“The street of the serpent,” whispered a tour guide, his voice barely audible above the Parisian bustle. “That’s how Rue Serpente was known centuries ago.” We stand before Rue Serpente, a seemingly unremarkable street that holds centuries of history. Its story begins in 1179, a time when Paris was a maze of medieval lanes. Even then, Rue Serpente stood out. Its winding path earned it the name “vicus Serpentus” – literally, “Serpent Way”. Over the years, the name evolved. It became “rue du Serpent,” then “vicus Tortuosus” – “the tortuous path” – a testament to its meandering nature. Finally, it settled on the name we know today: Rue Serpente. But this wasn’t always the only street on this very spot. Imagine another street, running alongside Rue Serpente, known as “rue du Battoir-Saint-André”. This street, swallowed by the city’s evolution, boasted a colorful past with names like “rue Jehan-de-Fontenoy,” “rue de la Plâtrière”, and even “Haute-Rue”. Imagine a bustling marketplace, the rhythmic pounding of a blacksmith’s hammer giving the street its final name: “rue du Battoir” – the street of the beater. In 1851, these two streets, each a witness to history, merged to form the Rue Serpente we see today.
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.