Today we will make a walk in the Latin Quarter, along some streets which are relatively less visited, a little area between the beginning of the Boulevard Saint-Germain and the Seine quays – Quai de la Tournelle and Quai de Montebello.
Walking along the quays you may concentrate on Notre Dame and the book stands, but turning your head you could also look at what’s on the other side of the street. You will find some attractive old buildings, a small square... and a number of narrow 13th century streets with a view in the direction of the Pantheon.
Looking on some old facades, you can see the traces of some previous commercial activities.
Let’s start with Rue des Bernardins which got this name as it was leading to the Collège des Bernardins (see previous post) and its gardens. What today remains as interesting is perhaps particularly a covered gallery, part of a 16th century mansion house.
Rue de Bièvre was originally following one of the embouchures of a small river, Bièvre. The river still exists, but is totally underground when passing Paris. There are some efforts ongoing to make it partly visible again. On the plan below you can see what the landscape looked like before it was inhabited. We can also see how the Seine was split in two arms; the smaller arm became marshland – Le Marais. Today the street is perhaps especially known for having been where François Mitterrand had his private home, where he received all the local and world political leaders. His widow still lives there.
Rue de Bièvre was originally following one of the embouchures of a small river, Bièvre. The river still exists, but is totally underground when passing Paris. There are some efforts ongoing to make it partly visible again. On the plan below you can see what the landscape looked like before it was inhabited. We can also see how the Seine was split in two arms; the smaller arm became marshland – Le Marais. Today the street is perhaps especially known for having been where François Mitterrand had his private home, where he received all the local and world political leaders. His widow still lives there.
Rue Maître Albert has got its name from a famous 13th century philosopher and theologian. At number 1 you have a restaurant, L’Atelier de Maître Albert, one of the places directed by the renowned chef, Guy Savoy.
The street leads (in an L form) to Place Maubert, which probably has got its name through a transformation of Maître Albert; this is where he used to gather his pupils. The lectures those days, in the very beginning of the universities (what in Paris became the Sorbonne), was to high extent held in open air. In the 16th century this was a place for executions and since about the same period it has been an important open market place – no market the day I passed.
I wish you a nice weekend!
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