Voltaire’s last breath. Did you know it was drawn in a small apartment on Rue de Beaune?
Welcome to Rue de Beaune a charming street in Paris’s 7th arrondissement. This unassuming street holds a surprising amount of history. It’s more than just elegant shops and art galleries. It’s a place where history whispers from the very stones.
Originally called Rue du Pont it was renamed in the 17th century. Some believe it honors Florimond de Beaune a renowned jurist and mathematician. Others suggest it references the Burgundian town of Beaune. The street’s history is intertwined with the fate of an old wooden bridge. The Pont Barbier later called Pont Sainte-Anne and Pont des Tuileries was a ten-arch structure. It often suffered damage from floods and was finally destroyed by ice in 1684.
Number 1 Rue de Beaune is particularly significant. This is where Voltaire the famous philosopher and writer died in 1778. He breathed his last in a modest two-room apartment. The grand entrance with its neoclassical decor of bosses sphinxes griffins and garlands dates from the early 19th century. It is said the priest of Saint-Sulpice refused to bury him. Voltaire’s remains were eventually transferred to the Abbey of Scellières. Twelve years later his ashes were triumphantly returned to Paris.
The street has also housed other notable figures. Number 3 once housed the Hotel d’Auterive formerly the Hotel du Colisée. Explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville stayed there. Number 5 was the Hotel de France et de Lorraine in 1889. Filmmaker Louis Delluc died there in 1924. A plaque commemorates his death.
Numbers 6-16 were once home to the Barbier Market. Later it became the barracks for the Grey Musketeers. Much later Jean-Marie Le Pen established his publishing company and the headquarters of the National Front at number 6.
Rue de Beaune is more than a pretty street. It is a living testament to the rich history and intriguing personalities who have graced its pavements. It is a place where the echoes of the past mingle with the vitality of the present. Reflect on the lives lived the stories unfolded the legacy left behind on this Parisian gem. Soak in the quiet grandeur of Rue de Beaune.