family of gardeners, we see at No. 21 the house once inhabited by Rouget de Lisle, composer of the "Marseillaise." Rue Bergère was an impasse in the seventeenth century. Casimir Delavigne lived at No. 5. Scribe lived in his youth at No. 7 and later, at a hôtel on the site of No. 20, which in the eighteenth century was the home of M. d’Étiolles, the husband of La Pompadour. The Comptoir d’Escompte at No. 14 was built in 1848 on the site of several old hôtels, notably hôtel St-Georges, the home of the Marquis de Mirabeau, father of the orator.

Rue du Faubourg Poissonière, with its odd-numbered addresses in the 9th and even-numbered ones in the 10th arrondissement, features many fascinating old houses, and we find charming old streets branching off from it. It has been a thoroughfare since the middle of the 17th century, originally named Chaussée de la Nouvelle France. Later, it was called Rue Ste-Anne, after an ancient chapel nearby, eventually giving way to the significant fish market it led to—the poissonnerie des Halles. In the courtyard at No. 2, there's a Pavillon Louis XVI. The red walls of the Matin office used to be the private hôtel where Colonel de la Bedoyère was arrested in 1815. We see intriguing old houses at Nos. 9-13. No. 15, previously the hôtel des Menus Plaisirs du Roi, along with two neighboring houses, was taken at the end of the 18th century for the Conservatoire de Musique, an institution founded in 1784 by the Marquis de Breteuil as the École Royale de Chant et de Déclamation, specifically to train artistes for the court theater. It closed during the Revolution but reopened in calmer times and, under the direction of Cherubini, gained international fame. Ambroise Thomas passed away there in 1895. In 1911, the Conservatoire was relocated to modern facilities on Rue de Madrid, and the old building was demolished.

The balcony on the garden side at No. 19, an eighteenth-century house with many interesting remnants, is made from a fifteenth-century gravestone. Cherubini lived at No. 25. The church St-Eugène, which we see in Rue Cecile, has an interior made entirely of cast iron and was named by Napoleon III’s special request as a memento of his wedding. The beautiful hotel at No. 30 was home to Marshal Ney. Nos. 32, 42, 42 bis, 52, and 56, where Corot died in 1875, the small vaulted Rue Ambroise-Thomas that opens at No. 57, the lovely house at No. 58, and Nos. 65 and 80 all exhibit classic old-fashioned features. At No. 82, we find an infantry barracks, once known as la Nouvelle France, a Caserne des Gardes Françaises. Its canteen is said to be the former bedroom of “sergeant Bernadotte,” who would become King of Sweden. Hoche was also a sergeant here. The bathing establishment of Rue de Montholon, opening out of the faubourg at No. 89, was home to Méhul, the author of le Chant du Départ; he died here in 1817. The street bears the family name of the General who accompanied Napoleon to St. Helena. Another abbess of Montmartre is remembered by Rue Bellefond, a seventeenth-century street that opens at No. 107. The first Paris gasworks was established on the site of No. 129. At No. 138, we see a beautifully crafted wooden house in Gothic style, owned and inhabited by a carpenter who works there. Avenue Trudaine is modern (1821), named in memory of a Prévôt des Marchands from the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The Collège Rollin, at No. 12, is located on the site of the old Montmartre slaughterhouses. The painter Alfred Stevens passed away at No. 17 in 1906.

THE main streets of historic interest in this area are the two old roads that run the entire length: Rue du Faubourg St-Denis and Rue du Faubourg St-Martin, along with the odd-numbered side of Rue du Faubourg du Temple.

Rue du Faubourg St-Denis, the old road to the abbey of St-Denis, formerly known as Faubourg St-Lazare and later as Faubourg-de-Gloire, still has many distinctive old buildings. The Passage du Bois-de-Boulogne was where the St-Denis coaches started. At No. 14, there's an interesting old courtyard; over Nos. 21-44 and at 33 of the small Rue d’Enghein, you can find old signs; No. 48 was the Fiacre office during the Directoire, and then home to the famous business Laffitte and Caillard. Where the Cour des Petites-Écuries is, the courtesan Ninon de Lenclos had a country house. Félix Faure, President of the French Republic from 1895 to 1899, was born at No. 65 in 1841. The old building at No. 71 was part of the convent des Filles Dieu. The houses numbered 99 to 105 were part of St-Lazare, now the Paris Prison for Women, located at No. 107, which originally was a leper house established in the thirteenth century by the hospitaliers de St-Lazare. It was a large establishment that had the authority to administer justice and had its own prison and gallows. The Lazarists merged with the priests of the Mission organized by St-Vincent-de-Paul, and in their time, the area that included the cowhouses, stables, and various buildings for supplies stretched from Faubourg St-Denis to the Rues de Paradis, Dunkerque, and du Faubourg Poissonnière. At one point, when leprosy was no longer common in Paris, the hospital was used as a prison for wayward sons from good families. In 1793, it became one of the many revolutionary prisons; André Chenier and Marie Louise de Montmorency-Laval, the last abbess of Montmartre, were among the suspects who were held there; and Rue du Faubourg St-Denis was renamed Rue Franciade. St-Lazare was particularly despised by the Revolutionaries, as it was where the Kings of France would often stop briefly on their official entries into the city, and there, on their final journey out of it, they had paused in their coffins on their way to St-Denis. Remains of an ancient crypt were found beneath the pavement in 1898.

Rue de l’Échiquier was opened in 1772 and cut through convent lands. Behind No. 43, stretching far into the nineteenth century, was the graveyard of the Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle parish. No. 48 was home to the famous dancing hall, Pavillon de l’Échiquier, which existed before and during the Directoire. Rue du Paradis, previously known as Rue St-Lazare in the seventeenth century, is famous for its pottery shops. At No. 58, Corot, the renowned landscape painter who lived nearby, had his studio. The surrender of Paris in 1814 was signed at No. 51, the residence of the duc de Raguse. Leading out of Rue de Chabrol at No. 7, we find the charming Passage de la Ferme-St-Lazare and a courtyard, remnants of the Lazarists' farm. Rue d’Hauteville, named after the title of a Prévôt des Marchands, comte d’Hauteville, was previously known as Rue la Michodière, his family name. In the courtyard at No. 58, we discover a hotel that was home to Bourrienne, Napoleon’s secretary; its rooms are an interesting example of the period's style. The columned pavilion at No. 6 bis, Passage Violet, was built only in 1840.

Rue de Strasbourg, where the courtyard of the Gare de l’Est is now located, used to be the spot for one of the major Paris fairs, the Foire St-Laurent, held annually for two months and run by the Lazarist monks. This fair was where the first café-concerts opened. The Comédie-Italienne also performed there for the first time. Rue de la Fidélité, on the eastern side of the Faubourg St-Denis, reflects the name given to the church St-Laurent during the Revolution; it sits across from the site of the couvent des Filles-de-la-Charité, founded by St-Vincent-de-Paul and Louise de Marillac, of which we can still find some traces at No. 9.

The northern end of Rue du Faubourg St-Martin was once known as Rue du Faubourg St-Laurent; the Revolutionists, eager to erase all names of saints, renamed this long street Faubourg du Nord. Ancient houses and remnants from past eras can be found at every turn, and the modern buildings interspersed along the way are situated on historically significant sites. The bakery at No. 44, “A l’Industrie,” claims to have been in operation since 1679. No. 59 is where the first Old Catholic church was founded in 1831 by abbé Chatel. The Mairie at No. 76 stands over the site of an old barracks and a bridge that once crossed the brook Ménilmontant. An ancient arch was uncovered underground in 1896. Rue des Marais, which begins at No. 86, dates back to the seventeenth century. Until 1860, it was the home of the famous public executioner Sanson and his family, painted red! At No. 119, you can see the chevet of the St-Laurent church, which is the only remaining part of the church as we know it today. In the small Rue Sibour, starting at No. 121, named after the archbishop of Paris who died in 1857, there is an old house that is now a bathing establishment. No. 160 is built on land that was once the graveyard of les Récollets. The short Rue Chaudron is named after a fountain that used to be there. The large fountains further up are modern (1849), constructed through public donations.

Rue du Château d’Eau was formed from two old streets: Rue Neuve St-Nicolas-St-Martin and Rue Neuve St-Jean, which were joined in 1851 and named after a fountain that used to be in the center of what is now Place de la République. At No. 39, you'll find the house said to be the smallest in the city—just one meter wide. In the walls of the tobacconist’s shop at No. 55, “la Carotte Percée,” there are holes made by bullets from the Communards in 1871. At No. 6 of the modern Rue Pierre-Bullet, now a gimp factory, there's a house of remarkable interest, beautifully decorated by its builder and owner, the artist Gonthière, who invented the process of dead-gilding. Misfortune struck the unfortunate artist. His house was seized in 1781, and he died in great poverty in 1813.

Crossing the entire northern length of the district is the bustling commercial Rue Lafayette, with its main point of interest for us being the church St-Vincent-de-Paul, built in the style of a Roman basilica between 1824 and 1844, on the site of a Lazarist building known as the Belvédère. Inside, we can see beautiful statues, and stunning frescoes by Flandrin adorn the walls all around. None of the streets near the church have any historical significance.

Rue Louis-Blanc, which existed in its upper part under a different name in the eighteenth century and extended into the nineteenth, has one tragically historic location where it intersects with Rue Grange-aux-Belles. From around the year 1230 until 1761, on land owned by Comte Fulcon or Faulcon, stood the infamous gibet de Montfaucon. It was enormous, a large square frame with pillars and iron chains; up to sixteen pendus could hang there at once. Some of the most infamous criminals, whether guilty or not, many of whom had the noblest names in France, were hanged there, left to swing for days in public view—the noblesse from the Court and the peuple from the grimy streets nearby gathering to witness the spectacle. The gruesome remains fell into a pit beneath the gibet for burial. Later, a more proper burial site was established on that hilltop. The church of St-Georges now stands on the location.

Rue de la Grange-aux-Belles, now widely recognized as the location of No. 33, home to the C.G.T.—the Confédération du Travail, where all labor issues are addressed, and where, during these times of significant strikes, the Paris Opera put on special performances, was originally called Rue de la Grange-aux-Pelles, with a pelle or pellée being a standard measure of wood. The finance minister Clavière, who was associated with Roland, lived here, and the authorities borrowed from him the green wooden cart that carried Louis XVI to the guillotine. The painter Abel de Payol resided at No. 13 (1822). A Protestant cemetery once spanned the land down the center of the street to Rue des Écluses St-Martin. It was there, in 1905, that the remains of the famous corsaire Paul Jones were found and transported in solemn state to America shortly after. Turning onto Rue Bichat, we arrive at the Hôpital St-Louis, established by Henri IV. The King had suffered from an epidemic that swept through Paris in 1606. After his recovery, the bon Roi ordered the construction of a hospital to be named after the saint-king, Louis IX, who had died of the plague about three hundred years earlier. The charming old building features red-tiled roofs, old-fashioned windows, and beautiful archways surrounding a courtyard filled with flowers and shaded by ancient trees, taking us back to the time of the bon Roi for whom the hospital was built. No. 21 was the hospital farm. In Rue Alibert, which used to be an impasse, we see a few old houses, including a pavilion from the time of Henri IV, owned by the hospital. Rue St-Maur continues into the 11th arrondissement, a street developed in the nineteenth century from three roads dating back to the seventeenth century, one of which was Rue Maur or des Morts. We can find old houses and remnants of the past scattered here and there.

Rue du Faubourg du Temple separates districts X and XI, an old street that rises up to Belleville, lined with many old buildings and backyards, mostly run-down, along with some interesting old signs. At the location of No. 18, Astley’s circus was established in 1780.

The Rue de la Fontaine au Roi (17th century), later called Rue Fontaine-Nationale in 1792, features a house at No. 13 with porcelaine decorations that were installed in 1773. Beneath the pavement of Rue Pierre-Levée, a druidical stone was discovered in 1782. Rue de Malte gets its name from the Knights Templar of Malta, whose land it crossed. There's an old cabaret at No. 57. Rue Darboy is named after the archbishop of Paris, who was shot by the Communards in 1871; Rue Deguerry is named for the vicar of the Madeleine, who met the same fate. The church of St-Joseph, built in 1860, looks quite modern, despite its charred walls. Avenue Parmentier, leading into the 10th arrondissement, is completely modern and honors the man who introduced the potato to France.

Rue des Trois-Bornes has several old houses, and at No. 39, there's a distinctive old courtyard. We can also find some notable remnants in Rue d’Angoulême. In Rue St-Ambroise, there's a beautiful modern church built on the site of the old church of the Annociades. The Annociades monastery was sold off in parts and was used as a barracks, a military hospital, and a hospital for incurables before it was demolished in 1864. At the Musée Carnavalet, we can see bas-reliefs that were taken from the fountain that once stood in front of the church. Rue Popincourt, which lends its name to the arrondissement, remembers the existence of a sire Jean de Popincourt, whose manor house was located here, along with a village from the sixteenth century that later became part of Faubourg St-Antoine. Rue du Chemin-Vert dates back to 1650 but has few notable features. Parmentier passed away at No. 68 in 1813.

We are now near the largest and most significant cemetery in Paris—Père Lachaise. However, it is located in the 20th arrondissement. The streets of the 10th arrondissement leading east approach its boundary walls—its gates. Rue de la Roquette connects to it from the area near the Bastille. La Roquette was a country house built in the sixteenth century, a popular retreat for the princes of the Valois line. Then, towards the end of the seventeenth century, the house was handed over to the Hospitalières nuns of Place-Royale. The convent, which was disbanded during the Revolution, became state property and was used as a prison for criminals sentenced to death in 1837. The guillotine was set up on the five stones we see at the entrance to Rue Croix-Faubin. The prisoners referred to this location as l’Abbaye des Cinq Pierres. It was there that Monseigneur Darboy and abbé Deguerry met their end in 1871. The following day, fifty-two prisoners, mainly monks and Paris Guards, were taken from that prison to the heights of Belleville and executed on Rue Haxo. Read à ce propos Coppée’s powerful drama Le Pater. La Roquette is now a detention center for young offenders, a sort of House of Correction.

Lower down the street, we find an old house or a vintage sign here and there. The fountain at No. 70 is modern (1846). The interesting old Cour du Cantal at No. 22 is mostly home to Auvergnats. Rue de Charonne, another street that stretches the entire length of the district, was once known as the Charonne road. It begins at Rue du Faubourg St-Antoine, where we see a fountain from 1710 at No. 1. Along its length, we find remnants of the past. It's a neighborhood filled with ironmongers and metalworkers, as well as places for popular dancing. At No. 51, we have l’hôtel de Mortagne, built in 1711, where Vaucanson first showcased his collection of mechanical instruments. This collection, which was left to the State, became the foundation of the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers: Arts and Crafts Institution (see p. 64). Here, the great mechanic passed away in 1782. No. 97, originally a Benedictine convent, later became a private mansion, then a factory, and part of it turned into a Protestant chapel. The École Maternelle at No. 99 used to be the "Bon Secours" priory (seventeenth century). No. 98 stands where a convent was demolished in 1906. There are remnants of another convent at Nos. 100 and 102. No. 161 was the infamous “Maison de Santé,” owned by Dr. Belhomme, a friend of Robespierre, who also acquired the adjoining hôtel of the marquis de Chabanais. During the Terror, he accepted prisoners as “paying guests.” His rates were exorbitant and on a sliding scale ... guests unable to pay the required price were sent down the road to the guillotine. These walls sheltered the duchesse d’Orléans, mother of Louis-Philippe, who was protected by her loyal friend known as comte de Folmon, actually the deputy Rouzet, along with many other notable figures of those tumultuous years. To the left of the door, we see the numbers 1726, a remnant of an old numbering system. The Flemish church de la Sainte Famille at 181 is modern (1862).

Crossing Rue de Charonne, we come to the sixteenth-century Rue Basfroi, a variation of beffroi, which refers to the belfry of the ancient church Ste-Marguerite on Rue St-Bernard. Ste-Marguerite, established in 1624 as a convent chapel, was almost completely rebuilt in 1712 and later expanded. It’s notable for being the burial place of the Dauphin or his substitute in 1745 and for housing a much-coveted relic, the body of St. Ovide, in whose honor the grand annual fair on Place Vendôme was held. A small cross against the church wall marks the grave where the son of Louis XVI was thought to be buried, but after exhumation some years ago, the bones of an older boy were discovered instead. We can see some other ancient tombs leaning against the walls of what’s left of the old churchyard, and on the apse wall of the church, there are two remarkable bas-reliefs created by an old abbé, M. Goy, a talented sculptor who also made many of the statues in the park at Versailles. Inside the church, there are several striking statues and a notable “Chapelle des Morts,” its walls completely frescoed in grisaille, but in dire need of restoration. From the end of Rue Chancy, where at No. 22 we notice an old carved wood balcony, we get an interesting view of this historic church.

Rue de Montreuil, which leads to the village of the same name, features many old houses. One at No. 52 has statuettes and an ancient well in the courtyard, while at No. 31, you can find the remnants of the Folie Titon, which has a beautiful staircase and ceiling, the latter having recently suffered damage from a fire.

RUE DU FAUBOURG ST-ANTOINE marks the boundary between the XI and XII arrondissements. It’s filled with historical remnants from end to end. It has played a crucial role in French history, serving as the route to Paris and the Bastille from the fortress of Vincennes and surrounding areas when it was outside the city walls. Since it was incorporated into Paris, it has consistently been the location for popular political demonstrations. In the seventeenth century, the upper part was a country road called the Chaussée St-Antoine, leading to the impressive Abbaye St-Antoine-des-Champs, while the lower section was known as the “Chemin de Vincennes.” Along this road, between Picpus and the Bastille, the Frondeurs engaged in their war games. Turenne’s army fired from the heights of Charonne, while the Queen-Mother, her son Louis XIII, and Mazarin observed from Père-la-Chaise. Regicide Pépin, an accomplice of Fieschis, lived at No. 8. The sign for “Pascal Lamb” at No. 18 dates back to the eighteenth century. We can see old signs all along the street. The Square Trousseau at No. 118 is located where the first “Hospice des Enfants Trouvés” was built in 1674 on abbey land. In 1792, it was transformed into the “Hôpital des Enfants de la Patrie.” The head of princesse de Lamballe was buried in the chapel graveyard there. In 1904, what is believed to be her skull was excavated at this site. In 1839, the hospital became an annex of the hôtel-Dieu, rebranded as Hôpital Trousseau in 1880, and was demolished in the early years of the twentieth century. At No. 184, the hospital St-Antoine still has some remnants of the royal abbey that once stood there. Founded in 1198, it was like many large abbeys of its time, a small town within high fortified walls. During the Revolution, it was confiscated, and the church was destroyed. Until the early nineteenth century, one of Paris’s most popular fairs, la Foire aux pains d’épices, took place on the old abbey site, originating from an Easter week market held within the abbey grounds. House No. 186 is located where the small chapel St-Pierre once stood, demolished in 1797, where the kings of France used to lie in state after their death. Two daughters of Charles V were buried there. The fountain and butcher’s shop across from the hospital date back to the time of Louis XV and were built by the nuns of the abbey, known as la Petite Halle. Back in those days, only the nuns were allowed to sell meat to the local population. Almost every house, courtyard, and passage along this ancient thoroughfare has roots in a long-past era, as we can see. In the courtyards at Nos. 245 and 253, we find old wells.

So we arrive at Place de la Nation, formerly known as Place du Trône, and during the Revolution, it was called Place du Trône Renversé, where the guillotine was set up permanently: here, 1,340 people fell victim to its blade, including 54 on one tragic day. The two pavilions on the eastern side of the square were the customs houses of pre-Revolution times. The monument in the center is modern (1899). Of the streets and avenues leading from the square, the one of greatest interest is the old Rue Picpus, a peculiar name that some etymologists explain as a corruption of Pique-Pusse, referring to a 16th-century monk nearby who cured several people of an epidemic that left their arms marked with spots resembling flea bites, and he was henceforth called “le Père Pique-Pusse.” In earlier times, the upper part of the road—back then, it was still a road, not yet a street—was known as Chemin de la Croix-Rouge. Nos. 4 and 6 are remnants of an 18th-century pavilion, a house of detention, where in 1786, St. Just was locked up for minor thefts within his own family. No. 10, a present-day house of detention, stands on the site of a hunting lodge belonging to Henri IV. At No. 35, we find the Oratoire de Picpus, which houses the statuette of Notre-Dame, de la Paix, once on the door of the Capucine convent on Rue St-Honoré; and here, behind the convent garden, lies the cimetière Picpus and the railed pit where the bodies of the 1,340 people beheaded at Place du Trône Renversé were buried in 1793, including André Chenier. Their burial site remained unknown until several years later, when a poor woman, the daughter of a servant of the duc de Brissac, who had secretly watched from a distance, saw her father and brother fall on the scaffold and pointed it out. The site was purchased, enclosed, and an iron cross was erected over it. Soon, adjoining land was acquired, and the relatives of many of those entombed in the pit were brought to be interred near family members separated from them by the Revolutionist axe. We see their graves in the carefully maintained cemetery, where descendants from various families come from time to time to rest in their final slumber. In the corner closest to the wall surrounding the pit, we see the Stars and Stripes of the United States, the "star-spangled banner" standing watch over the grave of La Fayette. The nuns of the convent oversee this poignantly significant cemetery. At No. 42, we notice more convent walls stretching to Rue de Reuilly, now housing a carriage factory. At No. 61 are the doors of another, which has since been put to various secular uses. No. 76 is the Jewish hospital, established by Rothschild in 1852. No. 73 is the Hospice des Vieillards, operated by the Petites Sœurs des Pauvres. On the wall at No. 88, we come across an edict from Louis XV dated 1727.

Running alongside Rue Picpus is Rue de Reuilly, which used to be a country road leading to the Château at Romiliacum, the summer residence of the early Merovingian kings. We can see an old house at No. 12, and No. 11 was the historic brasserie owned by Santerre, the commander-in-chief of the Paris Garde Nationale, with walls believed to date back to 1620. Santerre purchased it in 1772. After the storming of the Bastille, two prisoners found inside were both insane—one elderly and the other a known criminal—and they were sheltered there: this is where the keys and chains of the broken fortress were kept. The barracks at No. 20 are located on the site of the ruins of the old Merovingian castle. The modern church of St-Eloi at No. 36 holds no historical significance except for its name, and it lacks architectural beauty.

Rue de Charenton is another old street. It runs all the way through the neighborhood from Place de la Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes. From 1800-15, it was called Rue de Marengo because through a gate along its path, at the barrier of the village of Charenton, Napoléon re-entered Paris after his Italian campaigns. In its upper section, it used to be known as Vallée de Fécamp. Through the house at No. 2, with the sign “A la Tour d’Argent,” Monseigneur Affre went to the barricades in 1848 and was shot by the mob just moments later. No. 10 is from the sixteenth century. The inn at No. 12 is old as well. At No. 26, we see the chapel of the Blind Hospital, the “Quinze-Vingts,” which was formerly the parish church of the area. The Quinze-Vingts was established by St. Louis for three hundred gentilshommes, or men of noble birth, returning from the crusades; their quarters were on land owned by the monks of the Cloître St-Honoré until 1780. Then, this beautiful old hôtel and grounds, built in 1699 for the Mousquetaires Noirs, were purchased for them. A few years ago, the tombstone of the first archbishop of Paris, Mgr de Gondi, was found in the chapel crypt, along with pieces of broken sixteenth-century sculpture of exceptional craftsmanship. The little Rue Moreau, which opens at No. 40, was known in the seventeenth century as Rue des Filles Anglaises because English nuns had a convent where we now see the Passage du Chêne-Vert. We find typical old houses in Rue d’Aligre and an interesting old place of the same name, which was a hay and straw market during the Revolutionary days. The short streets and passages in this neighborhood mostly date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Rue de la Brèche-aux-loups recalls the time when, in winter, hungry wolves came within sight of the city. The statuette of Ste-Marguerite and the inscription at No. 277 are from 1745. Passage de la Grande Pinte at No. 295 reflects the era when drinking booths were a key part of the district. We see remnants of an ancient cloister at No. 306, and at No. 312, there’s an old farmyard.

THE Gobelin brothers, Jehan and Philibert, were well-known dyers who set up their large factory by the Bièvre River around 1443. Jehan owned a lovely private house nearby, called Le Cygne. Not far away, on higher ground, stood another building known as la Folie Gobelin. The brothers’ rich scarlet dye was highly valued, and their business thrived, growing into a significant enterprise. However, in the early 1600s, a Flemish upholsterer company came to Paris and took over the area by the tributary of the Seine, completely replacing the Gobelins’ business. This was later succeeded by another firm, but the name remained the same. A few years after that, the company and all its buildings were acquired by the State, and in 1667, under the direction of Minister Colbert, it was established as the royal factory “des meubles de la Couronne.” On the old walls behind the modern façade, there are two inscriptions honoring the founders of the renowned factory. The back part of the extensive building is particularly interesting for those who appreciate historical sites. The central structure, its two wings, and the ancient chapel of the original building still exist, surrounded by charming old homes in winding streets and courtyards from past centuries, where modern work continues vigorously, creating picturesque spots filled with a bustling population. This area is also the major tanning district of the city. As we navigate these streets and alleys that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years, we encounter fascinating old-world sights. From the start, the artistic production of the great factory was entrusted to talented individuals, beginning in 1667 with Charles le Brun; it has always been seen as an institution of special significance. Notable visitors, both royal and others, including religious figures, came to see it. The Pope visited “les Gobelins” during his trip to Paris in 1805. In 1826, the large Paris soap works were moved from Chaillot and established here alongside the dye works. The beautiful old building was set on fire by the Communards in 1871—much of it was destroyed, along with many priceless tapestries. At No. 17 Rue des Gobelins, formerly known as Rue de la Bièvre, crossed by the stream that is now cleverly concealed, we find the old castel de la Reine Blanche. It dates back to the sixteenth century, built on the site of an older castel, where tradition states the “bals des ardents” took place, particularly the one in 1392 when King Charles VI experienced the incident that drove him insane. However, the “Reine Blanche,” for whom it was originally constructed, was likely not the mother of St. Louis, but the widow of Philippe de Valois, who died in 1398. In the sixteenth century, relatives of the Gobelin brothers lived there. It later served as the main office of the great factory. In 1790, revolutionaries gathered there to plan the attack of June 20th. During Napoléon’s era, it became a brewery, and now it operates as a tannery.

CASTLE OF THE WHITE QUEEN

Rue Croulebarbe, once by the banks of the Bièvre, has an old-world, village-like feel. The buildings lining the wide Avenue des Gobelins lack interest, but beneath several of them, significant Roman remains have been discovered. Additionally, the old streets that branch off into the avenue near the Gobelins Factory reveal other historic streets and passages with many intriguing remnants; at No. 37, there's the Cour des Rames. The St-Marcel city gate used to stand across the avenue where house No. 45 now is. On Rue Le Brun, you can see the remains of the hotel where, in the early 1700s, Jean Julienne, the master of the Gobelins, lived. Rue du Banquier features many fascinating old houses.

In Rue de la Glacière on the west side of the neighborhood, named long ago after an ice house that got its supply from the Bièvre, and in the short streets branching off from it, we find old houses scattered about. Rue de la Tannerie was until fairly recently called Rue des Anglaises, named after the couvent des Filles Anglaises, which was established here in 1664 after being founded at Cambrai. The main role of the nuns was to pray for England's conversion to Roman Catholicism! They were disturbed during the Revolution and went back to their home country, after which the convent was turned into a prison during the Terror. At No. 28 on this old street, we can see remnants of the chapel cloisters.

Covering a large area in the east of this district is the hospice known as La Salpétrière. Long ago, a powder magazine was located on this site; remnants of that old arsenal can still be seen in the hospital's wash-house. The hospice was founded during the reign of Louis XIII as a place for beggars. The current building, designed by architect Vau, was constructed in the seventeenth century for the needy and the mentally ill. The beautiful chapel was completed a few years later. By the end of the century, a women's prison was added, which housed many of the Convulsionists of St. Médard (see p. 150). Mme Lamotte, involved in the affaire du collier, was imprisoned here. Additionally, a scene from the famous operette Manon Lescaut takes place within its walls. In September 1792, a Revolutionary mob stormed the prison, killed the criminals, and freed the women who had been locked up there. This is what we refer to as the “Cour des Massacres.” Then in 1883, la Salpétrière was reorganized as the “Hospice de la Vieillesse-Femmes.” There are five thousand beds available. In 1908, the new hospital de la Pitié was built on its grounds.

LA SALPÉTRIÈRE

THE boundary between arrondissements XIII and XIV is Rue de la Santé, named after the large Paris prison located there. This area takes us near the Paris Observatory and the Hôpital Cochin. The prison is a modern building on a site once known as la Charbonnerie due to the coal mines that used to exist there. The Observatory, which was built over ancient quarries, was established by Louis XIV’s minister, Colbert, in 1667. A spiral staircase with six hundred steps leads down to the cellars that were once mines. It was expanded in 1730 and again in 1810, with the domes added later. A stretch of Rue du Faubourg St-Jacques runs along its eastern side, where on the opposite side we find l’Hôpital Cochin, founded in 1780 by the vicar of St-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas, after whom it is named, and which has been enlarged in recent years. At No. 34 of Rue du Faubourg St-Jacques, we turn into the seventeenth-century Rue Cassini, named in 1790 to honor the seventeenth-century organizer of the Observatory. This is where Balzac lived in 1829 in a house that no longer exists. The great painter J. P. Laurens has a residence here. We also find a Louis XVI monument in a courtyard at No. 10. Secret passages, used by smugglers in the past, have been discovered beneath the pavement of this old street.

Rue Denfert-Rochereau starts with its first numbers in the fifth arrondissement. This was the "Via Infera," the Lower Road of the Romans. The name Enfer, given later, is said to refer, not to a place of torment, but to the hellish noise constantly made by a hôtel built by a son of Hugues Capet, the hôtel Vauvert, which is where the French expression "envoyer les gens au diable vert" comes from—vert shortened from Vauvert, meaning send them far away—to the devil! Enfer became d’Enfert, and in 1878, the name of the general who defended Belfort in 1870 was added: not exactly a pleasant combination! Many notable individuals have lived on this old street. No. 25 (fifth arrondissement) is an ancient Carmelite convent, traditionally said to be on the site of a pagan temple: an oratory-chapel dedicated to St. Michael covered part of the site in early Christian times along with a public cemetery. An ancient crypt still exists. It was in this convent that Louise de la Vallière worked until her death in 1710. The original convent and church were demolished in 1797. The Carmelites built a smaller one on the old grounds in 1802 and rebuilt their chapel in 1899. It didn’t last long. They were expelled from France in 1901. The chapel, crypt, and some remnants of the ancient convent are here before us. Modern streets—Rue Val de Grâce opened in 1881, Rue Nicole in 1864—now run where the rest of the vast convent walls once stood. No. 57 is on the site of an ancient Roman burial ground where significant traces were found in 1896. No. 68, the former convent of the Visitation. No. 72 was built in 1650 as an Oratorian convent, later a maternity hospital during the Empire, and is now a children’s hospice. No. 71, couvent du Bon Pasteur—House of Mercy—was founded during the reign of Louis XVI and was purchased by the Paris Municipality in 1891, its chapel burned down by the Communards in 1871 and rebuilt by charity authorities, now run by the Sisters of St. Thomas de Villeneuve. Inside, we see interesting old features, and beneath are the walls of reservoirs from the time when water was brought here from the heights of Rungis. No. 75, ancient Eudiste convent and chapel; Châteaubriand once lived at No. 88 and, along with his wife, founded the Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse at No. 92, named after the duchesse d’Angoulême, daughter of Louis XVI, which became a home for impoverished aristocrats and was later turned into an asylum for elderly priests. Madame de Châteaubriand is buried there beneath the high altar of the chapel.

Avenue d'Orléans, once known as Route Nationale de Paris à Orléans, dates back to the eighteenth century, and smaller streets connected to it showcase many old houses. At Villa Adrienne, located at No. 17, there are several modern homes—pavilions—each named after a famous person from the past. Rue de la Voie-Verte got its name from the market gardens that used to stretch here. Rue de la Tombe-Issoire crosses the site of an ancient burial ground that held a massive tomb, supposedly built for a giant named Isore or Isïre, who, according to legend, attacked Paris with a group of Saracens during Charlemagne’s time. Along this street and in the short streets leading from it, we find fascinating remnants of history, especially in Rue Hallé at No. 42. The lovely Parc Souris is quite modern. There are old houses in Avenue du Chatillon, an eighteenth-century thoroughfare. Rue des Plantes takes us to Place de Montrouge, which in the thirteenth century was the center of a village named after either an old squire, Guis de Rouge, lord of the manor, or because the soil was red sandstone. The squire may have gotten his name from the soil on which he built his château, while the village’s name came from the squire. Rue Didot, formerly known as Rue des Terriers-aux-Lapins, honors the great printing house established in 1713. Rue de Vanves, leading to what was once the village with the same name, intersects Rue du Château at the location where the duc de Maine had a hunting lodge in the eighteenth century. Ancient houses can be seen here and there along Avenue du Maine. Rue du Moulin-Vert recalls one of the many windmills that used to exist in the area surrounding the city. Rue de la Gaité (eighteenth century) has always lived up to its name, being known for its dance halls and other popular entertainment. The Cinema des Mille Colonnes was originally the "Bal des Mille Colonnes," which opened in 1833 before the cinema era. Continuing up Avenue du Maine, we arrive at arrondissement XV.

RUE VAUGIRARD, originally Val Girard, which we enter here, on its route from arrondissement VI (see p. 164), is the longest street in Paris, merging several streets under one name and stretching beyond the city limits. At No. 115, there’s an old house that’s recently been restored by a creative individual; at No. 144, there are historic buildings linked to the old hospital l’Enfant-Jésus, with its façade facing Rue de Sèvres. Along the street and in the short streets that branch off from it, we encounter a number of old houses, none of which stand out particularly. In this section, Rue de la Procession, starting at No. 247, dates back to the late fourteenth century, a reminder of the times when church processions traveled along it. Rue Cambronne, named after the veteran of Waterloo, originates from the first Empire and features houses at Nos. 98, 104, and 117 from the era when it was Rue de l’École—specifically, l’École Militaire.

The modern church of St-Lambert on Rue Gerbert replaces the old church of Vaugirard on Rue Dombasle, formerly Rue des Vignes, which was in the heart of a vineyard area, where until recently stood the old orphanage of St-Vincent-de-Paul. Rue de la Croix-Nivert, established in the early years of the 18th century, marks the location of one of the crosses that used to be found at various points inside and outside the city limits. Important Roman remains were discovered a few years ago on Rue du Hameau. Rue Lecourbe, known in the 17th century as le Grand Chemin de Bretagne, was called Rue de Sèvres for several years in the 19th century; like the old street from Square Pasteur, prehistoric remains were found there in 1903. Rue Blomet, the old road to Meudon, used to be home to gardeners, and several of their old cottages still stand today. The area known as Grenelle was a village outside of Paris until 1860 and has few points of interest. The first stone of its church, St-Jean Baptiste, was laid by the duchesse d’Angoulême, daughter of Louis XVI. The long modern Rue de la Convention is mainly known beyond its immediate area for the Hôpital Boucicaut, built by the founder and former owner of Bon Marché.

Avenue Suffren, which borders this neighborhood on its even-numbered side, has been around since 1770. Rue Desaix was once known as Chemin de l’Orme de Grenelle. Rue de la Fédération commemorates the Fête de la Fédération held on the Champ de Mars in 1790. The oldest street in the district is Rue Dupleix, a path from the fifteenth century that was known in the sixteenth century as Sentier de la Justice or Chemin du Gibet, a name that speaks for itself. It later became Rue Neuve. The Château de Grenelle used to be located where the barracks on Place Dupleix now stand, which was used as a powder factory during the Revolution; there, in 1794, a massive explosion occurred, killing twelve hundred people. Where the Grande Roue turns, on the land now filled with flower beds and grassy lawns, duels were fought in the past. This is the area of new streets and brand-new avenues.

Crossing the Seine here, we find ourselves in the 16th arrondissement, as the area south of the Étoile and surrounding streets incorporated the suburban villages of Passy and Auteuil in 1860.

WE have long moved on from Old Paris, the Paris of the Kings of France and the turmoil of the Revolution. The 16th arrondissement, aside from the far corners of Passy and Auteuil, which still feel a bit like suburban villages, is truly the neighborhood of the “Nineteenth Century and Beyond.” Around the Étoile, the influence of Napoléon is clear. This area is known for the French Empire, both First and Second. The Arc de Triomphe was an idea of Napoléon. The wide avenue that stretches from Avenue des Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde, and Avenue de la Grande Armée to the edge of Neuilly, was planned by Napoléon I, along with the other eleven surrounding avenues. The structures from his time and the years after were well designed, well built, sturdy, systematic, mathematically precise, and excellent in construction—spacious, airy, hygienic, but lacking architectural charm. The buildings of the Second Empire were slightly less well designed and constructed, yet more symmetrical, heavily utilitarian, and significantly lacking in artistic inspiration. Those built later, with a few exceptions of older styles, are mostly just practical—overwhelmingly practical. The residential buildings in Paris today are, apart from a nice hôtel here and there, “maisons de rapport,” where rapport is clearly their main raison d’être. The new houses all look the same, making new streets feel indistinct: “Où sont les jours d’Antan,” when each street, each house had its unique character? Only in the Paris of times gone by.

Of Napoléon’s seven avenues, if we include the odd-numbered side of Avenue des Champs-Élysées and of the Grande Armée, are in this district. The lovely Avenue du Bois-de-Boulogne was created by Napoléon III, opened in 1854, as Avenue de l’Impératrice. Elegant mansions line it on both sides. There was one spot that stayed the same before all these beautiful hotels were built—an old cottage stood there, owned by a coal merchant who refused to sell the land at any price. Millions of francs were offered for the site—in vain. But it was finally sold. In 1909, a private mansion worthy of its neighboring buildings was constructed on the site.

Avenue Victor-Hugo started in 1826 as Avenue Charles X. From the short Rue du Dôme, on the elevated ground leading from it, we can see the dome of the Invalides in the distance. The first crèche opened in or near Paris, at Chaillot (1844), was moved years ago from No. 117. Gambetta lived for several years and died at No. 57, on the nearby Rue St-Didier. At No. 124 on the Avenue, there’s a bust of Victor Hugo, who passed away in 1885 in the house that this one replaced. Place Victor-Hugo began in 1830 as Rond-Point de Charles X. The statue of the poet installed in 1902 is by Barrias. The church St-Honoré d’Eylau was built in 1852 and was looted by the Fédérés in 1871. Lamartine spent the last year of his life in a simple chalet near the square named after him; his statue there was erected in 1886.

General Boulanger lived at 3 Rue Yvon de Villarceau, which connects to Rue Copernic. Rue Dosne runs along the extensive grounds left by Thiers. At 46 Rond-Point Bugeaud, we find the Thiers Foundation, a beautiful hotel left by the widow of the statesman as an institution to support young students with special talents in science, philosophy, and history.

Avenue d’Eylau, which was intended to be Place du Prince Impérial, used to have three bells in a courtyard at No. 11 that were thought to be from the old Bastille clock.

Avenue Malakoff, started in 1826 as Avenue St-Denis. At No. 66, you'll find the chapel of ease of St-Honoré d’Eylau, which features original style and is known as the Cité Paroissiale St-Honoré.

Avenue Kléber started in 1804 as Avenue du Roi de Rome. Underneath the pavement at No. 79, there's a circular staircase built in 1786 that leads down to the Passy quarries.

Rue Galilée, which connects at No. 55, started as Rue des Chemin de Versailles. Rue Belloy was established in 1886 on the location of the old Chaillot reservoirs.

Avenue d’Iéna runs along the path of the old Rue des Batailles de Chaillot, where, in 1593, just outside the city limits, Henri IV and Gabrielle d’Estrées had a home. Rue Auguste-Vaquerie was previously known as Rue des Bassins. The Anglican church dedicated to St-George there was built in 1888 and, like the French churches, is always open—a welcoming English church—with beautiful decorations and furnishings. The short Rue Keppler dates back to 1772 and was once Rue Ste-Geneviève. Rue Georges-Bizet follows the route of an ancient Ruelle des Tourniquets, a name that evokes country lanes and stiles; in the past, its lower part was Rue des Blanchisseuses, where clean linen would be hung out to dry. The Greek church there, with its stunning Iconostase and paintings by Charles Lemaire, is modern (built in 1895). Rue de Lubeck started as a winding road in the seventeenth century, crossing the grounds of the old convent of the Visitation.

The statue of Washington in the center of Place d’Iéna, the site of so many important gatherings, was given by the women of the United States “in memory of the friendship and brotherly aid given by France to their brothers during the struggle for independence.” The Musée Guinet, located where the hippodrome used to be, is an oriental museum that opened in 1888. Rue Boissière, partly known as Rue de la Croix-Boissière in the eighteenth century, reminds us of the wooden crosses to which branches of box, replacing palm, were fixed on Palm Sunday back in the day. Along Rue de Longchamp, which was just a country lane, seventeenth and eighteenth-century Parisians made pilgrimages to Longchamp Abbey, while at an old farm at the Rond-Point, which has been removed in recent years, notable figures such as Boileau and La Fontaine stopped to enjoy fresh, pure milk. The name Bouquet de Longchamp brings to mind the days when green trees thrived there. Rue Lauriston, a busy street in the eighteenth century, was once called Chemin du Bel-air.

Rue de Chaillot, which leads us to Avenue Marceau, was the main street of the village known in the eleventh century by the Roman name Colloelum. It was Crown property, and Louis XI gave it to Philippe de Commines. In 1659, the district became part of Paris and in 1787 was included within the city limits. There on the elevated land, now the site of the Trocadéro palace and gardens, the Château de Chaillot — later renamed Grammont — was built by Catherine de’ Medici. Henriette, widow of Charles I of England, returned to her homeland of France and turned it into a convent in 1651. Its first superior was Mlle de Lafayette; its walls housed many noteworthy women, and it’s said that Louise de la Vallière fled there twice, only to be brought back by the King both times. The chapel was located where the pond in the Trocadéro gardens is now. There, the hearts of the Catholic Stuarts were preserved. Suppressed during the Revolution, the convent was eventually demolished by Napoléon, who planned to build a palace there for his son, the “Roi de Rome.” The old street still has several historic houses that are easily recognizable: Nos. 5, 9, 19, etc. The church, built on the site of an eleventh-century chapel, dates back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with a nineteenth-century chapel and presbytery.

Avenue du Trocadéro, renamed Avenue Wilson on July 4, 1918, was originally inaugurated as Avenue de l’Empereur (Napoléon III). The palace, which is now a museum and concert hall, was constructed on the site of old quarries for the 1878 Exhibition, and the Place du Roi de Rome, previously known as Place Ste-Marie, was renamed Place du Trocadéro. The Musée Galliera, a museum of industrial art, was built in 1895 by the duchess whose maiden name, Brignole, is noted in the short street opened across her property in 1879. She intended to fill it with her stunning collection of paintings but changed the plan for her legacy when France secularized its schools.

Avenue Henri-Martin started out, like Avenue du Trocadéro, as Avenue de l’Empereur (1858). The old tour we see at No. 86 Rue de la Tour is said to have been part of the Manor of Philippe-le-Bel. It used to be a prison, later became a windmill tower, and the street, formerly known as Chemin des Moines, Monk’s Road, is now Rue du Moulin de la Tour. Few other remnants of the past are left along its path. We see old houses at Nos. 1, 66, and 68. Rue Vineuse, which crosses it, brings to mind the days when convent vineyards were there. It is, like Rue Franklin, once Rue Neuve des Minimes, from the eighteenth century. Franklin’s statue was erected there in 1906 for his centenary. We see a historical house at No. 1 Rue Franklin, and at No. 8 is the home of Clemenceau, the effective Prime Minister of France during the late war. The cemetery above the reservoir was opened in 1803.

RUE DE PASSY, the old Grande Rue, was the village High Street before the area became part of the Paris city limits. It dates back to the fifteenth century when it was a fief owned by Jeanne de Paillard, known as La Dame de Passy; it returned to the Crown under Louis XI and was given to various nobles. At the carrefour—the crossroads—where the trams now stop for Rue de la Tour, there used to be a feudal gallows. The feudal residence, a château with large grounds, was built in 1678; in 1826, the entire estate was sold and divided up. The area was well-known in the past for its mineral springs. There are still a few old houses standing along the street. The narrow impasse at No. 24 is very old. The nineteenth-century poet Gustave Nadaud passed away at No. 63 in 1893. No. 84, which has been demolished, showcased an interesting Louis XV façade in the courtyard until a few years ago, once part of the Château de la Muette. Rue de la Pompe, named after the pump that supplied water to the Château de la Muette, was a country road in the eighteenth century and shows few traces of its past. No. 53 is part of an old Carmelite convent.

Chaussée de la Muette is a nineteenth-century extension of Rue de Passy. The château, after which it's named, was originally a hunting lodge where stags and birds were carefully enclosed during the molting period (la mue, hence the name) in the days of Charles IX. Margaret de Valois, known as the infamous Reine Margot, was its first regular resident. She gave the mansion to King Louis XIII when he came of age in 1615. It was rebuilt by the Regent in 1716 and became the favorite home of his daughter, the duchesse de Berri. She died there three years later. It was also the residence of Louis XV during his childhood. Mme de Pompadour lived there and had the doors beautifully painted. It was rebuilt again in 1764, and Marie-Antoinette and the Dauphin, who would soon become Louis XVI, spent the first months of their marriage there. From the Park de la Muette, the first hot air balloon was launched in 1783. The property was divided in 1791 and purchased in 1820 by Sebastien Érard, famous for his pianos, and was rebuilt yet again. This led to the ownership passing to the comte de Franqueville, though a significant portion has been taken for a new street named after its current owner.[G]

RUE DES EAUX, PASSY

Avenue du Ranelagh highlights the presence, in the late eighteenth century, of a trendy dance hall and grounds that opened here as a replica of the Rotonde built in London by Lord Ranelagh. Marie-Antoinette was among the prominent women who danced there. The hall was closed during the Revolution but reopened and became popular again during the Directoire and continued until 1830, when it turned into a public dance hall. It was demolished in 1858, leaving the lawns to become a promenade. The statue of La Fontaine was erected in 1891. Rue du Ranelagh is completely modern. Rue Raynouard, which intersects it, dates back to the seventeenth century when it was known as Grande Rue, later Haute Rue, and eventually became Rue Basse. Florian, the delightful fable-writer, often stayed at No. 75. There is a lovely old hotel at No. 69 and an old-fashioned street, Rue Guillou, nearby. Rue des Vignes, starting at No. 72, reminds us of the vineyards that once thrived on these sunny slopes. No. 66 was the location of the hôtel Valentinois, where Franklin lived for several years and where he installed the first lightning rod in France. No. 51 is historic, and No. 47 is known as la Maison de Balzac. In a pavilion in the garden sloping down to the Seine, he lived from 1842-48, writing constantly there and elsewhere. There, carefully preserved, you can see the chair he sat in, the table he wrote at, the pen he used, and many other personal artifacts. Lectures about the celebrated novelist and topics related to his life and work are occasionally held there. We can see old houses at the end of this charming street. Marie-Antoinette occasionally stayed at No. 42 to be close to her confessor, the Vicar of Passy, or so tradition claims. The second floor of this house housed Béranger from 1833 to 1835. The person for whom the street is named died at No. 36 in 1836. At No. 21, the warrior la Tour d’Auvergne spent the years 1776-1800. Jean Jacques Rousseau stayed with friends here and wrote his "Devin du Village." Mineral waters, once making the springs of Passy famous, still bubble up in this beautiful park. The modern building at No. 19 stands on the site of the ancient hôtel Lauzun, where the duc de Saint-Simon used to stay and where the first steps were taken toward the marriage of Napoléon III. At No. 11, we briefly turn onto the quaint old Rue des Eaux, which is strikingly reminiscent of a bygone era when the revitalizing waters of Passy were consumed in a pavilion on the site of No. 20. Rue de l’Annonciation began in the early eighteenth century as Rue des Moulins. Here is the church Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, built as an auxiliary chapel for Auteuil by the Lord of Passy in 1660, which later became a parish church. It was restored and expanded at various times afterward. The old Passy cemetery was located across Rue Lekain. Rue de Boulainvilliers runs through what was once the grounds of the Passy Château. Rue des Bauches, which branches off of it, remains narrow and charming; in the past, it was a lane through the Bauches, a term used to describe marshy land or shanty-like dwellings on waste, possibly marshy ground. Passy contained both the Hautes Bauches and the Basses Bauches. We in the 16th arrondissement now primarily know the street as the location of the tax office.

Rue de l’Assomption, which separates Passy from Auteuil, originally started as Rue des Tombereaux. The Convent of the Assumption is a modern building (1858) located in a historic park. The old château there, so hidden among the trees that it became known as l’Invisible, was rebuilt in 1782 and was once home to Talleyrand, later to the actress Rachel, the statesman Thiers, and the comtesse de Montijo, who was the mother of Empress Eugénie; the nuns moved here from Rue de Chaillot in 1855. No. 88 is an old convent chapel that serves as a chapel of ease for Passy.

In Avenue de Mozart, we only see modern buildings, but there are old streets branching off of it at intervals. It was in a house on Rue Bois-le-Vent, near the château de la Muette, that André Chenier was arrested in 1794. Behind No. 13 on Rue Davioud, we find remnants of an old farmyard and a well. Rue de la Cure gets its name from the iron springs that used to be there. Rue de Ribéra is the old Rue de la Croix. Rue de la Source was formerly known as Sente des Vignes. Benedictine nuns from St-Maur settled there in 1899, only to be banished or secularized a few years later. Rue Raffet dates back to the eighteenth century, like Rue de la Grande Fontaine. Rue du Docteur Blanche, named to honor the organizer of the famous private asylum in the hôtel that was once the home of princesse de Lamballe, is the former Fontis Road. Rue Poussin, along with the short streets connected to it, all date from the mid-nineteenth century, established by the railway company of the Ceinture line near their station at Auteuil. Rue des Perchamps, which was once called Pares Campi, crosses over the site of the old cemetery in the district. In Rue la Fontaine, once known for its pure water fountain, we can see a few eighteenth-century buildings scattered among the garden-surrounded homes. In Rue Théophile Gautier, a tennis court and tall apartment buildings occupy the space where the Château de Choiseul-Praslin stood until 1908; in its later years, until 1904, it was a convent for Dominican nuns. Rue de Remusat follows the path of the ancient Grande Rue, while Rue Félicien-David was the first street to flood during the major inundation of 1910.[H] The street turned into a river three meters deep. Rue Wilhem, which looks quite ordinary today, dates from the eighteenth century when it was called Sentier des Arches, then Rue Ste-Geneviève. Place d’Auteuil, formerly Place d’Aguesseau until 1867, is located on the site of the old churchyard. The monument there was erected in memory of D’Aguesseau and his wife by order of Louis XV in 1753. This is the highest point in the district, altus locus—likely the origin of the name Auteuil, unless it refers to the Druidic altars that were built here when the forest of Rouvray covered what is now the Bois de Boulogne, sheltering ancient pagan priests. A church was first built on the site in the early fourteenth century. During the Revolution, the church was desecrated, and the tombs were disturbed. The current building dates back to the late nineteenth century; its tower, shaped like a papal tiara, is an exact replica of the old tower. Rue d’Auteuil was the only village street, la Grande Rue, in the fifteenth century; the house at No. 2 is believed to be on the site of Molière’s country home, but there are no reliable records pinpointing the exact location of the house in Auteuil, near the church, where the great playwright often went for rest and fresh air. Auteuil served as a retreat for many prominent writers and artists of the eighteenth century, including Racine, Boileau, and others. No. 59 is on the site of a house that burned down in 1871, where Victor Noir was shot dead by Prince Pierre Napoléon. Where we now see unremarkable houses and small shops at the upper end of the street, there used to stand the Château du Coq, which was home to Louis XV during his childhood and later surrounded by a horticulturist’s garden until the mid-nineteenth century.

Avenue de Versailles, in the southern part of the neighborhood, showcases along its stretch and in the short side streets many old remnants. The Auteuil cemetery on Rue Chardon-Lagache dates back to 1800. The retreat house, Ste-Perine, was moved here from Chaillot in 1850 and is located on land that was once part of the estate of the abbots of the old Ste-Geneviève monastery, situated on the high ground across the Seine at the other end of the city. Rue Molitor has at No. 18 a set of modern homes called Villa Boileau, which was once owned by the poet. Boileau’s Auteuil house used to be at No. 26, on the charming and picturesque old Rue Boileau, where his gardener’s cottage still remains. Rue de Musset, branching off from the street at No. 67, reminds us that George Sand’s friend lived here with his parents in the early years of the nineteenth century.

A NUMBER of small homes located just outside the city limits to the north, in the Clichy area, were referred to in the fifteenth century as “les Batignolles,” which means the little buildings. Separated from Clichy in the nineteenth century, the district of les Batignolles was incorporated into Monceau. New streets were created, and old buildings were removed; Avenue de Clichy, which is partly the main street of the area, was first lined with trees in 1705. Along its route and in the short streets connected to it, there are eighteenth-century houses, none particularly noteworthy. At No. 3, the Taverne de Paris is adorned with artwork by modern artists. A well-known restaurant, established in 1793, operated until 1906 at No. 7. At No. 52 on Rue Balagny, branching off from the Avenue, we see the sign “Aux travailleurs,” and on the façade, there are words indicating that the building was constructed during the war years of 1870-71. At No. 154 on the Avenue, we discover the peaceful, green Cité des Fleurs. Rue des Dames was a road leading to the abbey “des dames de Montmartre” in the seventeenth century. Rue de Lévis was, in ancient times, a path leading to what was then the village of Monceaux, possibly named from the Latin Muxcellum, meaning a mossy place, but more likely from Monticellum, a hill, or from Mons calvas, the bald or bare mountain. The Château de Monceaux was located where Place Lévis is now. The official residence of the Papal Nuncio was at No. 11 bis on Rue Legendre. The modern St-Charles church that we see here, built in 1907, was previously a Barnabite chapel. Rue Léon-Cosnard dates back to the seventeenth century when it was called Rue du Bac d’Asnières. In the old Rue des Moines, there is one of the few Protestant churches in Paris.

Avenue de Villiers, which used to lead to the village of Villiers, now part of Levallois-Perret, was known as Avenue de Neuilly from its establishment in 1858 until 1873. Puvis de Chavannes passed away at No. 89 in 1898. Avenue de Wagram, stretching from the Arc de Triomphe to Place des Ternes, dates back to the revolutionary year of 1789, when it was called Avenue de l’Étoile. Avenue MacMahon originally started as Avenue du Prince Jérôme. Avenue des Ternes is the historic route de St-Germain, later referred to as the old Reuilly Road—Reuilly being halfway to St-Germain—then renamed Rue de la Montagne du Bon-Air, and just before becoming an Avenue, it was known as route des Ternes, the main road of the terra externa, the area beyond the city limits on that side. The village of Les Ternes was incorporated into the Paris boundary in 1860. The barrière du Roule was previously surrounded by a circular road, which is now Place des Ternes. We can still see important remnants of the beautiful Château des Ternes in the area around Rue Bayen, Rue Guersant, and Rue Demours. The church St-Ferdinand, built between 1844 and 1847, was named in honor of the duc d’Orléans, who was killed nearby.

We are standing on ground that is incredibly intriguing, a place that is both sacred and historic, as well as representative of the everyday life of the city above it. At or near its peak, St-Denis and his two companions were executed in the early days of Christianity. On this hillside, many significant events have taken place. In the old streets and houses that line its slopes, poets and artists have always lived, created, and played, and in its theaters, music halls, cabarets, and so on, Parisians from all walks of life have sought entertainment—both good and bad. In earlier times, Paris relied on Montmartre for its daily sustenance, as the flour that fed the city was milled by the countless windmills on the Butte. The sails of many of those windmills continued to operate well into the reign of Napoléon III, who was not fond of their appearance and even considered flattening the Butte! So the story goes. Entering the arrondissement via the Rue des Martyrs, which starts in arrondissement IX, we come across two buildings side by side that serve very different purposes: the Comédie Mondaine, formerly known as the famous Brasserie des Martyrs and Divan Japonais, and the Asile Nationale de la Providence, an institution established in 1804 as a refuge for elderly and fallen gentlemen.

The hôtel at No. 79 is located where the Château d’hiver, used to be, where the Montmartre Revolutionists held their club. No. 88 was the dance hall known as the Bossu. No. 76 was the Marronniers. Rue Antoinette has points of interest of a different kind. At No. 9, in the couvent des Dames Auxiliatrices du Purgatoire, we can see the very spot where it's believed St. Denis and his companions were martyred. There's an ancient crypt that was uncovered in 1611, which we access via rough steps down to a chapel built on the site in 1887; we find a simple altar with Latin inscriptions stating that St-Denis invoked the name of the Holy Trinity here. The crypt is likely a remnant of the chapel built by Ste-Geneviève. It was in this chapel, not as often claimed higher up the Butte, that Ignatius Loyola and his six companions took their solemn vow on August 15, 1574, leading to the founding of the Order of the Jesuits. The chapel was managed by the “Dames de Montmartre,” and after the major fire at the abbey, the nuns took refuge in this old chapel, turning it into a priory. Many notable people were buried there. During the Revolution, it was demolished and lay in ruins until abbé Rebours rebuilt it in 1887.

Leaving this interesting spot and passing through Rue Tardieu, we reach Place St-Pierre, which used to be called Place Piemontési, and continue along Rue Foyatier to the old Rue St-Eleuthère, part of which was once Rue du Pressoire, a name that refers to the abbey winepress located where the reservoir is now. This brings us to Rue Mont-Cenis, formerly known as Chaussée St-Denis, and at one point, Rue de la Procession, named for the religious processions of days gone by. Here, we see the oldest church in Paris, St-Pierre de Montmartre. It dates back to the early ninth century, built on the site of an earlier chapel or several successive chapels, the first one constructed over the ruins of a pagan temple. Four black marble pillars from that temple were repurposed for the Christian church: two are at the west door, and two are in the chancel. We also see ancient tombstones, including that of Adelaide de Savoie, the founder of the abbey, as the Choir des Dames served as the abbey chapel and where the abbesses were buried. The old church faced destruction after the desecration of 1871 when it was used as a munitions depot. Thankfully, it has been saved and restored in recent years. The façade is from the eighteenth century and is rather unremarkable, but the view of the east end from outside, the apse, the old tower, and the simply severe Gothic interior are strikingly characteristic. The cross in front of the church was brought here from an old cemetery nearby. The adjoining garden, with the Calvaire set up there in 1833, was once the nuns' graveyard. The cemetery on the northern side dates back to the time of the Merovingian kings.

ST-PIERRE DE MONTMARTRE

Leaving the oldest church in Paris, we arrive at the most impressive modern church in Paris and France—l’Église du Vœu National, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur. This historic building was constructed after the disasters of 1870-71, by “La France humiliée et repentante,” as a votive church funded by national donations. To ensure its foundations on the summit of the Butte, chosen as the site of St. Denis's martyrdom, the hill was excavated deep down, almost to the level of the Seine, and a massive foundation of solid stone was built upwards. The enormous structure sits atop a vast crypt, filled with chapels and passageways throughout its length. It took over forty years to build; the north tower was completed just before the outbreak of the war, which is now nearing a triumphant conclusion, for which grand services of thanksgiving will soon be held in this church built after defeat. The interior is still unfinished. Up close, the immense Byzantine structure with its many domes may seem somewhat aesthetically unappealing, but from a distance, dominating Paris and often seen through a light haze or with the sun shining on it, the vast white building has a striking presence. Its great bell, la Savoyarde, donated by the diocese of Chambéry, weighs over 26,000 kilograms, and its sound travels for miles.

OLD MONTMARTRE, ST-VINCENT STREET
(Home of Henry IV)

RUE MONT-CENIS
(Trinity Chapel)

Rue Chevalier de la Barre, which runs along the north side of the church, used to be partly Rue des Rosiers and partly Rue de la Fontenelle, named after a nearby spring. On the wall of the Abri St-Joseph at No. 26, you can see the bullet holes made by the Communards who shot two French Generals there in March 1871. As we walk up Rue Mont-Cenis, we encounter fascinating old houses at every turn. No. 22 was the residence of the musician Berlioz and his English wife Constance Smithson. Crossing this long street from east to west at this point, the winding hillside Rue St-Vincent, with its ancient walls, trees, and grassy pathway, gives us a sense of being far away from the city below. At No. 40 is the small cemetery St-Vincent. Returning to Rue Mont-Cenis, we find a girls’ college at No. 53, amid the remnants of the famous old porcelaine factory, the factory of “Monsieur” under the patronage of the comte de Provence, brother of Louis XV. The tower we see there was part of the windmill that ground the silex. At No. 61, there’s a farm established in 1782, la Vacherie de la Tourelle. At No. 67, we discover an old inn that was once the Chapelle de la Trinité (sixteenth century).

Vieux Montmartre (Cabaret du Lapin-Agile)

Returning to the area around St-Pierre and the Sacré-Cœur, we find many short, narrow, winding streets that still have their old-world charm. Rue St-Eleuthère is one of the oldest. Rue St-Rustique was formerly Rue des Dames, Rue Ravignan used to be Rue du Vieux-Chemin, Rue Cortot, Rue Norvins, and Rue des Saules are all streets from the seventeenth century. Rue Norvins was once Rue des Moulins. No. 23 was a well-known folie, and in 1820, the famous Dr. Blanche established his first asylum for the insane there, many of whom he successfully treated. At No. 9, we arrive at an old house and alley, the impasse Trainée, a name that harks back to when Montmartre was a wolf-infested area in winter: a trainée is a wolf trap. The inn at No. 6 used to be a hangout for singers looking for gigs: those who were short on cash could bring their own food. On the Place du Tertre, two liberty trees were planted in 1848 and cut down in 1871. No. 3 is where the first Mairie of Montmartre was located. As we walk down Rue du Calvaire, we reach the quaint Place du Calvaire, formerly known as Place Ste-Marie.

A main attraction at Montmartre is the view. You can get the best perspective from the Belvedere built by Baron de Vaux at 39 Rue Gabrielle and from the Moulin de la Galette, which you can access via Rue des Trois-Frères. Rue de la Mire used to be known as Petite Rue des Moulins in the past. The steps we see today are said to have been made for cattle to pass through.

The cellars of the house at No. 7, Rue la Vieuville are remnants of the ancient abbey. Place des Abbesses used to be Rue de l’Abbaye. In the old square, we find the most modern church in Paris, St-Jean l’Evangeliste, which is made of concrete. The Passage des Abbesses leads down an old flight of steps to Rue des Trois-Frères, a modern street. Rue Lepic, which was originally Rue de l’Empereur (Napoléon III), was renamed to honor the General who defended the area in 1814. Many old streets are connected with it. Avenue des Tilleuls reminds us of the time when lime trees thrived there, famously mentioned in Alphonse Karr’s novel Sous les Tilleuls. At the end of the square, there’s an eighteenth-century house where François Coppée lived as a boy. The highly enclosed building at No. 72 was home to the artist Ziem. Close by is the entrance to the Moulin de la Galette. There’s an astronomical observatory at the top of house No. 100, established under Napoléon III. Rue Girardon, originally a rural path in the seventeenth century, later became Rue des Brouillards, which likely comes from the view of the fog that often covered the city below. The old house No. 13 is known as le Château des Brouillards. In the narrow passage at No. 5 once stood the Fontaine St-Denis. Its waters were highly regarded, said to ensure conjugal fidelity for women who drank them. From here, we enter the historic Moulin de la Galette through the short street Rue des Deux-Frères. It dates back to the twelfth century and has experienced tragic times. Its owners fought fiercely to defend it in 1814, and one of them, captured by the attacking Cossacks, was tied to the whirling wheel. It was attacked again in 1871. The property stayed in the same family since 1640, functioning as private property, a farm, and a country inn, where dancing was a personal pastime until 1833, when the landlord, a dancing expert, decided to make it a public dancing hall. Rue Caulaincourt, once charming and rural, has recently lost nearly all its old characteristics. Rue Lamarck has taken on a modern appearance. Rue Marcadet was known as Rue des Bœufs—Ox Street in the seventeenth century. At No. 71, there's a beautiful seventeenth-century building, now a girls’ school, called hôtel Labat, and at No. 75 is another good old house, also a girls’ school; at No. 91, there's yet another. The modern buildings at No. 101 sit on the site of the ancient manor house of Clignancourt. The turret at No. 103 is likely the remnant of an old windmill. Rue de la Fontaine du But commemorates a drinking fountain that was demolished about forty years ago, believed to have been installed there by the Romans. There's a tradition that the word but used to be buc, referring to the Roman rite of sacrificing a buck to Mercury. According to another legend, “but,” meaning aim, referred to the English archers who practiced in that spot when they were in France. Rue du Ruisseau gets its name from the stream of water that flowed through it after the fountain was demolished. The seventeenth-century Rue de Maistre, which borders the northern cemetery, was the old Chemin des Dames. Rue Eugène-Carrière, branching off it, was until very recently Rue des Grandes Carrières, named for the large quarries that have supplied the signature white stone used in many Paris buildings and the world-famous plaster of Paris.

MOULIN DE LA GALETTE

Rue Damrémont is modern; at the little Rue des Cloys branching off it at No. 102, we can see remnants of an interesting old neighborhood filled with wooden houses. Rue Neuve de la Chardonnière brings to mind the days when it was a thistle-infested road. Rue du Poteau reminds us of the gallows along the St-Ouen road. The Avenue de Clichy and the Avenue St-Ouen, which form the border of the neighborhood, both date back to the seventeenth century as significant roads. Along them, we find traces of old buildings here and there, none particularly noteworthy. To the east of the boulevards Ornano and Barbes, which run north to south through the area, there are many old streets, mostly short. The most important street is Rue des Poissonniers, where its lower end connects with boulevard Barbes. We see a few unremarkable old houses lining the street. The impasse du Cimetière and the schools there are located on an old cemetery site. In Rue Affre, named after the archbishop of Paris who was killed on the barricades in 1848 (see p. 250), we find the modern church St-Bernard, which is styled in pure fifteenth-century Gothic but is much less skillfully made than earlier Gothic buildings. Rue de la Chapelle, known during Napoléon’s time as Faubourg de la Gloire, started as the Calais Road and then became the Grande Rue de la Chapelle. La Chapelle is a location rich in historical significance. It originally began as the Village des Roses—back when wild and cultivated roses flourished in what is now a slum in Paris. The residents, recalling that Ste-Geneviève had stopped to rest and pray in the church on her way to St-Denis, named their village La Chapelle-Ste-Geneviève. Later, it was called la Chapelle-St-Denis. To the church at La Chapelle went Jeanne d’Arc in the crucial year of 1425. We can find ancient houses all along this historic thoroughfare, and at No. 96 is the church dedicated to St-Denis, built by Maurice de Sully, with its chancel from that thirteenth-century structure still intact, having endured two devastating fires and damage during wars. It has been expanded in recent years. The statue of Jeanne d’Arc there dates back to the reign of Louis XVI.

A popular fair, la Foire de Lendit, established by Dagobert, was held for centuries at the far end of the old road. No. 122, said to have been built by Henri IV and given to his minister Sully, became the Cabaret de la Rose Blanche in the seventeenth century. At No. 1 Rue Boucry, there's an old chapel now used as a public hall.

IN this mostly ordinary neighborhood, there are many old and charming houses, but none that really stand out for their architecture or historic significance. Around the park des Buttes-Chaumont, a large area of grassy fields and shady paths, dull and rundown streets spread out among coal yards and factories. Beneath the park lie ancient quarries that once provided a lot of white stone and plaster of Paris for the city's builders. The name Chaumont likely comes from mons calvus or mont chauve, meaning bald mountain. On Rue de Flandres, which used to be Grande Rue de la Villette, there's a Jewish cemetery. The buildings numbered 61 to 65 are on the site where the well-known institution Ste-Perine was first established in Paris as a convent community in the seventeenth century. It later moved to Chaillot in 1742 and then to Auteuil, its current location. Along this old street, we see ancient houses and some faded signs, and at No. 152, there’s an interesting door, pavilion, and bas-relief.

Rue de Belleville marks the boundaries of the neighborhood. Along its path and in the nearby streets, we can see many remnants of the past. Rue des Bois showcases some lovely old gardens that remain untouched. On Rue de l’Orme, or Elm Road, which branches off from it, we discover the remnants of an ancient park. Rue Pré-St-Gervais was a country road until 1837. From the top of the steps in the charming Rue des Lilas, we get a great view over the surrounding suburbs. In the area of No. 40, we come across three benches made from gravestones. Rue Compans was known as Rue St-Denis from the eighteenth century onward. The church of St-Jean-Baptiste, which is quite modern, boasts excellent style and craftsmanship. The lower end of Rue de Belleville takes us into neighborhood XX.

THE lower end of the long Rue de Belleville, with its odd-numbered side in arrondissement XIX, used to be called Rue des Courtilles—Inn Street. Inns, bars, and popular spots for fun lined the street. Here, just like in arrondissement XIX, you can find old houses and traces of the past all around, but they're not particularly interesting aside from their charming appearance. Rue Pelleport started in the eighteenth century as a road wrapping around the Ménilmontant park. In the area around the reservoirs, there's a tomb, a modern gravestone, marking the resting place of a city official whose last wish was to be buried on his own property.

Rue Haxo, which intersects Rue Belleville at No. 278 and extends into the 19th arrondissement, holds a tragic history. At No. 85, you can find the Villa des Otages. This was where the Commune convened in 1871, and it was here that the fate of the hostages was determined; on May 26, 1871, fifty-two of those unfortunate prisoners were executed. The Jesuits owned the property until it was sold a few years ago. They removed the grates and anything else that could be taken from the cells where the victims had been confined.

Rue Ménilmontant, which runs parallel to Rue de Belleville, dates back to the seventeenth century when it was a country road leading to the thirteenth-century hamlet Mesnil Mantems, later known as Mesnil Montant. Much of the land there belonged to the abbey of St-Antoine and the priory of Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie. A château de Ménilmontant was constructed during the reign of Louis XIV, where the expansive grounds now feature reservoirs. At Nos. 155 and 157, you can see old pavilions surrounded by gardens. The eighteenth-century house at No. 145 was taken over in the nineteenth century by a group calling themselves the St-Simoniens—about forty men who decided to live together and share everything. They didn't stay together for long. No. 119 houses the school run by the Sœurs St-Vincent de Paul. At No. 101, you can look down Rue des Cascades, which until the middle of last century was a country lane. Leading off it is the old Rue de Savies, which reflects the area's ancient name—Savies, meaning montagne sauvage—wild mountain—a name that was later changed to Portronville (which is quite a mouthful), and finally to its more pleasant current name, Belleville. At the top is an ancient fountain that was set up long ago for the monks of St-Martin of Cluny and the Knights Templar; another one can be found in the grounds of No. 17.

On Place de Ménilmontant, we see the well-constructed modern church Notre-Dame-de-la-Croix. To its north is the old Rue and passage Eupatoria. The charming Rue de la Mare, which was a country road in the seventeenth century, and Rue des Couronnes feature some interesting old passages leading into them.

Walking down Rue des Pyrénées, lined on both sides with short, charming old streets and alleys, we reach Square Gambetta, often referred to as Square Père-Lachaise, and the vast Paris cemetery, which is the main attraction of the 20th arrondissement. This area was known long ago as the Champ de l’Evêque—the bishop’s field. It was eventually repurposed for a decidedly non-ecclesiastical reason, as a wealthy grocer purchased the land and built a folie, or an extravagant mansion, there. In the seventeenth century, the Jesuits acquired the property and named it Mont-Louis. Louis XIV visited the Jesuits there, later bought the estate, and gave it to his confessor, Père Lachaise. After Père Lachaise passed away, the Jesuits regained the property, held onto it until the Revolution, when it was taken by the State and became owned by the Municipality. As we stroll through the avenues and alleyways of this expansive, quiet city on the hillside, we encounter tombs of all kinds and styles, stunning monuments and mausoleums—some very beautiful, others less so—and a large crematorium. People of various nationalities and beliefs are interred here. When visited on the eve of All Saints’ Day or the following day, with fresh flowers adorning every grave, lights burning in nearly every chapel, and family and friends of the deceased gathered respectfully along the pathways, the scene is incredibly moving.

On its northeast boundary, we find the tragic Mur des Fédérés, the wall where insurgents were shot after the Commune in 1871. Blood-red scarves and blood-red wreaths mark the graves there, and we see the names of many who had no graves written on that tragic wall.

THE WALL OF FEDERATES

On the south side of the cemetery, going east, we turn into the old Rue de Bagnolet, the road that leads to the village by the same name. Old houses line this street and the nearby streets, and halfway up the incline on the little Place St-Blaise, we see the ancient church of St-Germain de Charonne, which dates back to the eleventh century. An inscription on a wall inside informs us that Germain, the busy bishop of Auxerre, first met Geneviève of Nanterre here, and tradition has it that the future patron saint of Paris took her vows at this spot. There was an oratory on this site in the fifth century or shortly after. The eleventh-century building was rebuilt in the fifteenth century, but we can still see some of the blackened walls of the earlier structure. The chevet, or chancel-end, was destroyed during the Fronde wars. The outline of the space it occupied is clearly visible, bordered by the Mur des Sœurs, where stalls for the nuns of a neighboring convent likely stood long ago. There are also some ancient tombstones that were once inside the chancel. Climbing the broad steps, we enter the old church and find interesting old pillars, ancient inscriptions, coats of arms, and in one chapel, a little bit of lovely old glass.

Making our way to the small cemetery in Charonne, we find a grassy area in the center that was once the fosse commune, the pits where the guillotinés were thrown during the Revolution. Further along, near the boundary wall, we see a fenced tomb topped with a statue of a man dressed in Louis XVIII clothing—Bègue, Robespierre’s private secretary. After the Revolution, with his boss dead, the man who had signed so many tragic documents retreated to the countryside of Charonne, just outside Paris, and lived a quiet, peaceful life, tending to his small piece of land while preparing for his departure from this world by designing his own tomb. He posed for the bronze statue we see here and had the iron railing crafted to display all the tools of Revolutionary torture he was familiar with, including the wheel that operated the guillotine and the tenailles, etc....!

Higher up towards Bagnolet, we find a remnant of the old Château, a pavilion from the Louis XV era, which is now part of the modern Hospice Debrousse.

THE Paris boulevards are one of the most iconic features of the city. The word boulevard brings to mind the times when Paris was fortified, surrounded by walls, and the city boulevards largely follow the paths of old boundary walls, which were borders then, and now in many cases, they run right through the heart of the Paris we know.

The Grands Boulevards extend from Place de la Madeleine to Place de la Bastille—lively, stylish, and contemporary in the first few kilometers; becoming less trendy, busier, and more commercial, with more remnants of the past as they continue beyond the boulevard des Italiens.

The boulevard de la Madeleine follows the line of the old boundary wall built by Louis XIII, which was torn down during the early years of the eighteenth century. Its upper part on the even-numbered side was one side of an old road that extended to Rue de la Chaussée d’Antin, known in its early days as Rue Basse du Rempart. The section stretching to Rue Caumartin is more recent. The old Rue Basse des Remparts was lined with beautiful hôtels, the homes of notable people of the time; remnants of several of them could still be seen until recently on boulevard des Capucines—Nos. 16 to 22 were demolished when the new street Rue Édouard VII was created. In the reception room of a seventeenth-century house that was located at the corner of the boulevard and Rue des Capucines, known as the Colonnade, Buonaparte first met Joséphine.

Boulevard des Italiens got its name from the Italian theater that opened there in 1783. This name changed several times over the years. After the Revolution, when the Royalists who had fled beyond the German Rhine returned to Paris and held meetings on this boulevard, it was nicknamed “Le Petit Coblentz.” No. 33 (eighteenth century) is the Pavillon de Hanovre, which used to be part of the hôtel d’Antin, later owned by Richelieu, then split into several apartments. During the time of the Merveilleuses, one of these sections of the beautiful old mansion became a dance hall, bal Richelieu, and a meeting spot for the Incroyables. Rue du Helder, which opens at No. 36, was a dead-end street back then. The bank at No. 7 used to be the famous cabaret “le Lion d’Or,” and at No. 2, Cavaignac was arrested when Napoléon staged his coup d’état. No. 22 on the boulevard was the legendary “Tortoni.” No. 20, rebuilt in 1839 and now a post office, was the former hôtel Stainville, later known as Maison Dorée. No. 16, until a year or two ago Café Riche, has been around since 1791. No. 15, hôtel de Lévis, was once home to the Jockey Club. On the spot where No. 13 stood until recent years was the famous Café Anglais. At No. 11 was the club “Salon des Italiens” during the reign of Louis XVI, which later became the restaurant Nicolle and Café du Grand Balcon, its first floor often referred to as Salon des Princes. At No. 9, Grétry lived from 1795 until his death at Montmorency in 1813. No. 1 was Café Cardinal, founded by Dangest in the eighteenth century.

Boulevard Montmartre dates back to the seventeenth century, once lined on both sides by beautiful private mansions. Now, it’s a bustling commercial street, one of the busiest in the city. A modern journalist referred to its carrefour—where it meets the Rue du Faubourg Montmartre—as “carrefour des écrasés.” From the building that is now a newspaper office at No. 22, there used to be an underground passage leading to the Café Cardinal across the street, which connected to an orangery. The Frascati gambling house once stood on the site of No. 23, built where the old hôtel Taillepied was located. The Café Véron at No. 13 has been around since 1818, opening through the gardens of the hôtel Montmorency-Luxembourg. Passage Jouffroy at No. 10 was created in 1846 across the site of an old building known as the Maison des Grands Artistes. The théâtre des Variétés, originally established at the Palais-Royal in 1770 by “la Montansier,” was built here in 1807 on the grounds of the hôtel Montmorency-Luxembourg. No. 1 is the location of the Café de la Porte Montmartre, founded by Louis XV, a gathering spot for Parisians from Orléans, nicknamed Guépins.

Boulevard Poissonnières (seventeenth century) starts where an ancient sign used to hang at No. 1—“At the Limits of the City of Paris”—marking what was once on the old wall there. Most of the houses are the original ones built along the boulevard, and many old streets connect to it on either side. At No. 9, we find Rue St-Fiacre, which dates back to 1630, then known as Rue du Figuier, a street that was closed off at both ends by gates until around 1800. The Duval restaurant at No. 10 of the boulevard was an eighteenth-century mansion. No. 14 is known as Maison du Pont-de-Fer. No. 19, now l’École Pratique du Commerce, was until a few years ago the home of an elderly woman who, after being widowed just one happy year into her marriage, isolated herself in the house she owned, refused to rent out any of its six large apartments, and died there in complete solitude at the age of ninety. No. 23, designed by Soufflot le Romain in 1775 as a private mansion, later became the dépôt for the famous Aubusson tapestry.

Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle, named after the church Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle on Rue de la Lune, dates back to the seventeenth century (see p. 59). No. 21 was constructed after the Revolution using stones from the old demolished church St-Paul (see p. 12). No. 11, built in 1793, includes some stones from the Bastille. The theater, le Gymnase, located at No. 38, was built in 1820 on the site of a mansion, a barracks, and a small part of an old graveyard. It was known for several years as the théâtre de Madame la duchesse de Berri, who had taken it under her patronage. Its façade was renovated in 1887.

The church just off the boulevard was first built in 1624 on the site of the old chapel Ste-Barbe, and named by Anne d’Autriche, possibly out of gratitude for the good news about the prospect of having a son (Louis XIV) after twenty-three years of a childless marriage, or, as some say, because of good news she received while passing by that spot. The building was reconstructed in the nineteenth century, with only the tower remaining unchanged. Inside, there is an old painting of Anne d’Autriche and Henriette of England.

Boulevard St-Denis (18th century). The beautiful Porte St-Denis displays in bas-relief the victories of Louis XIV in Germany and Holland. It has been restored three times since it was first built in 1673. The revolutions of 1830 and 1848 started around this grand old gate. Paving stones were tossed from its top. At number 19, there's a statue of St-Denis.

Boulevard St-Martin (17th century). Its path was laid out, and its trees were planted a few years before those on boulevard St-Denis. On its impressive blackened gate, built in 1674-75, the inscription reads: “A Louis-le-Grand for having taken Besançon twice and defeated the German, Spanish, and Dutch armies.” Like Porte St-Denis, it has been restored three times. The Allies walked under it when they entered Paris in 1814. The first Théâtre de la Porte St-Martin was built in just seventy-five days to quickly replace the opera house near the Palais-Royal, which burned down in 1781. It served as the opera until 1793. The building we see today was constructed in 1873, after the disastrous fire caused by the Communards two years earlier. Along the entire boulevard, there are theatres and concert halls. The Ambigu at No. 2, established in 1828, was originally founded sixty years earlier as a puppet show at the site of the current Folies Dramatiques. This part of the boulevard used to slope steeply, with steps leading up to the Théâtre Porte St-Martin. The ground was leveled in 1850. The novelist Paul de Kock lived at No. 8. No. 17 was home to the great painter Meissonnier. The Théâtre de la Renaissance is modern (1872), built on the site of the famous restaurant Deffieux, which thrived there for 133 years. It was Sarah Bernhardt's theatre for several years.

Boulevard du Temple, its trees first planted in 1668 when it was a road that stretched across the area now known as Place de la République, was at that time a hub for various forms of entertainment— theaters, music halls, puppet shows. All of these were closed and demolished to create the grand new place established there in 1862. Remnants of the old walls where Parisians had long found joy and distraction remain only at Nos. 48, 46, 44, and 42 of the boulevard. No. 42 stands on the site of the house where Fieschi’s deadly machine was set up in 1835. The restaurant at No. 29 is where the once-famous Café du Jardin Turc used to be. The théâtre Dejazet honors the name of the famous actrice. The two short streets, Rue de Crussol and Rue du Grand Prieuré, were carved through the grounds of the Grand Prieuré de France in the late eighteenth century.

Boulevard Filles-du-Calvaire, named after the old convent, has only been around since 1870. The streets connected to it are older. Rue des Filles-du-Calvaire was a major road in the late seventeenth century, and at No. 13, we can still see remnants of the old convent. Rue Froissard and Rue des Commines, named after two ancient French chroniclers, were created in 1804 right on the site of the convent and its grounds. Rue St-Sébastien goes back to the early seventeenth century, and there we find many fascinating old houses. No. 19, with its Gothic arches, is likely the hôtel d’Ormesson de Noyseau, a notable nobleman who was guillotined during the Revolution. Rue du Pont-aux-Choux, established in the sixteenth century across former market gardens, got its name from an old bridge that crossed a drain there.

Boulevard Beaumarchais started in 1670 as Boulevard St-Antoine. No. 113, a building from the sixteenth century, was known until 1850 as the Château. The words engraved on its walls—“A la Petite Chaise”—reference a tragic incident. The head of the princesse de Lamballe, carried by the Revolutionists on a pike, was dropped into a bucket of water placed on a low chair against this wall to clean it of the dripping blood. No. 99, with its large doors brought here from the Temple palace, is the hôtel de Cagliostro, the famous sorcerer.

Rue des Arquebusiers, starting at No. 91, goes back to 1720, when it was Rue du Harlay-au-Marais. Santerre lived here for a while. No. 2 is located on the spot where Beaumarchais passed away in 1790.

Boulevard Henri IV is modern (1866), built over the site of two old convents. Rue Castex branches off from it, where the convent des Filles de Ste-Marie used to be; its chapel, now a Protestant church, is located at No. 5. The Caserne des Célestins was constructed in 1892 on part of the well-known convent of the Célestins, an Order founded in 1244 by the priest who later became Pope Celestin V. The Carmelites, who were initially based here, were significantly affected by flooding from the Seine, which overflowed its banks in those long-ago times, just as it does today, and they left their quarters on this site. The Célestins arrived in Paris in 1352 and took over these abandoned spaces, receiving support and resources from Charles V, who lived nearby at the Palais St-Pol. The Order was dissolved in 1778, prior to the Revolution, which eliminated all Orders—for a time; in 1785, the convent was repurposed as the first deaf and dumb institution established by abbé de l’Épée. The convent chapel, which housed many royal tombs, including some royal figures’ bodies and others’ hearts, was demolished in 1849. Some remnants of the convent walls stood until 1904. Where the boulevard meets the Quai des Célestins, there is now a circular cluster of weathered, ivy-covered stones; an inscription informs us that these stones were once part of the Tour de la Liberté from the destroyed Bastille. They were discovered while constructing the Paris Metropolitan Railway a few years ago. Today, birds make their home among the remains of that old tower of liberty, and passersby regularly stop to feed them.

Crossing the Seine, we reach Boulevard St-Germain, starting at Boulevard Sully in the 5th arrondissement, extending right through the 6th arrondissement, and ending at Quai d’Orsay near the Chambre des Députés in the 7th arrondissement. Despite its historic name and interesting locations, this boulevard is a modern creation. It has replaced an entire district of old streets. Numbers 61 to 49 are all that remain of the former Rue des Noyers. At No. 67, Alfred de Musset was born (1810). The Théâtre de Cluny is located where part of the old Couvent des Mathurins used to be. The Hachette company now stands where a Jewish cemetery once was. No. 160 was the restaurant that has since been demolished, where Thackeray, as a young student at the Beaux-Arts, used to have his meals. A sign he painted hung there for a long time. We can see some old houses from the ancient Rue des Boucheries between Nos. 162 and 148. At No. 166, we briefly turn into Rue de l’Échaudé, which dates back to the 14th century when it was a path along the abbey moat, lined with old houses. The term "échaudé," which refers to a type of three-cornered cake in baking, means in geographical terms a triangle formed by the convergence of three streets. The cobblestones in front of Nos. 137 to 135 cover the site of the old abbey prison. Rue des Ciseaux used to border the Collège des Écossais. The statue of Diderot at No. 170 was placed there on his centenary, as close as possible to the house he lived in on Rue de l’Égout. The Hôtel Taranne reflects the name of the 13th-century street, remnants of which still exist on the odd-numbered side of the boulevard between No. 175 and Place St-Germain-des-Prés, where Saint-Simon lived and wrote. The small grassy square around the house at No. 186 was originally a leper burial ground, and then served as a Protestant cemetery from 1576 to 1604. Looking into Rue St-Thomas-d’Aquin, once known as Passage des Jacobins, we see the church that began in the early 18th century as a Jacobin convent. During the Revolution, it was turned into a Temple of Peace! The ceiling frescoes are by Lemoine.

The modern boulevard Raspail, starting at No. 103, led to the destruction of several historic streets. Where boulevard St-Germain meets Rue St-Dominique, three or four beautiful old mansions were demolished, cutting off the old street that used to extend to Rue des Saints-Pères. A grand eighteenth-century hotel stood until 1861 at the site of the Bureaux du Ministère des Travaux Publics at No. 244. The minister’s official residence at No. 246, built in 1722, replaced an even older building that was once home to the dowager duchess of Orleans. The part of the Ministère de la Guerre that we see along this boulevard is a new construction. We also see modern buildings at Nos. 280, 282, and 284, all where fine old hotels were demolished to create the boulevard. Along boulevard Raspail, which stretches from boulevard St-Germain to beyond the Montparnasse cemetery, remnants of the ancient streets that were cleared for its construction can still be found; here and there, an old house, a lovely doorway, and at No. 112, a mighty tree with its trunk sticking out through the garden wall, said to be the tree where Victor Hugo sat in thought or perhaps wrote several of his most famous works while living in a nearby old house.

Starting now from Place de la République, we walk along the busy modern boulevard Magenta without spotting anything particularly interesting. The Cité du Wauxhall at No. 6 was opened in 1840 on the site of an older Wauxhall. The large hospital Lariboisière on the adjacent Rue Ambroise-Parée was built from 1839 to 1848, on the clos St-Lazare and was originally named Hôpital Louis-Philippe. Its current name honors the Countess la Riboisière, who donated three million francs for the hospital. The boulevards Barbes and Ornano extend from boulevard Magenta to the Montmartre district. They were developed in the nineteenth century and have no historical significance. No. 10, boulevard Barbes, used to be the dance hall “du Grand Turc.”

The busy Boulevard de Strasbourg, crossed by Boulevard Magenta, is a continuation of the equally bustling Boulevard Sébastopol. Both are major commercial streets that were established in the mid-nineteenth century, built over many old streets and alleys. Old roads also existed where the wide Boulevard du Palais now runs on the Île de la Cité, crossing the area that used to be the Place du Palais, where criminals were once displayed for the public and marked with a red-hot iron.

The buildings we see on the odd-numbered side across from the Palais de Justice—like the Tribunal du Commerce, the Préfecture de Police, and the fire station—were all built in the nineteenth century. This takes us to the boulevard St-Michel, the well-known “Boule-Miche” of the Latin Quarter, which marks the boundary between arrondissements V and VI. As a boulevard, it’s relatively recent, beginning at its northern end in 1855 as boulevard Sébastopol, Rive Gauche. It was soon extended and renamed to honor the old chapel that used to be on one of the streets it replaced. Place St-Michel, where it starts, looks modern today, with almost all signs of the old Place du Pont St-Michel from bygone days disappeared. The large fountain that we see—though it may not impress us as it should—replaced the fountain from 1684. The arched entrance to the narrow street Rue de l’Hirondelle, once called Irondelle according to an old inscription, began in 1179 as Rue de l’Arondale-en-Laas, and a glimpse of the entrances to ancient streets on the boulevard St-Germain side provide the only touch of old-world charm to the place. The tall, blackened walls in Rue de l’Hirondelle are the remnants of the ancient collège d’Autun founded in 1341. At No. 20, where the old hôtel of the bishops of Chartres used to stand, there’s now an eighteenth-century hôtel. No. 38 stands where the house belonging to the Cordeliers used to be, whose monastery was nearby and housed the royal library from the days of Louis XIII until 1666. The Lycée St-Louis, established in 1280 as the college d’Harcourt, occupies the site of several old buildings. A fragment—the only one known—of the boundary wall of Henri II is within the college grounds, and beneath them, remains of a Roman theater were discovered in 1861, with more found in 1908. Where the boulevard meets Rue Monsieur-le-Prince used to be the city wall and a gate of Philippe-Auguste. That was the site of the ancient place. No. 60, the École des Mines, founded in 1783 and initially housed at the Mint, which was an hôtel on Rue de l’Université, was later moved to Montiers in Savoie before settling here in 1815 in the hôtel Vendôme, built in 1707 for the Chartreux and rented in 1714 to the duchesse de Vendôme, who died shortly after. This impressive old building still forms the central part of the Mining School. At No. 62, we see the Geological Map offices. In the courtyard of No. 64, there’s a house built by the Chartreux, once home to the marquis de Ségur and later to Leconte de Lisle. The railway station Gare de Sceaux at No. 66 is on the site of the once-popular Café Rouge. In the old Rue Royer-Collard, which opens at No. 71 and was known as Rue St-Dominique d’Enfer in the sixteenth century, there are several charming old houses. Roman pottery was discovered beneath the pavement of the impasse a few years ago. The house at No. 91 stands on land that was once part of the cemetery St-Jacques. Composer César Franck lived and died at No. 95 (1891). No. 105 is the site of the ancient Noviciat des Feuillants, who were known as “anges gardiens.” The famous student dance hall known as bal Bullier was located at this end of the boulevard from 1848 until a few years ago.

STARTING at the old Barrière des Ternes, now known as Place des Ternes, we make our way through the outer boulevards that form a wide circle. Boulevard de Courcelles, established in 1789, follows the path of charming old streets from the past. Boulevard des Batignolles marks the spot where the barrières de Monceau used to be. The Collège Chaptal, which we see there, was founded in Rue Blanche in 1844. The busy Place de Clichy is where the old Clichy barrier stood, bravely defended by the National Guard in 1814. The large monument in the center is modern (1869). Along the boulevard de Clichy, the barriers Blanche, Montmartre, and des Martyrs used to stretch out, later forming three boulevards: Clichy, Pigalle, and des Martyrs, which united under the name of Clichy in 1864. Just beyond the place, at No. 112, we turn into Avenue Rachel, leading to the Montmartre cemetery, established in 1804 on the site of the old graveyard in the area. Many notable figures are buried here. We see names of historic, literary, or artistic fame on the tombstones all around. The Cavaignac monument is crafted by the great sculptor Rude. The Moulin Rouge, a music hall at No. 88, stands on the site of a once-famous Montmartre dance hall, “la Dame Blanche.” No. 77 is an old convent, and its garden is where a café concert used to be. “Les Quatrez-Arts” at No. 64 is one of the most well-known Montmartre cabarets and music halls. In the Villa des Platanes, opening at No. 58, we find a bas-relief commemorating the defense made at the place in 1814. Rue Fontaine, opening at No. 57, presents a series of small Montmartre theaters and music halls. In Rue Fromentin, we can still see the sign for the famous painting school, l’Académie Julian, that used to be here. In Rue Germain-Pilon, there’s an old pavilion. No. 36 is the Cabaret La Lune Rousse, formerly known as Cabaret des Arts, which had its share of fame or infamy. The passage and Rue de l’Élysée-des-Beaux-Arts feature interesting sculptures and bas-reliefs. Nos. 8 and 6, once a dance hall, were the site of a tragic incident in 1830: the ground beneath gave way due to nearby quarries, and an entire wedding party fell in. Boulevard de Rochechouart is named in honor of a seventeenth-century abbess of Montmartre; part of it used to be boulevard des Poissoniers until the late nineteenth century. The music hall “la Cigale,” at No. 120, established in 1822, was long known as the “bal de la Boule-Noire.” At No. 106, we see a fresco on the walls of the bathhouse; an old building “Aux-deux-Marronniers” at No. 38, and theaters, music halls, etc., showcasing a local flair all along the boulevard.

Boulevard de la Chapelle follows the path of the old boulevard des Vertus. Remnants from the times of the conflicts between the Armagnacs and Bourguignons can still be seen at No. 120, and at No. 39 of the short Rue Château-Landon, which branches off from the boulevard at No. 1, we find the entrance to an old castle that was for a long time the country home of the monks of St-Lazare.

Boulevard Richard-Lenoir doesn’t have anything particularly interesting. The house at No. 140 is old.

OLD WELL AT SALPÉTRIÈRE
(The Well of Manon Lescaut)

Boulevard de l’Hôpital dates back to 1760. The hospital mentioned is the massive Salpétrière, built as a refuge for beggars by Louis XIV on the site where his predecessor had established a powder store. A small part of the old arsenal still exists and is used as a wash-house. The domed church was constructed a few years later; barrels taken from nearby farms were cut up to create its ceiling. Currently, a women’s prison has been built on the grounds—the prison we see in the opera “Manon.” The convulsionists of St-Médard were held there. During the Revolution, it was overtaken by rioters, women of ill-repute were freed, and many prisoners were killed. The new Hôpital de la Pitié was recently built in adjacent land. The central Magasin des Hôpitaux at No. 87, where we can see an old doorway, is located on the site of the hospital burial ground from earlier times.

The beautiful old entrance of la Salpétrière, the statue of the famous Dr. Charcot right outside, the various seventeenth-century buildings, the old woodwork inside the hospital, the courtyard called the Cour des Massacres, and the expansive grounds make visiting this historic hospital very interesting. The grassy open space in front, with its shady trees and the charming streets around, give this distant part of Paris a somewhat rural and provincial vibe, making us feel like we’re miles away from the city. Rue de Campo-Formio, starting at No. 123, was known in the seventeenth century as Rue des Étroites Ruelles. Rue Rubens was formerly Rue des Vignes.

Boulevard Auguste-Blanqui, which was partially known as boulevard des Gobelins in the eighteenth century, features at No. 17 the last Fontaine-Marchande de Paris, now closed down. At No. 50, you can find the small chapel Ste-Rosalie, which has inscriptions with the names of several victims of the fire that destroyed the bazar de la Charité in 1897. At No. 68, there used to be an eighteenth-century house with a rustic appearance and a pillared front, said to have been used as a hunting lodge for Napoléon I. Later, it served as the laundry for a Paris hospital. More recently, the renowned sculptor Rodin made the old house his studio, and when he was forced to leave, he took the interesting old woodwork and the statues from its façade with him.

Along St-Jacques Boulevard (seventeenth century), we see several rundown old houses.

Boulevard Raspail is completely modern, cutting through streets from the past, where historic homes were demolished to make room for it. The newly built No. 117 stands where an old house once was, where Victor Hugo lived and wrote for thirteen years and entertained notable figures of his time. Under the tree we see in the wall at No. 112, the poet enjoyed sitting and reading. At the top of the boulevard, we can see the old Jesuit chapel, nestled between Rue de Sèvres and Rue du Cherche-Midi.

Boulevard Edgar-Quinet started out as boulevard de Montrouge. Its main attraction is the Montparnasse cemetery, established in 1826, featuring many tombs of famous individuals. There’s also an ivy-covered tower from the seventeenth century, called la Tour-du-Moulin, which was once owned by a group of monks.

Boulevard de Vaugirard (eighteenth century) used to include what is now the modernized boulevard Pasteur. There are old houses scattered throughout, including those on Rue du Château, which used to lead to the hunting lodge of the duc de Maine. On Rue Dutot, leading off boulevard Pasteur, you'll find the impressive Institut Pasteur, built in 1900, with its amazing laboratories and excellent setup for its vital branches of chemical research. The tomb of its founder is also there, in a crypt constructed by his students and disciples. Behind the central building, there's a hospital for animals. The Lycée Buffon at No. 16 sits on the site of the old Vaugirard cemetery. Boulevard Garibaldi started in 1789 as boulevard de Meudon, running a considerable distance in that direction; it was later renamed Javel after the neighborhood, and then Grenelle, through which it extended. Some of the older houses along its route and in neighboring streets, as well as those along the current boulevard de Grenelle, which continues from it, still exist, but none are particularly noteworthy. A well-known barrier wall used to be along the line where we now see the Metropolitan railway. In front of the Dupleix station, many prominent political prisoners were executed against this wall between 1797 and 1815.

The boulevards des Invalides, de Montparnasse, and de Port-Royal form a long line. Boulevard des Invalides has its main attraction at No. 33, the old hôtel Biron, which later became the convent of the Sacré-Cœur, then Rodin’s studio, and his Paris home—now partly the museum he left to Paris (see pp. 192, 194).

Boulevard Montparnasse, established in 1760, features many impressive eighteenth-century hôtels and a few smaller buildings from the same era. At No. 25, the hôtel of the duc de Vendôme, grandson of Henri IV, served as the residence for the children of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan.

Cloister of Port-Royal Abbey

The Gare Montparnasse at No. 66 is a modern building on the site of an older train station. Impasse Robiquet at No. 81 dates back to the fifteenth century. No. 87 is an old hunting lodge, which in more recent times was home to Pierre Leroux, who worked with George Sand to establish the Revue Indépendante. Rue du Montparnasse, branching off from the boulevard, is a seventeenth-century street that cuts through land that partly belonged to the church St-Laurent de Vaugirard and partly to the Hôtel-Dieu. The church Notre-Dame-des-Champs is modern (1867-75). Rue Stanislas, which runs by the church at No. 91, was created from the grounds of the hôtel Terray in the early nineteenth century, where the Collège Stanislas, named after Louis XVIII, was first established. At No. 28 of Rue Vavin, which opens at No. 99, stood, until last year, the old Pavillon de l’Horloge, a remnant of the old hôtel Traversière. The short Rue de la Grande Chaumière, opened in 1830 as Rue Chamon, remembers by its current name a famous dance hall in the Latin Quarter nearby. Here, artist models gather for hire at noon every Monday. Rue de Chevreuse, which opens at No. 125, was a thoroughfare as early as 1210, bordering an hôtel de Chevreuse et Rohan-Guéménée. A well-known eighteenth-century porcelaine factory was located close by.

Boulevard de Port-Royal: at No. 119, we can see the abbey built in the first half of the seventeenth century. This is where the good nuns of Port-Royal-des-Champs from the Chevreuse Valley came, a convent founded in the early thirteenth century by Mathieu de Montmorency and his wife Mathilde de Garlande, and given to the Order of the Bernardines. In the sixteenth century, scholars seeking solitude found it in that remote convent. Pascal frequently visited there. Conflicts between Jesuits and Jansenists led to the destruction of the Port-Royal-des-Champs convent in 1710. The Paris Port-Royal continued until 1790. Then, the abbey was turned into a prison, like many other significant buildings, both religious and secular; its name was changed to Port-Libre, and many notable prisoners, including Couthon, were held there. In the fourth year of the Convention, it became what it is today, a Maternity Hospital. Women students now sleep in the old nuns’ cells. Most of the original abbey buildings are still standing. The tombstone of the recluse, Arnauld of Andilly, which we see in the sacristy, was discovered beneath the pavement a few years ago. The entrance is modern. The annexe of the Cochin hospital at No. 111 is an old Capuchin convent; its chapel is used as the hospital lecture room.

Rue Pierre-Nicole, which branches off the boulevard at No. 90, was carved out in modern times from the grounds of the old Carmelite convent Val-de-Grâce. Along the extension of the street, we can still see remnants of the convent. Long ago, this area was a Roman cemetery, where both earth burials and cremations were common. At No. 17 bis on this street, we find the house that used to be the oratory of Mademoiselle de la Vallière, who, as Sœur Louise de la Miséricorde, spent the last thirty-six years of her life in pénitence here. The Marine barracks, Caserne Lourcine, located at No. 37 on the boulevard, are on the site of the old barracks of the Gardes Françaises, which recall the previous name of Rue Broca, a street of historic residences. The Broca hospital, named after the renowned doctor, was partially built from the old convent of the Cordelières, established in 1259 by Margaret de Provence, the wife of Louis XI. The convent was looted in the sixteenth century by Béarnais troops, seized and sold during the Revolution, and eventually became Hôpital Lourcine in 1836 and then Broca in 1892.

REMAINS OF THE CONVENT OF THE CAPUCHINS

The two major modern boulevards in Paris are Boulevard Haussmann and Boulevard Malesherbes. The first, , was planned and partially built by the Prefect of the Seine after whom it's named. It runs through the 8th arrondissement and into the 9th, beginning in 1857, and is completely modern except for one house, No. 173, at the intersection with Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, which dates back to the eighteenth century. Boulevard Malesherbes is from around the same time. At No. 11, it connects with Avenue Velasquez, where at No. 7, we find the Cernuschi Museum, which was bequeathed to Paris by its owner as an Oriental Museum. The beautiful St-Augustin church is relatively new. In addition to these grand boulevards and a few others that lack historical significance, there are boulevards that circle Paris, along the city's borders, with city gates at intervals. The boulevards near the Bois de Boulogne are lined with villas and mansions, many of which are quite luxurious. Throughout the other boulevards that make up this wide perimeter around the fortifications, you'll find modern mansions and various types of housing, but few with any historical significance, aside from the names that often commemorate some of Napoleon's greatest generals.

Boulevard de la Villette is made up of several old boulevards, and its name recalls the past presence of the “petite ville,” a collection of small buildings that were part of the leper-house St-Lazare, first built on a site known in the twelfth century as the district of Rouvray. The black-walled Rotonde we see today was originally the Custom House, first built in 1789, burned down in 1871, and then rebuilt according to the original design. The Meaux barrier was located there, marking the northern edge of the highway, an area of significant military importance. Louis XVI passed this way back to Paris after the escape to Varennes. The Imperial Guard marched triumphantly through here in 1807 after their successful campaigns in Germany. Louis XVIII entered through the barrier gate in 1814. The inn where the armistice was signed in 1814 was at the Rond-Point across from the barrier. At No. 130 on the boulevard, we reach Place du Combat, a name that refers not to military conflict but to bull-fights or possibly cock-fights that occurred here into the nineteenth century. Nearby is the location of the infamous city gallows, the gibet de Maufaucon of days gone by (see p. 240). And in the vicinity, on the small Rue Vicq d’Azir, which dates back to the early years of last century, died the former public executioner of Paris, Deibler, in 1904.

On the other side of Paris, on Boulevard Kellermann, the Porte de Bicêtre reminds us of the English occupation from long ago or possibly a later English colonization, since Bicêtre is a distorted version of Winchester. These boulevards in the 13th arrondissement are ragman’s neighborhoods, the area of the Paris chiffonniers. Here at the poterne des Peupliers, the Bièvre river flows into Paris, completely hidden from sight now as it travels through the city beneath the streets.

The boulevards near Père Lachaise, Belleville, Ménilmontant, and Charonne date back to 1789. The short Rue des Panoyaux, which branches off from the boulevard Ménilmontant, is said to get its name from the time when vines grew here, one of which produced a seedless grape: “pas noyau”—no kernel. References to the village of Charonne appear in documents from the early 11th century. The area was mainly church property, owned by the old abbey of St-Magliore and the Paris Cathedral.

THE quays of the Seine as it flows through Paris are incredibly picturesque and reveal historic points of interest at almost every turn. This interest is most pronounced, and the quays are the most charming and captivating, as they move through the heart of the city.

Let’s start at Point-du-Jour, the “Dawn of Day,” where the border of Paris meets the suburbs to the southeast. The name comes from a famous duel that took place here at dawn on a memorable morning in 1743. Taking the Rive Droite, the right bank, we follow the Quai d’Auteuil, which, until the late nineteenth century, was just a road where riverboats were loaded and unloaded. The beautiful viaduct over the river was built in 1864-65. It was heavily bombarded during the war of 1870. On Sundays and holidays, this charming quay is lively with visitors who fill its popular cafés, drinking spots, and entertainment.

Quai de Passy was established in 1842 along that section of the old main road to Versailles. Some charming old houses still remain there. At No. 26, we see a Louis XVI pavilion. No. 32 is surrounded by a lovely park, which includes remnants of the home of Abbé Ragois, Madame de Maintenon's confessor, along with iron-rich springs. Rue Berton, which runs up from the Quai, is one of the most picturesque old streets in Paris. At No. 17, there’s an extensive property and a Louis XV hotel, which once belonged to various noble families and the unfortunate Princesse de Lamballe, and is now a Maison de Santé—a private asylum. The marker at No. 24 has been there since 1731, serving as a boundary between the estates of Passy and Auteuil.

Quai de la Conférence, in the 8th arrondissement, dates back to the late 1700s, with its name referencing the middle of the previous century when Spanish politicians entered Paris through a large gate nearby to discuss the marriage of Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse.

Cours-la-Reine, which runs alongside the Seine on this quay, was first established by Marie de’ Medici in 1618, on land used for market gardening. It became a popular and trendy promenade during the Fronde; a moat surrounded it, with iron gates securing the entrance. At No. 16 Rue Bayard, which leads out of it, we find the Maison de François I, featuring sculptures created by Jean Goujon, brought here piece by piece in 1826 from the charming old village of Moret near Fontainebleau where it was originally constructed. On its facade, there is an inscription in Latin.

Quai des Tuileries was established under Louis XIV along the line of Charles V’s boundary wall, which was demolished in 1670. The walls of the Louvre that border this quay, originally built during Henri IV's time, aimed to connect the Louvre to the Tuileries, which were then outside the city limits, by a gallery. These walls were rebuilt by Napoléon III (1863-68). Place du Carrousel, located behind this facade, got its name from a carrousel held there by Louis XIV, in the garden once known as the parterre de Mademoiselle, and dates back to 1662. During the Revolution, it temporarily became the soi-disant Place de la Fraternité. On this fraternal (?) place, political prisoners were executed while the conventionels watched from the Tuileries windows. It was also the site of significant events on June 20th and August 10th, 1792, and later on July 24th, 1830.

L’Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel dates back to 1806 and was built to celebrate the campaign of 1805. The large square, which features the massive statue of Gambetta, was known during the Second Empire as the Cour Napoléon III. In previous days, it was filled with a number of short, narrow streets that crisscrossed. Among these streets were several mansions, one or two chapels, a small burial ground, and a theater. Beyond that, the grounds of the major hospital for the blind, the “Quinze-Vingts,” stretched along the banks of the Seine, starting from the hospital on Rue St-Honoré, its location from its establishment until it was moved to Rue de Charenton in 1779 (see p. 250). Along the Quai, you can see the terrace “Bord de l’Eau” of the Tuileries gardens. The Orangerie, rebuilt in 1853, was originally a garden in the seventeenth century where the famous Cabaret Regnard, a precursor to the modern Casino, was located. From this terrace, there was a underground passage created by Napoléon I for Marie Louise that connected to the Tuileries Palace, and nearby was the Pont-tournant, built by a monk in 1716, which is where Louis XVI was brought back after escaping to Varennes.

The Quai de Louvre is a combination of several sections of the quay that have been known by different names over time, with the oldest section, located between the Pont-Neuf and Rue du Louvre, dating back to the thirteenth century. In the jardin de l’Infante, which borders the palace, the old palace from the time of Catherine de’ Medici features statues of Velasquez, Raffet, Meissonnier, and Boucher. Reaching the houses along the quay, we see at No. 10 the historic Café de Parnasse, now the Bouillon du Pont-Neuf, where Danton often spent many hours and ended up marrying Gabrielle Charpentier, the landlord’s daughter. At No. 8, built by Louis XVI’s dentist, there is a beautifully crafted wrought-iron balcony. Next, we arrive at the old Quai de la Mégisserie, which dates back to the time of Charles V, originally known as Quai de la Sannierie, meaning “tools for saltmaking” quay, and later as Quai de la Ferraille, meaning “iron-instrument” quay. Its current name also refers to a Paris industry, the processing of sheepskins. The intersection where it meets Quai du Louvre and the Pont-Neuf was historically called Carrefour des Trois-Maries, and it was also known as Place du Four.

The “Belle Jardinière” is located on the site of the Forum Episcopi, which was the episcopal prison during the Middle Ages and later became a royal prison rebuilt in 1656 by de Gondi, the first archbishop of Paris. Most of its prisoners were actors and actresses. Charming old streets open up onto this historic quay. At No. 12, we turn onto Rue Bertin-Poirée, a street from the early thirteenth century, where at No. 5 we see a charming, weathered sign for the Tour d’Argent and several houses with black walls. The thirteenth-century Rue Jean-Lantier, which honors a Parisian from that distant era, stretches across what was once the Place du Chevalier du Guet, from the hotel built for a Knight of the Guet (the Watch) during Louis IX’s time. Rue des Lavandières, from the same period, reminds us of the days when lavender growers and traders lived and thrived here. At No. 13, we see a beautiful heraldic shield without any symbols; at No. 6, there are old bas-reliefs. Rue des Deux-Boules has existed under different names since the twelfth century. At No. 2 on this quay, the great painter David was born in 1748.

Quai des Gesvres was constructed by the Marquis de Gesvres in 1641. The old arcades underneath, with their vaulted ceilings, still support this historic quay. The shops that used to be there were destroyed in 1789. The café at No. 10, built in 1855, was named “A la Pompe Notre-Dame” to commemorate the twin pumps that used to supply water to the local residents from the Pont Notre-Dame bridge. Rue de la Tâcherie (tâche, task, work) was called Rue de la Juiverie back in the thirteenth century. This area is still known as the Jewish quarter of the city.

Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville was shaped into its current form in the nineteenth century from three old streets along the Seine. In the past, corn and hay were unloaded here. On the wall of house No. 34, the date 1548 can be seen, and inside, there’s an interesting old staircase. At No. 90, the old Rue de Brosse opens up, named to honor the architect of the beautiful portal of St-Gervais, which is right in front of us here (see p. 103), as well as the Luxembourg Palace, near the old impasse at the south end of the church. Where Quai des Célestins meets, the twelfth-century Rue des Nonnains d’Hyères opens, where the nuns of Yerres once had a convent. Almost every building is old. In the courtyard at No. 21, we can see the interesting façade of the hôtel d’Aumont, which is now the Pharmacie Centrale des Hôpitaux.

HÔTEL DE FIEUBET, QUAI DES CÉLESTINS

Quai des Célestins, in the area of the now-gone convent (see p. 303), has many fascinating remnants of history. No. 32 is located on the site of the Tour Barbeau, where the wall of Philippe-Auguste ended, and of the tennis court that once served as a theater for Molière and his company (1645). The walls of No. 22 are part of the beautiful old hôtel de Vieuville (see p. 114). At No. 16, we find a unique old courtyard. No. 14, formerly hôtel Beaumarchais, then petit hôtel Vieuville, which was at one time used as a Jewish temple, has a stunning frescoed ceiling. We can see remains of ancient hôtels at No. 6 and 4. No. 2, l’École Massillon, originally built as a private mansion, l’hôtel Fieubet, designed by Mansart (seventeenth century), was restored in 1850 and expanded by the Oratoriens in 1877.

Quai Henri IV runs along the old path of Île Louviers, which joined the Rive Droite in 1843, owned by various noble families until 1790. At No. 30 is the Archives de la Seine.

Quai de la Rapée, named after the country house of a politician from the time of Louis XV, is lined along its entire length by old, but mostly rundown buildings, which used to be drinking spots. Passage des Mousquetaires at No. 18 marks the area where the Caserne des Mousquetaires used to be, now known as l’Hôpital des Quinze-Vingts.

Quai de Bercy, noted by its name the bergerie, in old French bercil, back in the days long past. There was also a castle built by Le Vau and large gardens designed by the famous seventeenth-century gardener Le Nôtre. Their location was surrendered in the second half of the nineteenth century for the Entrepôts de Bercy.

Picturesque old quays surround the islands on the Seine. Quai de l’Horloge, watched over by the historic clock tower of the Palais de Justice (see p. 50), used to be called Quai des Morfondus, the quay of people shivering from cold river mists and harsh winds. When opticians made that riverbank their special area, it became Quai des Lunettes. Lesage, the author of Gil Blas, lived here in 1715, at the Soleil d’Or. No. 41, where the engraver Philipon, Mme Roland’s father, lived, is known as the house of Madame Roland, as it was her childhood home. No. 17 dates back to the time of Louis XIII.

Quai des Orfèvres, the goldsmith’s quay, from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, has lost its oldest and most charming buildings due to the recent expansion of the Palais de Justice. In ancient times, a Roman wall ran through here. At No. 20 Rue de Harlay, which branches off, you can see part of an old archway. No. 2 features a Louis XIII house. Nos. 52-54 on the quai are from 1603; the latter was once home to the jewellers involved in the affaire du collier. At No. 58 lived Strass, the inventor of simulated diamonds.

Quai de la Cité was built in 1785, on the site of the ancient port-aux-œufs, remnants of which were discovered during the construction of the metro a few years ago. Along these banks, you can find the bird shops of Paris; the Marché-aux-Oiseaux takes place here. Nearby is the Marché-aux-Fleurs. Merovingian artifacts were uncovered beneath the surface of this part of the quay in 1906. Thick, sturdy walls thought to have been constructed by Dagobert, along with inscriptions, capitals, and tombstones—the remnants of ancient Paris.

Quai de l’Archevêché notes that the archbishop’s palace, built in 1697 by Cardinal de Noailles, was looted and destroyed in 1831. The sacristy and presbytery that are there now are modern. This is the quay of the Paris Morgue, the Dead House, relocated here in 1864 from Marché-Neuf, where it had been since 1804, when it was moved from le Grand Châtelet. For years, we've been hearing that it is "soon" going to be moved again, taken to a more distant part of the city.

The Square de l’Archevêché, established in 1837, used to be a stretch of unused land called the “Motte aux Papelards,” which served as the playground for the Cathedral Staff. Boileau lived here on a street that no longer exists. His country house, as we know, was in Auteuil (see p. 275). In 1870, the square was temporarily converted into an artillery ground.

Quai de Bourbon on Île St. Louis dates back to 1614. Every house along this street is interesting, mostly from the seventeenth century. At No. 3, there’s a shop in the style of Louis XV. Nos. 13-15 is the hôtel de Charron, where Meissonnier had his studio in more recent times. You can see beautiful doors and doorways, courtyards, staircases, and balustrades at every house. No. 29 was the home of Roualle de Boisgelon. Philippe de Champaigne lived for a while at No. 45.

Quai d’Orléans was named after Gaston, the brother of Louis XIII. No. 18 is the Roland Hotel. No. 6 is a Polish museum and library.

Quai de Béthune, formerly Quai du Dauphin and renamed Quai de la Liberté by the Revolutionists, features seventeenth-century houses along its entire stretch. Number 32 was the childhood home of the statesman Turgot—his father's house. There were underground passages leading to the Seine from No. 30 and some other riverside houses. At No. 24, built by Le Vau, there is an interesting courtyard with a fountain, etc.

Quai d’Anjou is another quay in Orleans, named after Gaston, who was the Duke of Anjou. Number 1 is the beautiful Hôtel Lambert de Thorigny (see p. 93). Number 5 is the "petit hôtel Poisson de Marigny," the brother of Madame de Pompadour. Number 7 started as part of the Hôtel Lambert and is now the headquarters for the municipal bakery directors. Numbers 11 and 13 are the Hôtel of Louis Lambert de Thorigny. Number 17 is Hôtel Lauzun, the husband of "La Grande Mademoiselle," and later became the home of several notable writers, including Baudelaire and Théophile Gautier. The "Parisiens de Paris" society purchased it in 1904; it's a magnificent mansion classified as a "Monument historique," which means it is protected by the state for maintenance. Numbers 23 and 25 are built on stilts over four old walls. Number 35 was constructed by the coachman of Louis XIV.

We’ll start again from the southwest corner. Here in 1777, in the small riverside village outside Paris, a large factory was built, where the disinfectant known as eau de Javel, widely used across France, was first produced. The Quai de Javel was built about fifty years later.

Quai de Grenelle, a bumpy road from the eighteenth century, was created at the same time. The Allée des Cygnes gets its name from the historic Île des Cygnes, which was known in the sixteenth century and later as Île Maquerelle, or mal querelle, because the isolated island on the Seine, which was later connected to the riverbank, was a great spot back then for fights and arguments. During the reign of Louis XIV, the island became a public walkway, and the King had swans placed there, giving it its name.

Quai d’Orsay, named after a famous parliamentary figure of his time, Prévôt des Marchands, was first built in the early 1700s and was called Quai Buonaparte from 1802 to 1815. It stretches through the 7th arrondissement. Along its edges, you'll find the vibrant gardens of the newly created Champ de Mars park and many stylish modern streets and avenues leading off it. No. 105 is the State Garde-Meuble, which houses stunning tapestries and historical artifacts from the reigns of kings and emperors. At No. 99 were the imperial stables. No. 97 is Ministère du Travail. The Ministère des Affaires Étrangères (Foreign Office) at No. 37 is a contemporary building. The Palais de la Présidence at No. 35 was built in 1722. The Palais-Bourbon is from the same period (see p. 200).

The busy Gare d’Orléans, a notable modern building along the quay, stands on the site of the old Palais d’Orsay and an ancient barracks that was destroyed by fire in 1871. In an inner courtyard at No. 1, we can see the remnants of the old hôtel de Robert de Cotte, who was the royal architect-in-chief in the early years of the eighteenth century.

Quai Voltaire was known in the 18th century as Quai des Théatins. It was built under Mazarin and restored in 1751. Many notable historical figures are linked to the beautiful house at No. 27, constructed around 1712 for Nicolas de Bragelonne, Treasurer of France. Its main point of interest is related to Voltaire, as he died here in 1778 and his heart was kept here until 1791. No. 25 was the residence of Alfred de Musset. The area between 25 and 15 housed the convent of the Théatins from the days of Mazarin until 1791. The short Rue de Beaume nearby features many interesting old houses. No. 1 was the hôtel of the Marquis de Villette, who became a member of the Convention and named his son Voltaire. His stables were at No. 3. Boissy d'Anglas lived at No. 5 in 1793, and Chateaubriand stayed there in 1804. No. 17, built around 1670, was the home of the Carnot family. At No. 10, we see remnants of a house belonging to the Mousquetaires Gris, as this was their headquarters. No. 2 was built for the Marquis de Mailly-Nesle. Nos. 11 to 9 along the quai were the residence of Président de Perrault, secretary to the Grand Condé. The Duchess of Portsmouth lived here in 1690, and the famous painter Ingres died here in 1867.

Quai Malaquais started out as Quai de la Reine Marguerite but quickly got the nickname Quai Mal-acquet (Mal-acquis) because the Queen, Henri IV’s briefly married divorced wife, had taken the abbey grounds of the Petit Pré-aux-Clercs to build her garden-surrounded mansion. At No. 1, the architect Visconti passed away in 1818. In 1820, Humboldt lived at No. 3. The statue of Voltaire by Caillé was installed across from No. 5 in 1885. The house at No. 9 was constructed around 1624 on the mal-acquis land taken by Margaret de Valois. No. 11, École des Beaux-Arts, sits on the site of the former hôtel de Brienne, which was owned by Louis XIV’s Secretary of State. Later connected to the neighboring house, it became the residence of Mazarin and eventually Fouché, and was linked to the nearby police offices. Nos. 15 and 17, built by Mansart in 1640 and restored a century later, after being occupied by prominent individuals, were taken over by the State and annexed to the Beaux-Arts in 1885.

Quai de Conti is named after the brother of the Grand Condé. Its main building is the Institut de France, the Collège Mazarin, built between 1663 and 1670, as the Collège des Quatre Nations Réunies. Its left pavilion sits where the old Tour de Nesle used to be, right by the Seine, which marked the border of Philippe-Auguste’s wall and rampart. Mazarin’s will established the college to support sixty less fortunate gentlemen’s sons from Alsace, France, Pignerol, and Roussillon. During the Revolution, it was called the “Collège de l’Unité,” but in 1793, it was shut down and the building was used for meetings of the Salut Public, later becoming an École Normale, then a Palais des Arts; finally, after being restored, it became the Institut de France in 1805, as we know it today. The old chapel has been converted into the grand meeting hall, the hall of the grandes “Séances.” For a long time, Mazarin’s tomb was there, now in the Louvre; his body is said to still rest beneath the chapel floor. The Bibliothèque Mazarine is located in the part of the building where the old petit hôtel de Nesle once stood. The majority of the statesman’s valuable book collection was moved here from his palace, which is now part of the Bibliothèque Nationale on Rue de Richelieu, according to his will. It contains many precious ancient volumes and manuscripts. House No. 15 was built by Louis XIV on the foundations of the old Tour de Nesle. No. 13, where the Pigoreau booksellers are located, was built by Mansard in 1659, with one of its walls resting on a section of Philippe-Auguste’s ancient wall. On the third floor, there’s a room, an attic then, where young Buonaparte, a student at the École Militaire, used to spend his holidays, welcomed by his family's old friends. The short Rue Guénégaud, remembering the mansion that used to be there, borders one part of the Mint’s walls, and along the rest of its length, we find at No. 1 the remains of a once famous marionette theater; at No. 19, an old gabled house; and in the courtyard at No. 29, a tower of Philippe-Auguste’s wall; there’s also an ancient inscription at No. 35 and a nice old door at No. 16, etc. The narrow, old-fashioned Rue de Nevers has only historic houses. This thirteenth-century street used to be closed at both ends and was known as Rue des Deux-Portes. Beneath No. 13 of the little Rue de Nesle runs an old underground passage that has recently been blocked. The old house at No. 5 of the quay was long believed to be where Buonaparte lived after leaving Brienne. At the recently torn down No. 3 lived Marie-Antoinette’s jeweler, with his shop marked by the sign “Le petit Dunkerque,” referring to the trendy jewelry curiosities of 1780. A little café at No. 1, which was also demolished, was until recently the humble successor to the first Paris “Café des Anglais,” which was set up there in 1769 and served as a gathering place for British writers.

QUAI DES GRANDS-AUGUSTINS

Quai des Grands-Augustins, the oldest quay in Paris, dates back partly to the thirteenth century and marks the location of the monastery where significant clergy assemblies took place, along with the ecclesiastical archives maintained from 1645 to 1792. The Salle des Archives was later used for printing assignats. In 1797, the convent was sold and demolished. You can still see some remnants at No. 55. The bookseller’s shop there was, until recently, paved with gravestones from the convent chapel that used to be on the site of No. 53. The restaurant Lapérouse at No. 51 was the hotel of the comte de Bruillevert in the seventeenth century. The Académie bookseller, Didier-Perrin, is located in the old hôtel Feydeau et Montholon. No. 25 was built by François I. No. 23 opened on the now-gone Rue de Hurepoix. No. 17 was part of the hôtel d’O, which later became the hôtel de Luynes.

Quai St-Michel was referred to during Napoléon's time as Quai de la Gloriette. Its first stone was laid back in 1561, but no more stones were added until 1767, resulting in a two-century gap. Another delay pushed its completion to 1811. The two narrow, shabby streets leading onto it, Rue Zacharie and Rue du Chat qui Pêche, were established, the first in 1219, and partially Rue Sac-à-lie and Rue des Trois-Chandeliers, which has been a slum since its inception; the second, just a narrow alley, was created in 1540.

Quai de Montebello started in 1554 as Quai des Bernardins, near the convent—its walls still standing (see p. 136). The quay had several names over the years until it was completely rebuilt in the early 1800s and renamed to honor Napoléon’s great General, Maréchal Lannes.

Quai de la Tournelle was known as Quai St-Bernard in the fourteenth century. The Porte St-Bernard was nearby. La Tournelle was a stronghold where prisoners were held before being deported. On the wall of Nos. 57-55, which is now a distillery, we see the words: “Hôtel cy-devant de Nesmond.” It originally started as hôtel du Pain. Président de Nesmond, who later owned it, had his name inscribed on the front, marking the first known instance of this kind of inscription. The Pharmacie Centrale at No. 47 is the former convent of the Miramiones. The nuns were named after Mme de Miramion, who, widowed at sixteen, founded this convent to care for poor girls. The nuns even had their own boat to take the girls to services at Notre-Dame. In the chapel, we find seventeenth-century decorations, and throughout the building there are many interesting remnants. On the walls at No. 37, we see the inscription, “Hôtel cy-devant du Président Rolland” (the anti-Jesuit). The old coaches for Fontainebleau had their office and starting point at No. 21. No. 15 is the charming and historic restaurant de la Tour d’Argent, which has been around since 1575 (closed during the war), famous for its excellent and traditional cuisine and its picturesque, vintage menu cards, full of couleur locale.

Quai d’Austerlitz is the former Quai de l’Hôpital. The border between Paris and what was once the village of Austerlitz ran through No. 21. The famous Hôtel des Haricots, the prison for the Garde Nationale where many artists and writers of the past served time, often left their names written in couplets on its walls. Until the early years of the last century, it was located where we now see the busy departure platform of the Gare d’Orléans.

Quai de la Gare, lined with old houses, was known as route Nationale until 1863.

ONCE again in the southwestern corner of this “good city of Paris.” The first bridge over the Seine within the city limits, starting at this end, is the Viaduct d’Auteuil (see p. 320). The second is Pont-Mirabeau, built in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Pont de Grenelle is older (1825). The Statue of Liberty you see there (by Bartholdi) is a smaller replica of the one sent to New York. Pont de Passy first crossed the Seine as a simple footbridge during the Exhibition of 1878, and was rebuilt in its current form in 1906. Pont d’Iéna has a more significant historical background. Its construction began in 1806. It was just finished when in 1814 Blücher and the Allies planned to blow it up. Royal influence intervened to save it. It was called Pont des Invalides until 1830.

Pont de l’Alma, that distinctly Second-Empire bridge with its four Napoléonic soldiers—a Zouave, an infantryman, an artilleryman, and a chasseur—was constructed between 1854 and 1857. It was still not finished when on April 2, 1856, Napoléon III and a lavishly dressed entourage crossed it to present flags to the regiments returning from the Crimea. Pont-des-Invalides was built in 1855.

THE PONT DES ARTS AND THE INSTITUTE

The first stone of the very ornate Pont Alexandre III, made of a single arch 107 meters long, was laid with great ceremony by Czar Nicholas II in 1896. It was opened in 1900.

A truly historic bridge is the Pont de la Concorde, built between 1787 and 1790, completed with stones from the demolished Bastille, and originally named Pont Louis XVI. After Louis’ execution, the bridge was renamed Pont de la Révolution. In 1828, twelve large statues of famous statesmen and warriors were erected on it. However, they were deemed too large and were removed in 1851 to the Cour d’Honneur de Versailles.

PONT-NEUF

Pont de Solferino, built in 1858, commemorates the successful Italian campaigns of 1859.

Pont-Royal was designed by Mansart and constructed in 1689 by Dominican monks to replace a smaller, more basic bridge that had been known at various times as Pont-Barlier, Pont-des-Tuileries, Pont-Rouge, and Pont Ste-Anne; it was restored in 1841. Pont des Saints-Pères, or Pont du Carrousel, was one of the last bridges in Paris to charge a toll; it was built in 1834 and has been restored in recent years.

Pont-des-Arts, named for its proximity to the Louvre, runs straight from the colonnaded archway of the Court Carrée to the Institut. It was opened in 1804 and restored in 1854.

Pont-Neuf, the most iconic bridge in Paris, dates back to the reign of Henri III. The King himself laid the first stone in 1578, but it wasn't completed until 1603, when Henri IV was King. “The Good King” insisted on being the first to cross it on horseback, and even though it wasn't safe yet, he urged his thoroughbred along the unfinished bridge. His lords, eager to follow their master, were jolted from their saddles and fell onto the unguarded structure, rolling into the river and drowning. Louis XIII erected a statue of his father on horseback on the bridge; the statue of the horse was a gift from Cosimo de’ Medici to Louis’ mother. During the Revolution, it was knocked down, removed, and melted down to make cannons for the rebels. Louis XVIII replaced it with a statue made from the bronze of the first statue of Napoléon that had been set up at Place Vendôme and that of his general, Desaix, at Place des Victoires. Although it was set up by the Bourbon King, the figure we see is believed to contain a figurine of Napoléon I and Voltaire’s Henriade. Until 1848, there were shops within the semicircles on either side of the old bridge, and beneath the second archway near the right bank was one of the first hydraulic pumps, known as “la Samaritaine.” Its water was transported to the Louvre, the Tuileries, and nearby houses, and it also fed the famous old fountain built in 1608, destroyed a century later, and rebuilt in 1715, only to be destroyed again after another hundred years, featuring the figure of the Samaritan woman giving water to our Savior. The bathing house nearby with its sign, along with the large modern shop of unattractive design, are the only remnants that recall the ancient pump and fountain. Two or three old houses still stand on the Place du Pont-Neuf in the center of the bridge. At its picturesque western end, we find the tree-shaded square Henri IV, also known as the Square du Vert-Galant. Place Dauphine, on its southwestern side, dates back to the time when Henri’s son, who later became Louis XIII, was dauphin.

The Pont St-Michel we see today was built in 1857. The first bridge there, connecting the mainland to the island on the Seine, was constructed towards the end of the fourteenth century. That bridge and two subsequent ones were destroyed by fire.

Pont-au-Change, the Money-changers’ Bridge, used to be a wooden structure known as Pont de la Marchandise and Pont-aux-Oiseaux. Jewelers and money-changers conducted their business along its planks, and perhaps even bird sellers. In the early twelfth century, it was located a little higher up the river and was often flooded. It also suffered from severe fires on multiple occasions; then in the seventeenth century, it was completely rebuilt in stone, with bronze statues of the royal family—Louis XIII, a young Louis XIV, and Anne d'Autriche—installed there. In the following century, all the houses on the bridge were removed, and it was rebuilt again in 1858.

The Petit-Pont connects the Île to the left bank at the same spot where the Romans built a bridge across the river, one of two that spanned the Seine in their time, and beyond. Like all the town bridges from the Middle Ages, it was made of wood, with houses and shops densely packed on both sides; there were even windmills on this old bridge, grinding grain for the local residents. Where we now find the Place du Petit-Pont, there used to be a wooden tower, la Tour de Bois, built to protect the bridge from invading Normans. At the Musée Carnavalet, you can see an ancient inscription listing the names of twelve warriors who fought here to defend their city, led by Gozlin, bishop of Paris, in 886. In the twelfth century, Maurice de Sully, the builder of Notre-Dame, rebuilt the bridge in stone, but floods and fires repeatedly destroyed it. The last major fire occurred in the spring of 1718. It was then rebuilt, without its wooden houses. The current structure dates from 1853. The place was built in 1782, when the Petit Châtelet, which had replaced the Tour de Bois, was demolished. In Rue du Petit-Pont, we can still see some old houses on the odd-numbered side. Many were torn down when the street was widened a few years ago.

The other bridge from Roman times, which likely replaced a basic primitive bridge, was located where the Pont Notre-Dame now crosses the river. The Roman bridge, made of wooden piles, was destroyed by the Normans in 861. It was rebuilt as the Pont Notre-Dame in 1413, but collapsed about eighty years later, taking with it the house of a well-known printer at the time. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times until its last reconstruction in 1853. Its houses were the first in France to be numbered (1507). There were sixty-eight of these houses, and the numbering was done in gold or gilded figures. All these old houses were demolished in 1786. The Pont Notre-Dame was the "bridge of honor." Royalty arriving in Paris in grand fashion used this bridge to enter the city. Close to it stood the Pompe Notre-Dame for nearly two hundred years—from 1670 to 1856— which supplied all the fountains in the area with water.

Pont d’Arcole, as we see it today, was built in 1854, replacing a wooden bridge that had been constructed in 1828 called Pont de la Grève, commonly known as Pont de la Balance. It was named after Napoléon’s victory in 1796 during the Revolution of 1830 when a young man leading a group of rebels rushed onto the bridge waving the tricolor and shouted, “If I die, remember my name is Arcole.”

Pont-au-Double, named because passengers paid a double toll to cross it for the benefit of the Hôtel-Dieu, is a 19th-century structure, replacing the original bridge of the same name built in the 16th century, located a bit further up the river.

Pont de l’Archevêché dates back to 1828. Pont St-Louis, which connects l’Île de la Cité to l’Île St-Louis, was built in 1614 as a wooden bridge painted red, hence it was called Pont-Rouge. Like all wooden structures of that time, it suffered damage from fire, and during the eighteenth century, around the time of the Revolution, “icebergs” on the Seine knocked it down. An iron footbridge was put up in its place and stayed until 1862, when the bridge we see today was constructed.

Pont Louis-Philippe was constructed in the same year to replace a toll suspension bridge.

Pont de la Tournelle, as we see it today, was constructed in 1851, but it started off as a wooden bridge built in the fourteenth century.[I]

Pont Marie was not, as one might think, named in honor of the Virgin or Marie de’ Medici, who laid its first stone. It simply reflects the name of its builder, who was the “Entrepreneur-Général des Ponts de France” at the time. Fifty houses were constructed on it. Some were destroyed by floods a few years later, while others were taken down in 1788. The two Ponts de Sully are, except for Pont de Tolbiac, the most modern bridges in Paris, built a few years after the Franco-Prussian War, replacing two older, less significant bridges. Pont d’Austerlitz was built in 1806, the year of the great battle. When the Emperor fell, the Allies demanded that the name be removed, and the French Government of the time renamed it Pont du Jardin du Roi, referring to the Jardin des Plantes nearby (see p. 155). The new name didn’t stick. The people rejected it. It has continued to serve as a reminder of Napoléon’s victory. It has been enlarged several times, the last being in 1885. Pont de Bercy was built in 1835 and rebuilt in 1864. Pont de Tolbiac was completed in 1895. Pont National, a footbridge, was built in 1853.

PARIS
District Limits
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A

Abelard, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

About, Edmond, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Affre, Your Excellency, Archbishop of Paris, 250, 289

Agnesseau, Henri d’, 200, 274 Madam de, 274

Agrippa, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Alba, Duke of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Albert the Great, Master, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Alexander I, Emperor, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Alexander III, Pope, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Amélie, former Queen Dowager of Portugal, 195

Maréchale d'Ancre, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Duke of Angoulême, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Angoulême, Duchess of (daughter of Louis XVI), 148, 258, 161

Anjou, Charles d’, King of Naples and Sicily, 110

Anjou, Duke of, King of Poland, 222

Anjou, Duke of, see Orléans, Gaston d’

Anne of Austria, Queen, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_5__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_6__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_7__

Anne of Brittany, Queen, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Arcole, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Arc, Joan of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Armagnac, the, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Arnaud of Andilly, hermit, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Arnould, Sophie, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Artagnan, Lieutenant-Captain of __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Astley’s Circus, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Atkins, Mrs. (formerly Walpole), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Auber, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Aubert, M., vicaire, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Aubray, Antoine d’, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Aubriot, Provost of Paris (13th century), 107

Aubriot, Hugues, Provost of the King, 123

Augier, Émile, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Aulard, Pierre, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Aymon, The Four Sons of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

B

Balbi, Countess de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Ballard, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Ballu, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Balsamo, Joseph, Count of Cagliostro, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Balue, Jean de la, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Balzac, Honoré de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_5__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_6__

Barbette, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Barclay, Robert, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Barras, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Barrère, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Barrias, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bartholdi, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Basville, Lamoignon de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Batz, Baron, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Baudelaire, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Baudry, Paul, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bault and his wife, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Beauharnais, Eugène de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Beauharnais family, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

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Beauharnais, Vicomte de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Beaumarchais, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Beauvais, Pierre de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Beauvalet, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Beauvau, Prince of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bègue, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Belhomme, Dr., __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bellefond, Abbess of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Béranger, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__

Berlioz, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__

Berlioz, Madame (née Smithson), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bernadotte, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bernhardt, Sarah, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Berri, Duke of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Berri, Duchess of __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Berryer, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Biard, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

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Blanche, Doctor, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Blanche of France, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Blanche, Queen, widow of Philippe de Valois, 252

Blücher, Marshal, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Boffrand, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Boigne, Countess of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

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Boisgelon, Roualle de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Boissy d'Anglas, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bonheur, Rosa, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Bosi, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bossuet, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__

Bossuet, Abbot, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bouchandon, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Boucher, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Baker, General, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bourbon, Cardinal Charles de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bourbon, Count of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bourbon, Duchess of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bourbon-Condé, Mlle. de, Abbess of Remiremont, 193

Bourbon, Louis de, Prince de Condé, 200-1

Bourdon, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Burgundians, the, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bourrienne, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bragelonne, Nicolas de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Breteuil, General de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Breteuil, Marquis de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Briancourt, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Brienne, of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Brinvilliers, Madame de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Brissac, Duke of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Brisson, President, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Brosse, Jacques de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Brosse, Salomon de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Bruillevert, Count of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Brunehaut, Queen, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Buffon, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Buonaparte, Caroline (Murat), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Buonaparte, Jérôme, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Buonaparte, Lætitia (Mother), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Buonaparte, Lucien, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Bonaparte, Napoleon, see Napoleon I

Buonaparte, Napoleon, Orma, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Buonaparte, Pauline (Princess Borghese), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Buonaparte, Prince Victor, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Michelangelo Buonarroti, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

C

Cadoual, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Cagliostro, Count of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Caillé, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cain, Georges, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Calvin, Jean, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cambon, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cambronne, General, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Camille, Sister, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Carême, Antoine, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Carlos, King of Portugal, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Carnot, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Carnot family, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Carpeaux, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Casabianca, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Casanova, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Casimir, King of Poland, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cassini, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Castanier, from, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Catherine de’ Medici, Queen, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_5__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_6__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_7__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_8__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_9__

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Cavaignac, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Celestin V, Pope, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cernuschi, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Certain, Vicaire, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cerutti, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Chabanais, Marquis de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Chalgrin, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_5__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_6__

Champaigne, Philippe, de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Chanac, Guillaume de, Archbishop of Paris, 135, 160

Chantal, Mrs. de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Dr. Charcot, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Charlemagne, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__

Charles I of England, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Charles the Bad, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Charles V, Emperor, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

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Charles VI, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Charles VII, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Charles IX, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Charles X, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Charlotte of Bavaria, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Charost, Duke of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Charpentier, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Charpentier, Gabrielle, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Chaslun, Pierre de, Abbot of Cluny, 138

Châtel, Jean, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Chavannes, Puvis de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Châteaubriand, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_5__

Châteaubriand, Madam, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Chénier, André, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__

Cherubini, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Chevalier, Honoré, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Childebert, King, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Chimay, Princess of (formerly Mrs. Tallien), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Choiseul, Duke and Duchess of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Choiseul, Duke of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Chopin, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Christine de France, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cinq Mars, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clarence, Duke of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Claretie, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clavière, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clemenceau, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clementine, Princess of Belgium, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clermont, Robert de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clermont, Bishop of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clisson, Constable Olivier de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clothilde, Princess, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Clovis, King, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cochin, Vicar, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Colbert, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__

Coligny, Admiral, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Commines, Philippe de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Comte, Auguste, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Concini, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Condé, the Great, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Condé, Louis de Bourbon, Prince of, 200-1

Conflans, Jean de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Conti, Condé's brother, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Conti, Princess of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Coppée, François, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Corday, Charlotte, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_5__

Corneille, Pierre, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Corot, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Cotte, Robert de, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Cousin Jules, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Coustou, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Couthon, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Coysevox, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Crawford, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Cuvier, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

D

Dagobert, King, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_4__

Dangest, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Dante, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Danton, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Darboy, Mgr., Archbishop of Paris, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Daubenton, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Daubigny, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Daudet, Alphonse, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__

David, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

David, Bishop of Moray, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Deguerry, Abbé, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Deibler, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Dejazet, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De la Bedoyère, Colonel, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De la Brosse, Guy, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Delacroix, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Delamair, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

De la Meilleraie, Maréchale, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De la Rapée, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De la Reynie, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Delaroche, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De la Rochefoucauld, Cardinal, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

De la Tour d’Auvergne, Abbess of Montmartre, 232

De la Tour-du-Pin-Gouvernet family, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De la Vallette, Countess, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De la Vallière, Louise, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__

Delavigne, Casimir, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

De l’Épée, Abbé, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Delorme, Marion, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Delorme, Philibert, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Desaix, General, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Descartes, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Desmoulins, Camille, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_3__

Diane de France, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Diderot, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Dionis, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Doge, the (1686), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Doré, Gustave, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Dosne, Ms., __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Dosne, Miss, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Duban, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Dubarry, Jean, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Dubarry, Mrs., __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Dumas, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Dumas, Alexandre, father, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Dupin, Aurore (George Sand), __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Duret, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Duret, President, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

E

Edgeworth, Abbé, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__

Effiat, Marshal of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Duke of Enghien, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__

Enghien, Duchess of, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Épinay, Madame d’, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Érard, Sebastien, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Erasmus, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Esterhazy, Count, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Estrées, Cardinal d’, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__

Duchess d'Estrées, __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__