“Catherine de La Rochefoucauld.” The name itself echoes through Parisian history. This street bears the name of a woman. She was once the Abbess of Montmartre Abbey. We are standing on Rue Catherine de La Rochefoucauld. This street in the 9th arrondissement has a captivating past.
Originally, this was a 17th-century path. It crossed the Abbey grounds. For years it was known as Rue de la Tour-des-Dames. It wasn’t until 1790 that a portion became Rue de La Rochefoucauld. Then in 2020, the street received its current name. The Socialist mayor of Paris, Ann Hidalgo, led a feminization project. Catherine was added to the road’s official name. This honored Catherine de La Rochefoucauld. She served as abbess from 1737 to 1760.
Rue Catherine de La Rochefoucauld stretches 440 meters. It runs from Rue Saint-Lazare to Rue Jean-Baptiste-Pigalle. The street’s history is rich with notable residents and landmarks.
At No. 6 stood the mansion of Madame de Sancy. She was a lady of honor to Empress Eugénie. Later, art dealer Charles Sedelmeyer owned it. He used the adjacent No. 4 bis for his gallery.
Mademoiselle Mars resided at No. 7. Her building sat at the corner of No. 1 Rue de la Tour-des-Dames. The Hôtel de Lestapis had its entrance at No. 11. This was also at the corner of No. 2 Rue de la Tour-des-Dames.
The École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode is located at No. 12. Fashion students bustle here.
The Musée Gustave Moreau is at No. 14. It was once the house and workshop of the painter Gustave Moreau. Moreau’s parents bought him the house. Today, it is a national museum. Georges Rouault studied in the top-floor workshop under Gustave Moreau.
Painter Henri de Caisne died at No. 15. Charles Gir, a painter and sculptor, lived at No. 17 with his wife. She was actress Jeanne Fusier-Gir.
Philosopher Volney passed away at No. 20. Henri Brod, a renowned oboist, lived at No. 22. He died during the national exhibition in Paris in 1839. Composer Olivier Métra died at No. 32. Painter François Édouard Picot died at No. 34.
Photographer Robert Jefferson Bingham opened his studio at No. 58 in 1857. He photographed works of art. Actress Anaïs Fargueil also lived and died here.
Sculptor Louis L’Épine lived at No. 62 when he married in 1880.
Victor Hugo lived at No. 66 from 1871 to 1873. This was after his return from exile. This building is the former Rousseau mansion. It was built in 1776. The architect was Pierre Rousseau. The mansion was later divided into apartments. Stéphane Bern also lived here.
Juliette Drouet, Hugo’s mistress, lived nearby. She lived in Rue Pigalle. Hugo briefly joined her there in 1874.
Rue Catherine de La Rochefoucauld is more than just a street. It is a journey through time. It connects us to artists, writers, and influential figures. As you walk along this historic path, remember the stories embedded in its stones. They echo the lives of those who shaped Paris.