Villa Berthier

Can you imagine how bustling this street once was? Standing here, on Villa Berthier in the 17th arrondissement, you’d be surrounded by activity. This street was once called “impasse de la Fontaine-des-Ternes” — the Ternes were the people who lived here before Paris was united in the 12th century. The name comes from the source, the spring of water, that used to be located here. Locals would come to this spring to collect fresh water, and it created a lively center for the community. Villa Berthier may be a quiet street nowadays, but it was a place of real energy once upon a time. It was named after Louis Alexandre Berthier, who was born in France in 1753 and is famous for his role in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. In 1815, Napoleon even made Berthier a marshal of France, his closest ally. Later on, around 1934, the street officially changed its name to Villa Berthier. The street starts at number 133, avenue de Villiers and ends at a dead end. You just have to close your eyes and imagine the hustle and bustle of the people collecting water and conversing, making it a vibrant community center. The spring is no longer here, but its legacy lives on. Imagine you are standing on Villa Berthier in the 17th arrondissement, listening to the soft, harmonious sounds of nature. Feel the cool breeze as it grazes your fingertips, and think about the lively spring that may be long gone, but that still shapes the atmosphere of this unique Parisian street.