Once upon a time Rue des Jardinets was longer. It stretched all the way to Rue Hautefeuille. That’s a fact. Now picture this. You are standing at the beginning of Rue des Jardinets. It is a short street. It starts at Cour de Rohan. It ends at Rue de l’Eperon.
Rue des Jardinets has a rich history. Its name changed many times. It was once called Rue des Petits-Champs. Then Rue de l’Escureul and Rue des Escureux. Finally Rue du Jardinet. Why the change? Because of a garden. A garden belonging to the College of Vendôme. This college stood between Rue des Jardinets and Rue du Battoir. It was demolished in 1441. No one knows exactly when it was founded.
The street’s width also changed. A ministerial decision in 1799 set its minimum width at 7 meters. A royal ordinance in 1840 increased it to 10 meters. The present day Rue des Jardinets is a far cry from its former self. The construction of Boulevard Saint-Germain in 1866 cut off a large part of the original street.
Rue des Jardinets was once an impasse. Or a cul-de-sac. In 1299 it was known as Rue Martin Alesoir. In 1861 it was still called impasse de Rouan or cul-de-sac de Rouen. A few buildings on Rue des Jardinets hold special significance. Number 3 housed composer Camille Saint-Saëns. It was also the workplace of M-R Jacquet from 1851 to 1854. He invented the Melo phone.
Number 41 belonged to the Marquise d’Houartigny. She operated a large furnished hotel there. At number 13 Chamerot the publisher and bookseller operated a business. His time there spanned at least from 1826 to 1874. He published works by Michelet. The building still has a pleasant little garden. A fitting end to the story of Rue des Jardinets. A street with a fascinating past.