Before you stands the ghost of a Parisian street La Croix Blanche. It’s not a place you’ll find on modern maps. Yet its story whispers through the ages.
La Croix Blanche once thrived in the old 7th arrondissement. Its existence is confirmed through old documents and maps. It stretched 81 meters. It began near Rue Vieille-du-Temple ending at Rue Bourtibourg.
The name La Croix Blanche meaning White Cross hints at a sign hanging there long ago. However the street had many names before. Philippe le Hardi’s letter from August 1280 refers to it as Rue Augustin-le-Faucheur. Over the centuries the name morphed into variations like Rue Anquetin-le-Faucheur. A manuscript from 1450 uses the name Rue Otin le Fauche. Finally in a lease and auction document it is named La Croix Blanche.
Imagine narrow cobblestone streets. Imagine houses packed close. La Croix Blanche was only about 2 meters wide. In 1844 it was gated at both ends. A ministerial decision in 1798 planned to keep La Croix Blanche. It was to be widened to 8 meters. However a royal ordinance aimed to merge it with Rue de Bercy-au-Marais. Finally in 1868 La Croix Blanche was absorbed into Rue du Roi-de-Sicile. The street vanished. Its numbered houses its daily life its very existence swallowed.
Yet La Croix Blanche persists. Its memory lives. It lives in old records. It lives in the very fabric of Paris. It reminds us that even the most hidden streets play their part in Paris’ rich tapestry. So next time you walk Rue du Roi-de-Sicile remember La Croix Blanche. Remember its quiet existence. Its eventual disappearance. Remember its name.