Paris’s Rue Rousselet. It might seem like any other quiet street. Yet, it holds secrets and stories from centuries past.
Rue Rousselet begins at Rue Plumet. It ends at Rue de Sèvres. This street stretches 274 meters. In 1672, this was just a path. People called it Chemin des Vachers. This means cow herders’ path. By 1721, a property owner gave it a new name. It became Rue Rousselet.
Imagine this street in the early 1700s. Cows ambled along here. Herdsmen guided them. It was a rural scene, far from today’s Paris. Then, a man named Rousselet changed everything. He owned land here. He left his mark on the city.
This area transformed over time. It went from countryside to a part of Paris. Still Rue Rousselet retained its unique charm. Even today, it is known as a calm and quiet street. The 7th arrondissement embraces it.
The buildings have stories to tell. Once, there was a barracks here. It housed resident non-commissioned officers. Many military men lived on Rue Rousselet. This added to its rich history.
Number 1 is also worth noting. The ethnologist Jacques Soustelle lived here for a few years. The poet Serge Venturini spent his early years at Number 3. He lived here from 1955 to 1979.
The garden of the Saint-Jean-de-Dieu hospital is at numbers 2 to 18. A long wall hides a splendid garden. It is a beautiful green space. It brings a touch of nature to the street.
François Coppée lived nearby. He spoke fondly of Rue Rousselet. Paul Léautaud lived at Number 17. He kept many cats. Maurice Pialat spent his last years at Number 18. Isabelle Huppert also lived there.
The Quebec painter Paul-Émile Borduas resided at Number 19. He lived there until his death. A commemorative plaque honors him. Léon Bloy also lived at Number 22. Charles Lafont also called Rue Rousselet home.
Barbey d’Aurevilly lived at Number 25. He lived there from 1859 to 1898. He called it his “sous-lieutenant’s bridle.” He wrote “Les Œuvres et les Hommes” here. A restored plaque commemorates him. Paul Bourget inaugurated it.
Russian General Alexander Koutiepov was kidnapped from Number 26. This happened at the corner of Rue Oudinot. Soviet agents took him. They secretly transported him to Soviet Russia.
The painter Frank-Will lived at Number 31 in 1936. At Number 37, a plaque honors Albert Aubry. He was a deputy and member of the Resistance.
Sculptor Ossip Zadkine had a studio here. It was the site of his first exhibition. Valentine Prax lived nearby. She became his wife. She was a painter who made a name for herself.
André Salmon and his wife also lived on Rue Rousselet. Guillaume Apollinaire was Salmon’s best man. Salmon wrote “Le Calumet” while living here. Michel Bron, a painter, frequented Bois et Charbon. This was a wood and coal merchant.
Eugène Labiche wrote a play called “Le Mystère de la rue Rousselet.” The Éditions du Vieux Colombier was at Number 5. Patrick Besson wrote, “On Rue Rousselet, the wind has died down. My love is asleep.”
Today, as you stand on Rue Rousselet. Remember its past. It is a place of artists and writers. It is a street with stories etched in its stones.