Surely a street named Rue du Coq Gaulois evokes images of French pride. But let’s explore the story behind this intriguing name. The Rue du Coq-Saint-Jean was once a bustling Parisian street.
However the Rue du Coq-Saint-Jean disappeared during the construction of Rue de Rivoli. The construction of the Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville also contributed to its disappearance in 1864 and 1904.
Located in the old 7th arrondissement, Rue du Coq-Saint-Jean was 70 meters long. Its odd-numbered buildings were in the Arcis district. Even-numbered buildings were in the Marché-Saint-Jean district. It began at 29-31 Rue de la Tixéranderie and ended at 41-43 Rue de la Verrerie. Buildings on the street had black numbers. The last odd number was 7. The last even number was 12. Rue des Vieilles-Garnisons extended it to the south.
The street got its name from a shop sign. The “Saint-Jean” epithet distinguished it from Rue du Coq-Saint-Honoré which is now Rue de Marengo. Rue du Coq-Saint-Jean was already lined with buildings during Louis VII’s reign. A document from 1243 calls it Rue André-Malet. In 1273 an agreement between Philippe le Hardi and the Saint-Merri chapter refers to it as Rue Lambert-de-Râle or Rue André-Malet. Guillot de Paris mentions it as Rue Andri-Mallet. In 1416 it became Rue du Coq. A 1636 manuscript calls it Rue du Cocq. A report notes it was mostly dirty.
The opening of Rue de Rivoli in 1864 shortened Rue du Coq-Saint-Jean. It became a dead end named Impasse du Coq-Saint-Jean. This dead end vanished in 1904 when the Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville was built.
An almshouse belonging to the Augustine nuns of Notre-Dame de Gercy abbey stood here. Madeleine de Montmorency sold it before the abbey’s reform. She gave the abbey to Benedictine nuns in 1515. Gabrielle d’Estrée also had a mansion here. It was demolished in 1853.
Alexis Claude Clairaut lived on this street. The street had become a dead end because a building was constructed on Rue de Rivoli. His house was near Rue de la Tixéranderie. It was at the end of the dead end. It was either number 8 or number 3 which was traditionally believed to have housed Mazarin. Clairaut was a member of the Academy of Sciences. He wrote his Elements of Geometry for Madame du Châtelet there.
Alexandre Michel Mathurin Denyau lived in the house with the Moulinet sign. He was a royal advisor professor and regent doctor at the Paris Faculty of Medicine. He also taught medicine at the Collège Royal de France in 1660. The house was sold to Contet a parliament procurator in 1687. His son also a procurator inherited it a year after his wife died.
Adolphe Martial Potémont created an etching titled Rue du Coq Saint Jean in 1851. Jules-Adolphe Chauvet drew L’Ancienne rue du Coq Saint-Jean in 1880.
Today the Gallic rooster remains a symbol of France. It represents courage determination and virility. Though not an official symbol it is a beloved emblem. It appears on sports teams and coins. The rooster embodies the spirit of France. So as we stand here remember the history and symbolism of the Rue du Coq Gaulois.