Jean-Baptiste de Belloy’s name might not ring a bell. Yet this Parisian street carries his legacy. Rue de Belloy is in Paris’s 16th arrondissement. It is a short but historically rich street.
Rue de Belloy stretches just 85 meters. It is also 12 meters wide. The street starts at 1, rue Dumont-d’Urville and 16, place des États-Unis. It ends at 37, avenue Kléber. You can reach it via metro line 6. Get off at the Kléber or Boissière stations.
The street is named after Jean-Baptiste de Belloy. He was the Archbishop of Paris. Belloy lived from 1709 to 1808. He served the church for 75 years.
Rue de Belloy was created in 1868. It sits on the site of old reservoirs. These were the Chaillot reservoirs. Until 1900, the area was known as the Quartier des Bassins. Now, it is part of the Chaillot neighborhood.
Napoleon III decreed the street’s creation. The decree also named the street adjacent to the new church in Chaillot. Rue de Juigné was to the west. Rue de Belloy was to the east.
In 1885, part of Rue de Belloy was incorporated into Place des États-Unis.
At number 2 Rue de Belloy sits an interesting building. It is also 1, rue Dumont-d’Urville. It’s an old mansion on the northwest corner of Place des États-Unis. Ferdinand Gaillard designed it in 1884. Originally, it had a German Renaissance facade. The building was later raised. Its decorative motifs were removed too. The Somme archives have a photo of a 1902 Ader car parked outside. The car is on the Rue de Belloy side.
Another notable building is at number 5. Albert Sélonier built it in 1902.
But there is more to Jean-Baptiste de Belloy than just being an archbishop. He was also an inventor. Belloy invented a coffee percolation system around 1800. He also designed the first coffeemaker. He is buried in Notre Dame de Paris.
So, as you stroll down Rue de Belloy remember the archbishop. Remember his service to the church and his coffee invention. This short street connects to a broader history. It links reservoirs, emperors, and even coffee.