Did you know Allée Ampère is more than just a street? It’s a journey through Parisian history. This public road resides in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. Allée Ampère sits in the Plaine-de-Monceaux district.
In its upper section, numbers 30 and onward, Allée Ampère unveils a remarkable series of private mansions. These were built in the 1880s. They showcase the eclectic style popular at the time. Many boast artist studios. A significant number of academic painters chose to live here in the late 19th century.
Allée Ampère connects Place du Nicaragua. It’s at the corner of Boulevard Malesherbes and Rue Jouffroy-d’Abbans. It also connects to Boulevard Pereire. Metro line 3 serves it via the Wagram or Pereire stations. RER line C also serves it at Gare de Pereire-Levallois.
The naming of Allée Ampère dates back to 1864. It honors André-Marie Ampère. He was a French mathematician and philosopher from 1775 to 1836.
The Allée Ampère area only began urbanizing in the 1860s. This occurred under the Second Empire. It happened after Paris annexed the former commune of Batignolles-Monceaux. This gave rise to the new Plaine Monceau district. The Pereire brothers opened Rue Ampère, Rue Brémontier, Rue Jouffroy, and Rue de Prony between 1862 and 1866. This was during the subdivision of Plaine Monceau. This area was largely undeveloped then. It consisted mainly of market gardens, warehouses, and vacant land.
Allée Ampère was created in 1862 and named in 1864. Construction only began around 1875. This followed the surveying and expropriation of land. The upper part of Allée Ampère now lies between Place d’Israël and Boulevard Pereire. It was part of the land directly owned by the Pereire brothers. Plots were sold. Buyers had to build a bourgeois house within six months. This sped up the construction of many private mansions between 1878 and 1884.
Between 1875 and 1900, Plaine Monceau became a new luxurious district. Both the bourgeoisie and trendy artists favored it. The area became known for its many private mansions. They were built in the eclectic style popular in the late 19th century. Their facades show the diversity of historicist styles. Many borrow from the Gothic style. But there are also neo-Renaissance, Louis XIII, or Regency styles. Besides the classic stone construction, there was renewed interest in brick. It was once again considered worthy for facades.
Many private mansions in Plaine Monceau have disappeared. But Allée Ampère still has one of the most remarkable series in the area. This is on the section of the street connecting Place d’Israël to Boulevard Pereire. The mansions at numbers 59, 61, 63, and 65 form a cohesive group. They consist of mansions and artist studios from the same period. They benefit from heritage protection under the city of Paris’s urban plan. The small mansion at number 68 has a beautiful neo-Gothic facade. It is listed in the inventory of historical monuments.
Many private mansions on Allée Ampère are by architect Stephen Sauvestre. From 1857 to 1911, he built nearly twenty mansions in the Plaine Monceau district for wealthy clients. He also collaborated with Gustave Eiffel. He is responsible for the architectural design of the Eiffel Tower.
In the late 19th century, the new Plaine Monceau district attracted many academic painters. They were among the most recognized at the time. In 1883, a reporter described “walking along the new street called Ampère”. He noted “essentially artistic facades since they are modern painters’ studios”. He cited a typical private mansion. It “serves as a base for a studio with large windows on the facade and roof”. It was “intended to house a painter selling his paintings expensively or rich from his heritage”.
Today Allée Ampère remains a testament to Parisian elegance. It reflects the artistic spirit of a bygone era. Walking along Allée Ampère allows us to step back in time. We can witness the architectural grandeur and artistic legacy that define this unique Parisian street.