Isn’t it intriguing how a simple street name can hold so much history? Welcome to Rue des Clavisis. This street’s story begins with an old French word. The word is “claye”. It meant a grill. These grills could close access.
Rue des Clavisis is located in the 18th arrondissement. This area is Montmartre. Montmartre is known as a Bohemian neighborhood. The Sacré-Coeur church sits atop its hill.
Once, Rue des Clavisis stretched much further. It extended all the way to Rue Championnet. But times changed. The street evolved.
In 1865 Louise Michel’s mother bought a day school business. She bought it for her daughter. It was located on this very street. To do this Louise Michel’s mother sold her last fields outside of Paris.
During the Second World War something remarkable happened here. At Number 17. A Communist resistance printworks operated clandestinely. They printed the first issue of France d’abord here. France d’abord was the news sheet. It belonged to the Communist-founded resistance movement FTP. FTP stood for Franc-tireurs et partisans. They were sharp-shooters and patriots.
Today the road passes Square Léon Serpollet. Léon Serpollet was quite the inventor. At Number 27 he built his first steam-powered tricycle.
Paris is full of stories like this. The city has an interactive map. It reveals the history of Parisian streets. This map started in 1873. The city diligently updates it. Each street whispers tales of yesteryears. So next time you wander through Paris. Remember the stories beneath your feet.