Boulevard Lefebvre

Sweeping across the 15th arrondissement, Boulevard Lefebvre stands as a testament to Parisian history. This grand boulevard, one of the Boulevards of the Marshals, stretches an impressive 1,265 meters. Boulevard Lefebvre is a wide and spacious thoroughfare, measuring 40 meters across. It’s located in the Saint-Lambert quarter. It’s named after François Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Dantzig and Marshal of France. Boulevard Lefebvre’s story intertwines with the tale of the Thiers wall. Built around 1840, this wall, with its fortifications, moat, and Rue Militaire, once separated Paris from its suburbs. The city’s expansion in 1860 brought the area within the wall into Paris. This created a disconnect, disrupting the flow between the city and its surrounding areas. The Paris city council began transforming sections of the Rue Militaire into boulevards in 1861. Boulevard Lefebvre was among the first stretches to open. The boulevard officially received its name in 1864, honoring Lefebvre’s contributions to French history. Each section of the upgraded Rue Militaire was named after a Marshal of the First French Empire. This created a ring of boulevards known as the Boulevards of the Marshals. This ambitious project was largely completed by 1932, with the final sections closed in 2005. Boulevard Lefebvre stands alongside 18 other boulevards, each bearing the name of a Marshal who served under Napoleon I. The boulevard has witnessed significant events. In January 1964, a building under construction on the northern side of Boulevard Lefebvre collapsed. This tragic accident, known as the Boulevard Lefebvre disaster, resulted in at least 20 deaths and 18 injuries. Today, the boulevard is a vibrant part of the city. It’s home to historic structures like the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua and the former buildings of the Central Civil Engineering Laboratory. The boulevard also provides access to the Paris Exhibition Center and the Dôme de Paris. Once accessible by the Petite Ceinture bus line, it’s now served by Tramway Line 3a.