“Rue Carmen?” It sounds like the name of a fiery opera character. But this Rue Carmen is not in Seville. It is in Paris. It is steeped in history. It is not just a street. It is a portal to different eras.
Rue des Carmes history stretches back centuries. Its origins can be traced back to 1250. Back then it was known as Rue du Clos-Bruneau. That name still lingers in the nearby passage du Clos-Bruneau.
Around 1317, the street acquired another name. It was called Rue Saint-Hilaire or Rue Saint-Hilaire-du-Mont. This was due to its proximity to an old chapel. The chapel was named Saint-Hilaire-du-Mont. It later became the parish church. It was sold as national property in 1795. Sadly it was destroyed soon after.
The name Rue des Carmes appeared in the mid-16th century. You can see it on the Truschet and Hoyau map from 1553. A manuscript from 1636 also refers to it as Rue des Carmes. The name comes from the Carmelite religious order. They established themselves here in 1318.
In 1930, the street underwent significant changes. The expansion between numbers 15 and 21 led to the rearrangement of the Collège des Lombards area. Part of the old building facing the street was demolished. In 1934, new HBM buildings were constructed at the entrance of the Impasse des Boeufs. Buildings were also erected around the entrance to the college’s old chapel. It is now the Église Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriaque.
Rue des Carmes boasts several notable buildings. On the odd-numbered side of the street, you will find the Musée de la Préfecture de Police. At number 5, a plaque commemorates the Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti. He lived here in the summer of 1913. The famous jazz club Le Caveau des Lorientais was in the basement of the Hôtel des Carmes from 1946 to 1948.
Mayette Magie Moderne is at number 8. It is considered the oldest magic shop in the world. At number 14, a secularized chapel remains from the Collège de Presles. The facade of the former Collège des Irlandais is at number 15. It became part of the Église Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriaque in 1733. This building has been listed as a historical monument since 1927. Église Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriaque is located at number 17. And don’t miss the Impasse des Boeufs.
Giuseppe Ungaretti mentioned this street in his poem In Memoria. It is part of the collection Il porto sepolto. Also, the film Un monde sans pitié opens with a long shot of the street. So next time you stroll down Rue des Carmes, remember its long and varied past. Its layers of history are woven into the very fabric of this Parisian street.