Curious to know how a street in Paris got its name from plants? Rue des Plantes is not just any street. It’s a path with roots stretching back centuries. Let’s walk along this road and uncover its story.
Rue des Plantes is located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. It begins at 176, avenue du Maine and ends at 135, boulevard Brune. A unique feature is the bridge that crosses the Petite Ceinture line.
In the Middle Ages, the term “plante” referred to a place planted with vines. It was essentially a vineyard, where the vines stayed in place. This was different from a field that would be harvested. The name “rue des Plantes” likely comes from this old usage.
The street appears on Roussel’s plan of 1730. In 1804, a cadastral plan of Montrouge shows it as “chemin de la Croix-du-Gors,” “chemin du Gors,” or “chemin du Gars.” Part of the road between rue Bénard and rue du Moulin-Vert was once part of the impasse des Plantes. It joined rue Léonidas in 1957.
Several notable people and buildings mark Rue des Plantes. Number 16 has an Art Nouveau building by Eugène Petit. At number 18, Alfred Defossez, a painter, once lived. The building at number 26 is a former studio built in 1930 by architect Stéphane Dessauer. Jean Moulin and Lucien Legros both members of the French Resistance, lived there. Many artists resided here. Jean Carzou, Lucien Coutaud, Jean Even, and Jean Lambert-Rucki. Katherine Librowicz, Édouard Pignon, Léopold Survage, and Loulou de la Falaise also lived here. Even Max Ernst found inspiration within these walls.
The main entrance to the Hôpital Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours is at number 68. A contemporary residential building stands at number 74 and 1, villa Brune. It was built in 1985 on the site of the Valsuani art foundry. Leonardo Benatov bought the company. It continued as Fonderies de Chevreuse. The business was liquidated in 2016.
The political party En Marche first set up shop at 75 bis. Missak and Mélinée Manouchian lived at number 79 from 1936 to 1941. In 1939, Claude Lévi-Strauss lived in a small studio on the street.
Rue des Plantes has been known by other names over time. In the late 17th century, it was Chemin de Paris à la Croix du Gord or chemin des Plantes. By the late 18th century, it was Chemin vert allant à la Croix du Gord et à Montrouge. The Croix du Gord was a calvary. It stood at the current intersection of rue des Plantes and avenue du Maine. In 1783, it was called Chemin des Charbonniers because it was a route for charcoal. Under Napoleon I, it was Petit chemin des Plantes.
Today, Rue des Plantes is a far cry from its “chemin vert” days. Now, only imagination can conjure images of the gardens that once defined it. But it holds a special place in Parisian history.