Think of a name echoing through Parisian streets. It is Edme Verniquet. He was not a revolutionary general or a celebrated artist. He was an architect. Today we are standing at Rue Verniquet, named in his honor.
Rue Verniquet is a street in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. It is a tribute to Edme Verniquet. He created the Verniquet plan of Paris.
Verniquet’s plan was groundbreaking. It was started in 1775. It got published between 1793 and 1799. His map was considered the first accurate map of Paris. Before Verniquet, maps were often embellished. Verniquet focused on precision.
The street’s creation is linked to the Petite Ceinture. The Petite Ceinture is Paris’s old circular railway line. The street runs parallel to it. The decision to build Rue Verniquet came from the Minister of Public Works.
Rue Verniquet officially received its name by decree. This happened at the same time as the construction of the Petite Ceinture. This shows how infrastructure and urban planning go hand in hand.
Imagine this street in 1869. It had trains running. The line connected Courcelles-Ceinture station to other stations. Rue Verniquet overlooked the railway.
The Petite Ceinture ceased passenger service in 1934. The section near Rue Verniquet saw little use. Most freight traffic shifted to other parts of the line. In 1955, the trench was covered. Buildings rose where tracks once lay between Rue Verniquet and Rue Philibert-Delorme.
Parking lots replaced the old railway infrastructure. A single track remained beneath the street. It was for presidential trains heading to the Gare de l’Avenue Foch. The last train was Prince Ali Kahn’s funeral cortege in 1960.
Later, the tunnel was rebuilt. It was for the RER C line. Since 1988, the RER C has run under Rue Philibert-Delorme.
The former Courcelles station was near Rue Verniquet. It stood at the entrance of Rue Philibert-Delorme and Rue Verniquet.
Number 1 Rue Verniquet has its own story. It housed the Éditions Henry Babou. Later, it became home to the Obelisk Press. Jack Kahane founded it.
Today, Rue Verniquet is 238 meters long. It starts at 2 Rue Alfred-Roll and ends at 15 Boulevard Berthier. It is 12 meters wide.
As you stroll down Rue Verniquet, remember Edme Verniquet. Remember his contribution to the city. Remember the railway. This street encapsulates Parisian history.