Whispers of old Paris linger here on the Rue du Regard. This street earned its name from a fountain. A “regard” allowed people to check the fountain’s operation.
Once, in 1667, a fountain sat at the corner of Rue du Regard and Rue de Vaugirard. In 1855 the fountain was moved. It now graces the Jardin du Luxembourg behind the Fontaine Médicis.
Before it was the Rue du Regard, this street had other names. It was once the Chemin Herbu. Later, it became the Chemin de la Fosse à l’Aumosnier in 1529. By 1646, it was known as Rue de la Descente de Montargis. For a time, it was also called Rue des Carmes.
The Carmes Déchaussés, established by Marie de Médicis in 1836, had a connection here. A lateral door linked their property to the Chemin Herbu. The Rue du Regard was not yet fully formed.
Construction was sparse on the even-numbered side of the street. Mr. de Montrouge owned land at the corner of Rue du Cherche-Midi. Mr. de Rochefort followed. The Fosse-Lausmonier was near where the offices of the Ami de la Religion stand today. The Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés owned land at the opposite end.
The Carmes held an original property called la Planche. It had an opening toward the middle of the path. Three houses already stood above this opening. The religious order also possessed the corner plot next to it. Ditches once marked the city’s limits. They were filled and the grass disappeared. This marked the birth of a new street. The fountain gave its name to the path. The Carmes transformed the fountain’s water into a melissa-scented spring.
The Rue du Regard is home to several hôtels particuliers from the 18th century. These townhouses line the odd-numbered side of the street. Victor Dailly and Claude-Brice Le Chauve built them for the Carmes. The Carmes had amassed a fortune. They made money from their melissa water and shrewd investments.
Number 1 Rue du Regard has a story. The Carmes built it for a woman with an eventful life. Jeanne-Baptiste d’Albert de Luynes was born in 1670. Her grandfather was the Constable of France. She married the Comte de Verua at 13. He was an officer in the service of Victor-Amédée II, the Duke of Savoy. The Duke fell in love with her. She became his quasi-official favorite for ten years. Tired of his moods, she escaped in 1700. Disguised as a man, she fled to Grenoble.
She found refuge in Paris at the Convent of the Benedictines du Cherche-Midi. Her aunt founded it. She remained there at her husband’s request. She regained her freedom upon his death in 1704. She hosted a salon frequented by intellectuals. Her library held 18000 volumes. She died in 1736.
Numbers 5 and 7 also have beautiful portals. Number 5 is the Hôtel de Rothembourg later the Hôtel de Croÿ. Number 7 is the Hôtel de Beaune. François-René de Chateaubriand lived here in 1825-1826. Today, it is home to the Antonine Sisters Maronite Lebanese.
Number 15 was built in 1752. It was the Hôtel du Comte de la Guiche. He was a great-grandson of Diane d’Andouins, mistress of Henri IV.
The even-numbered side has less historical heritage. Number 6 has been the Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice since 1804. Number 14 was built in 1880 by Georges Vaucheret. It features atlantes and caryatids oddly placed on the first floor.
The Rue du Regard offers glimpses into Parisian life. From its fountain origins to its hôtels particuliers, it whispers tales of history and intrigue.