Didn’t Fernand Foureau dream that a street in Paris would one day bear his name? Rue Fernand Foureau is located in the Bel-Air district. It resides in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. This street is more than just a passage. It is a tribute to a man of exploration.
Rue Fernand Foureau begins at 84 Boulevard Soult. It ends at 13 Avenue Lamoricière. The street stretches 60 meters in length. It has a width of 20 meters. The street is near the Porte de Vincennes metro station. You can access it via metro line 1.
Fernand Foureau was a Saharan explorer. He also served as the governor of Martinique. The street was named in his honor. This happened because of the International Colonial Exhibition. It took place in 1931 at the Bois de Vincennes. The opening of the Palais de la Porte Dorée also played a role.
Originally, this street was named Rue Courteline. That was back in 1930. It was located on the site of the old bastion no 9. This bastion was part of the Thiers wall. Rue Fernand Foureau was included in the ZAC Porte-de-Vincennes project.
At number 9, you’ll find the Maison Ouverte. A Wallace fountain stands at the corner of Avenue Lamoricière. These fountains provide free drinking water. They are a symbol of Parisian generosity.
Fernand Foureau was born in 1850. He passed away in 1914. He was born in Saint-Barbant. This is in the Haute-Vienne region of France. Foureau studied under Henri Duveyrier. Duveyrier was a Saharan explorer. He inspired Foureau’s interest in the desert.
Foureau carried out the first artesian well drilling. This was for the company Oued RIHR. He became known for his desert study trips from 1882. He earned awards from the French Société de Géographie. Between 1888 and 1896, he made nine expeditions. These were to southern Algeria. He studied the feasibility of a trans-Saharan railway. It would run from Ouargla to In Salah.
From 1898 to 1900, he journeyed from Ouargla to Lake Chad. He traveled with Army officer Amédée-François Lamy. This was the Foureau–Lamy Mission. It was part of France’s strategy to conquer Chad. They aimed to unify French dominions in West Africa. He created maps. He established trans-Saharan routes. He conducted geographical and meteorological surveys. In 1901, he received the Gold Medal of the French Société de Géographie.
In 1906, he became Governor of Mayotte and Comoros. From 1908 to 1913, he was Governor of Martinique. He received many honors. These include the Prix Erhard, Prix Duveyrier and Prix Janssen. The Royal Geographical Society of London awarded him the Patron’s Medal in 1899.
Today, Rue Fernand Foureau is also home to modern establishments. At 3 Rue Fernand Foureau, you’ll find a medical imaging center. It is equipped with advanced technology. This includes radiography equipment and a mammography machine. There are also ultrasound devices and an osteodensitometer.
So, as we stand on Rue Fernand Foureau, remember the explorer. Remember the governor. Remember the man whose dreams echo in the heart of Paris.