Anyone familiar with the history of the covered passages of Paris knows that the first one was the Palais-Royal, and that passages are found almost exclusively on the Right Bank. That’s true, but only partly. There is a kind of passage on the Left Bank too, and it’s even older than the passages we usually think of. This one is called Cour du Commerce Saint-André, and it’s one of the most beloved spots in Paris, for good reason.
Every time I step into Cour du Commerce Saint-André, located between Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue Saint-André des Arts, I feel for a moment like I’ve traveled back a few centuries. The cobblestones, which disappeared from the streets of Paris after the student uprising of 1968, are still here, along with old houses and alleyways, some of which look like they were lifted straight out of an ancient village. There’s no doubt this is French pastoral charm incarnate!
Today I want to tell the story of this quasi-passage and discover, together with you, what secrets hide behind the pastoral facade of this place, where almost every building witnessed some kind of historical event.
The Story of Cour du Commerce Saint-André
The story of this place begins in the 1730s. At that time, Boulevard Saint-Germain didn’t exist yet (it would be built by Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann more than 120 years later), and in its place was a cluster of small streets and alleyways.
To shorten the route between Rue Saint-André and Rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain (today’s rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie), a kind of passage was created between them. It’s worth noting, though, that this passage was different from the passages that would come later, during the 19th century, because it was open to the sky, while the later ones were covered.
In 1776, it was decided to extend this passage up to Rue de l’École-de-Médecine (then Rue des Cordeliers), and about 15 years later it was connected to Cour de Rohan, which we’ll get to later. In 1866, Boulevard Saint-Germain was built, and this passage lost about 40 meters of its length in one stroke. Along the way (literally), it took on the final shape we know today.
Luckily, most of the 18th-century buildings are still here with us, and quite a few of them witnessed historical events, some more important than others. Here are the buildings worth paying attention to:
Number 4: One of the Towers of the Wall of Philippe Auguste
King Philippe Auguste (r. 1180-1223) decided, in the late 12th century, to build a wall to protect Paris from the English. The king built this wall partly with ransom money extorted from Jews he had thrown in prison, and it surrounded what are today the 1st through 6th arrondissements.
A map of Paris from 1530, showing the path of the wall of Philippe Auguste. Courtesy of VVVCFFrance under the license CC BY-SA 4.0 ” class=”wp-image-57880″/>At number 4, you’ll find the remains of a tower from that wall, and if you’re interested in finding more remnants of Philippe Auguste’s wall, feel free to check out the walking tour of the Marais. There, in the southern part of the district, not far from Jardins de Saint Pol, you’ll find a complete section of the wall that has survived completely intact.
Number 8: The Printing House of Marat
Here stood, during the French Revolution, the printing house where the newspaper L’Ami du Peuple, or “Friend of the People,” was printed.
The paper’s founder and editor-in-chief was Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793), without a doubt one of the most despicable figures of the era. If you’re wondering why, all you need to do is read the paper itself and discover that most of it was dedicated to calling for the wholesale slaughter of anyone who didn’t think like the editor-in-chief (especially the nobility and the Girondin party).
The result of this relentless incitement was the horrific massacre of September 1792, which you can read about in the article on Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and the Reign of Terror that followed, during which thousands of people were executed.
In the end, in a kind of poetic justice, Marat met a violent death, stabbed while sitting in the bathtub at his home at number 20 Rue de l’École-de-Médecine (a few minutes’ walk from the printing house) by Charlotte Corday. The knife, by the way, was bought by the lady at the Palais-Royal.
Number 9: Where the First Guillotine Was Built
Speaking of Marat and the French Revolution, not far at all from his printing house, the first guillotine was built in April 1792. Most people think it was Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738-1814) who invented the guillotine, but that’s not true at all.
In truth, a beheading machine had already existed in the British Isles as far back as the 14th century, though it never gained much popularity. Mr. Guillotin knew the history of these beheading machines and, in 1789, proposed using one in order to bring about, quickly and without unnecessary pain, the death of a condemned prisoner, or as he put it before the National Assembly: “I will make your head fly off, and all you’ll feel is a light breeze on your neck.”
Guillotin’s proposal was met with scorn from the members of the Assembly, but in 1792, as the need for mass executions began to grow, it was decided to try building a prototype of the beheading machine and testing it. The machine was designed by a doctor named Antoine Louis (1723-1792), and it was built by a German carpenter named Tobias Schmidt, who up until then had made pianos.
At first, the machine was tested on sheep, and on April 17 it was successfully tested on human corpses obtained from the nearby medical school. After getting FDA approval (just kidding!), the machine was tried on a living person for the first time on April 25. The man who “earned” the distinction of being the first person executed by beheading machine was a thief named Jacques Pelletier, and he was executed at Place de Grève (the square facing the Hôtel de Ville), where executions had been carried out for hundreds of years.
The beheading machine was first nicknamed “Louison” or “Louisette,” after Dr. Louis who invented it, and who died about a month after his invention became operational. Over the years, though, people began calling the machine after Joseph Guillotin, who had brought the idea to the National Assembly, and that’s how “Louison” became the guillotine.
Guillotin didn’t much like the fact that the machine was named after him, and he liked even less the fact that he nearly became a “customer” of that same machine (he was sentenced to death during the Reign of Terror and was saved only by Robespierre’s downfall shortly before his scheduled execution). But Guillotin’s protests were in vain, and the name guillotine has stuck to this day.
By the way, before we move on, if the subject of beheading interests you, let me recommend reading the article Sanson the Hero, about the most famous dynasty of executioners in Paris. Also, if you’d like to visit the place where the executioners once lived, which today has become a charming garden, I recommend reading Dr. Orna Liberman’s article, Square Montholon: A Charming Parisian Corner with a Fascinating Story.
Cour de Rohan
I saved this magical place for last, since it’s private property, so you can’t always get in. If you enter Cour du Commerce Saint-André from Rue Saint-André des Arts and walk a little way forward, you’ll see a metal gate on your left. If the gate is open, or if someone happens to open it just as you arrive, go right in.
You’ll find three magical courtyards there, connected to one another, each more picturesque than the last.
The place is called Cour de Rohan, but it has nothing to do with the famous Rohan family, who gave us, among other things, the Hôtel de Soubise in the Marais. It’s actually a corruption of the name of the city of Rouen, in the Normandy region, whose archbishop owned a 14th-century mansion that once stood here.
When you enter these courtyards, you’ll discover houses mostly from the 17th century, an old well, climbing plants, rose bushes, a trough, windows of all shapes and sizes, and charming balconies. And if that’s not enough for you, in the second courtyard you’ll find a small, secret house built by King Henri II (r. 1547-1559) for his mistress Diane de Poitiers (1500-1566).
There’s no doubt this is paradise for photographers, and I promise you that once you step inside, you’ll feel like you’ve arrived in a small, ancient village, even though you’re right in the center of Paris. We’re lucky that the people who live here managed to protect it from the city’s attempt to demolish the courtyards in 1950, in order to build a row of modern buildings there…
As you leave this courtyard onto Rue Jardinet, a romantic street in its own right, try to imagine the sound of a piano drifting out of one of the houses. That’s young Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), who lived here during his childhood and began playing here at age 3.
And let’s close with a personal note from Ruthi Shimoni, who contributed the lovely photographs you’ve seen here. She says there hasn’t been a single trip to Paris where she didn’t make a point of stepping into those stunning, breathtaking courtyards. Seeing the courtyards locked up today saddens her deeply, but at the same time, she understands and sympathizes with the residents, who have every right to live somewhere quiet, safe, enclosed, intimate, and full of atmosphere, rather than wide open to every passing tourist…
I hope you’ll get lucky, and that when you visit the area, the residents will decide to open the gates, even just for a few hours, so you can enjoy the stunning beauty of the place.
Practical Information
I hope this article has made you want to come visit this charming passage and the courtyards attached to it. If you decide to add this place to your next itinerary in Paris, here’s some useful information to help with your visit.
Getting there
The easiest way to get here is by metro. All you need to do is take line 4 or line 10, get off at Odéon station, cross the street, and walk in.
The culinary angle
If you happen to arrive hungry, I have good news for you. This little passage holds two very important culinary institutions, plus one more, less well known but definitely worth a visit.
Le Procope: Paris’s First Café
Technically, Le Procope’s address is 13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, but you can also walk straight in from the passage. This is Paris’s first café, which built quite a reputation in the 18th century thanks to the many philosophers who used to sit there, whose portraits you can see in the window display facing the passage.
Food-wise, you’ll find classic French cuisine here, though nothing particularly exciting. It’s not a place with bad food or poor service, God forbid (I once had a seafood platter there that wasn’t bad at all), but in my opinion the prices are a bit too high for what you get, and there are other spots nearby where you can eat just as well for less.
In any case, if you’d like to learn more about this café and its history, feel free to check out the article Le Procope: Paris’s Oldest Café.
La Jacobine
This café is much less famous than the two culinary institutions I mentioned above, but it has quite a bit of charm, and the food isn’t bad either. To be clear, it’s not a gourmet restaurant, far from it, but the crêpes here are tasty, and the hot chocolate (Chocolat Chaud), according to foreign sources, is excellent.
Beyond that, the place is well worth a visit even if you don’t eat there, thanks to the erotic paintings on the wall, which depict, in great detail, playful scenes from the late 18th century.
Address: 59-61 Rue Saint-André des Arts (the entrance is from inside the passage).
And finally, if none of these restaurants appeal to you (or they’re all full), let me recommend the article Recommended Restaurants in the 6th Arrondissement, where you’re sure to find a restaurant or two to your taste.
Done visiting the passage? Where to go next?
Two attractions located very close by are:
If you’ve already visited both of these places, I recommend checking out the article on attractions in the 6th arrondissement to find plenty more attractions nearby, along with walking routes through the area.
Should you stay in this neighborhood?
Absolutely! This is one of the most central locations in Paris, with plenty of cafés, restaurants, and attractions. If you’ve decided to stay near the passage, here are a few solid options:
- Hôtel Saint André des Arts: a spartan but very cheap hotel on Rue Saint André des Arts, a short walk from the passage.
- Hôtel Saint Pierre: another cheap, spartan hotel not far from the passage, a favorite of my friend Yoel Thamanlis.
- Odeon Hotel: a much more luxurious hotel than the previous two, located a short walk from both the passage and the Odéon metro station.
- Grand Hôtel de L’Univers Saint-Germain: a boutique hotel with simply gorgeous interior design and relatively reasonable prices!
- Relais Christine: an incredibly indulgent hotel meant for those for whom price isn’t a major factor.
If none of these hotels suit you, or they’re all booked, I recommend checking out the article Recommended Hotels in the 6th Arrondissement of Paris to find plenty more recommended hotels across a range of prices. If you’re looking for vacation apartments instead, don’t worry, I’ve thought of you too. All you need to do is check out the article Recommended Apartments in the 6th Arrondissement and find yourself a romantic studio or a big, luxurious apartment in the area.
Related reading
