Ever stop to consider how streets get their names? The Rue des Mathurins has quite a story. For centuries before 1881 this street was called the New Road of the Mathurins. This name came from a farm.
The farm belonged to Mathurin monks. These monks took their name from Saint Mathurin of Larchant. He was a martyr from the 4th century. Saint Mathurin was very popular in the Middle Ages. People believed he could heal madness and anxiety. He was even the patron saint of clowns.
But the Rue des Mathurins is more than just an interesting name. It also has some remarkable history. Let me share some stories that will bring this street to life.
At number 10, you would have found a vibrant salon. It was hosted by Daniel Stern. Daniel Stern was the pen name of Marie d’Agoult. During the July Monarchy she held court here. Victor Hugo was a frequent guest. He and other intellectuals discussed politics and art.
The Rue des Mathurins was a hub of intellectual life. This famous author wasn’t the only luminary who graced this street.
George Sand also lived on the Rue des Mathurins at number 26. She resided in the Florence private house. This was when she was with Baron Casimir Dudevant. On June 30 1823 she gave birth to her son Maurice here. The house was owned by Napoleon’s former head chef. Today it is a three-star hotel called George Sand.
Imagine being a guest at this hotel. You would be sleeping where a famous author once lived. Think of the stories those walls could tell.
But that is not all. The Rue des Mathurins also had a theatre in the basement of number 38. Michel Mortier founded the Michel Theatre. It provided entertainment for the people of Paris.
The Théâtre des Mathurins also stands on this street. It is known to theatre-goers as Les Mathurins. It is an intimate 386-seater theatre in the heart of Paris’ theatre district.
Its unexpected beginning goes back to the 13th century. At that time the Rue des Mathurins existed on a stretch of farmland. Industrious monks managed this farmland. These were the Mathurins. They would later lend their name to both the street and the theatre.
In January 1793 King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed. Their corpses were brought to a mass cemetery near the Mathurins farm. Twenty years later Louis XVIII ordered their bodies exhumed. They were officially reburied at Saint-Denis Cathedral.
Louis XVIII granted the farm’s owner permission to practice theatre. It was repayment for using his farmland. Thus the Théâtre des Mathurins was born.
As Paris grew boutique hotels began to set up camp on the Rue des Mathurins. Dancer Julie Talma writer George Sand and nobles frequented small concert venues.
By the end of the 1890s the Théâtre des Mathurins was a modest concert hall. In 1912 it was officially baptised the Théâtre des Mathurins.
In the 1920s Charles Siclis renovated the theatre. He contrasted his facade with the classic Parisian apartments. He blended modernity and tradition in a single building.
Sacha Guitry made his playwriting debut at the Théâtre des Mathurins. His comedy Nono proved an instant success in 1905. The theatre has hosted works by Oscar Wilde Jean-Paul Sartre and Marguerite Duras.
The Rue des Mathurins is a street of theatre literary salons and religious history. It is a microcosm of Parisian life. As you walk along this street remember the stories it holds. Let the past come alive.