“Lost in the City of Lights, a street named Rue Blanchard whispers tales of daring feats.” Rue Blanchard, a seemingly ordinary street in Paris’s 20th arrondissement, holds a secret. It’s named after Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French aeronaut and inventor of the parachute. Rue Blanchard began not as a bustling street, but as a section of the Thiers wall, bastion number 13. The city of Paris, through its public housing office, transformed this former military fortification into the street we see today. It officially became Rue Blanchard in 1933. This quiet street pays homage to a man who dared to touch the sky. Blanchard wasn’t just an inventor; he was a showman. He captured the attention of Paris with his early inventions and pronouncements. Then he saw the Montgolfier brothers’ hot air balloon and declared himself the “sovereign of the air.” Blanchard’s most famous feat was his daring balloon flight across the English Channel in 1785. Along with American doctor John Jeffries, he braved the skies in a hydrogen balloon. They faced several perilous moments during the crossing. They had to discard everything they could, from ballast to books, even their provisions, to keep the balloon aloft. They eventually landed safely in France, achieving a historic first. Blanchard’s ambition and showmanship continued to drive him. He became the first to fly a balloon in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. He continued refining his parachute design, famously using a dog as a test subject. He was also the first to fly a balloon in America, launching from a prison yard in Philadelphia in 1793. Rue Blanchard may not boast grand monuments or bustling crowds. Yet it stands as a quiet testament to a man who dreamed of flight and left his mark on history.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.