Deep in the 2nd arrondissement exists a narrow passage. This is the Passage Basfour. Have you ever wondered about its hidden stories?
Passage Basfour connects Rue Saint-Denis and Rue de Palestro. It is a pedestrian passage paved with history. The Passage Basfour is more than just a shortcut. It is a journey through time.
Let’s step back to the 14th century. The passage was once known as “Ruelle Sans Chef” or “Rue Sans Chef”. Some even called it “aboutissant à la Trinité”. By the late 14th century, it became known as “Bas-Fours”. This name came from a plaster oven located here. Imagine the scene. The air filled with the scent of plaster being baked.
In 1374, the archives of the Abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs mention it as “Bas-four”. By 1400, it was “ruelle Sans chef”. Yet it also kept its old name, “cul-de-sac de Bas-four”. This mix of names shows its long history.
In 1224, the Hôpital de la Trinité bought the plâtrière de la Croix-Verte. This old plaster quarry became a cemetery. The cemetery of the Trinité was large. It stretched between the current streets of Saint-Denis and Greneta. It reached Boulevard de Sébastopol and Rue Guérin-Boisseau.
An edict in 1576 granted Protestants burial rights in this cemetery. Their section was in the north near Passage Basfour. Catholics were buried in the other part. Picture this. A divided cemetery with Passage Basfour as its silent witness.
The passage is about 60 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. In 1714, Passage Basfour had only one lantern and one house. The Hôpital de la Trinité owned it. A coal merchant lived in the “maison des Vieilles Étuves”. An old chapel of the Trinité hid behind its walls.
The suppression of Passage Basfour was considered. This happened during the creation of Boulevard Sébastopol. Only the upper part of the passage disappeared in 1857. The rest remained.
Today, as you walk through Passage Basfour, notice the old houses with gables from the 16th century at the entrance on Rue Saint-Denis. These are silent reminders of the past. The narrowness and cobblestones give it a medieval feel.
Passage Basfour stands as a memory of medieval Paris. It connects us to a time of plaster ovens. It connects us to cemeteries and hidden chapels. Take a moment to appreciate this piece of Parisian history.