“Pigs on the street?” Imagine that. It’s not a scene from a rural village but a slice of medieval Paris. I am talking about the Ruelle aux Cochons. This translates to “Pig Alley”. It is a street that perhaps saw many pigs.
Let’s step back in time to understand this street’s story. Forget the romantic Paris of postcards for a moment. Think of a city where hygiene was a luxury. During the Middle Ages, Paris wasn’t the pristine city we know today.
Families often kept pigs. These weren’t pets. They were a future food source. The pigs roamed freely. They wandered among people in the streets. You can imagine the mess and chaos they caused.
The Ruelle aux Cochons would have been right in the thick of it. Pigs everywhere. Grunting. Rooting around for food. Contributing to the less-than-pleasant smells of the city.
In 1131, King Louis VI’s son had an accident. A pig ran under his horse. The prince fell and died. After that pigs were mostly banned from roaming freely.
Parisian hygiene habits also contributed to the odor. People did not bathe regularly until the 19th century. Before that, they hid dirt under nice clothes. Some soaked in tubs of hot water.
Toilets were also a problem. People often used chamber pots. They threw the contents out the window into the street. Others relieved themselves directly in the alleys. Public latrines were rare.
Sewage systems were rudimentary. The first real stone sewer wasn’t built until the 14th century. Before that, there were only ditches in the streets if anything at all. Waste stagnated and added to the smell.
In 1824, Paris had only about twenty kilometers of sewers. The sewers emptied into the Seine. People also drew their drinking water from the Seine.
The Ruelle aux Cochons offers a glimpse into this past. It reminds us that Paris wasn’t always glamorous. It was once a messy smelly place. The name itself is a testament to this history.
Today the Ruelle aux Cochons is likely a quiet street. It probably bears no trace of its porcine past. Still it carries a story. It speaks of a time when pigs roamed freely in Paris. It is a reminder of how much the city has changed. As you walk here remember this slice of Parisian history. Think of the pigs. Think of the smells. Imagine the Ruelle aux Cochons in a different era.