“A royal nursery? In the heart of Paris?” you might ask. Indeed, right here on Rue de la Pépinière, the echoes of a verdant past linger. Rue de la Pépinière, a street named for the royal nursery it once led to, whispers tales of blossoming flowers and towering trees. This street, located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, stretches from Rue de Rome and Rue Saint-Lazare to Place Saint-Augustin. The very name “Pépinière” evokes images of a tranquil oasis, a stark contrast to the bustling city that surrounds us.
Originally, this area, now graced by the elegant Rue de la Pépinière, housed the royal nursery, or Pépinière Royale du Roule, established in 1670. Imagine, in the 17th century, this area flourishing with exotic plants and trees destined for the royal gardens of the Tuileries and even the magnificent Versailles. This first nursery occupied a vast expanse, stretching between the present-day Rue du Colisée, Rue de Berri, the Champs-Élysées, and Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré. Later, a new royal nursery, known as the Pépinière du Roule, was created in 1720 north of the Grand Égout, approximately where Rue de Miromesnil and Boulevard Haussmann now lie. This second nursery met its end in 1826.
The director of this verdant haven resided in a house nearby, rebuilt in 1763. The Abbé Nolin, a canon of Saint-Marcel, was its first occupant, followed by his nephew and assistant, Louis de Lezermes. In 1806, the renowned botanist Louis Marie Aubert Du Petit-Thouars, brother of the admiral, took the helm. A path, documented as early as 1555, linked the Faubourg du Roule, near the present-day Saint-Philippe-du-Roule church, to a spot called “La Pologne.” This path skirted the southern edge of the second royal nursery and was known as the “Chemin de la Pépinière à la Pologne.” In 1782, this path was widened and transformed into Rue de la Pépinière. Later, in 1868, a portion of Rue de la Pépinière was renamed Rue Abbatucci and then, in 1879, Rue La Boétie. The name Rue de la Pépinière remained only on the eastern section, from Place Saint-Augustin to Place Gabriel-Péri.
Even in literature, Rue de la Pépinière makes an appearance. In Honoré de Balzac’s novel “Le Contrat de Mariage” (1835), Paul de Manerville and his wife, Natalie, call this street home. So, as we stand here, on Rue de la Pépinière, remember the rustling leaves, the fragrant blossoms, and the royal gardeners who once tended this urban oasis. From a royal nursery to a bustling Parisian street, Rue de la Pépinière carries a rich history, woven into the very fabric of this city.