Perhaps the shortest avenue you will ever encounter, the Avenue du Coq holds a history far grander than its length. Today we’re standing at the entrance of this peculiar dead-end street. I will share its story with you.
Avenue du Coq is located in Paris’s 9th arrondissement. Despite being called an avenue, it is actually a small impasse. It begins at 87 Rue Saint-Lazare. The Avenue du Coq ends abruptly.
The name Avenue du Coq comes from a former estate. This was once the site of the Château du Coq. It was an old country house. Hugues Le Coq owned it. He was the provost of the merchants of Paris. He served from 1420 to 1429.
The Château du Coq was previously known as the Château des Porcherons. In 1310, the descendants of André Porcheron built it. Porcheron owned a house in 1290. It was in the center of a hamlet. This hamlet grew and became known as the Porcherons.
Jean Cocq II, lord of Egrenay, acquired the estate in 1386. The Le Cocq family, who were magistrates, owned it for a long time. It then became known as the Château du Coq.
In 1738, the Duke Louis de Brancas became the owner. He was a marshal of France. He transformed it into the Folie Brancas. He housed Miss Pouponne there. She was a performer at the Opera.
The Folie Brancas was destroyed in 1854. Now, only the Avenue du Coq remains. Its name recalls the memory of the chateau.
It is interesting to note that the Avenue du Coq is a private road. It is 72 meters long and 12 meters wide.
There is not much left to see here on the Avenue du Coq. Only a fountain remains. It is a vestige of the old chateau.
So, while the Avenue du Coq may seem like just a dead-end street today, it carries within it echoes of Parisian history. From country estates to ducal follies, this small corner of Paris has witnessed centuries of change. Take a moment to appreciate how much history can be hidden in one small place.