Rue Brancion

Colonel Brancion’s last stand echoes down Rue Brancion. He fell in the Crimean War, storming the Malakoff Bastion in 1855. Paris honored him by naming this street in the 15th arrondissement after him in 1864. Rue Brancion begins at Place d’Alleray and stretches to Boulevard Lefebvre. It skirts the eastern edge of Parc Georges-Brassens. The street even crosses the old Petite Ceinture railway line, a ghost of Paris’s industrial past. Originally, the southern part of Rue Brancion, from Rue des Morillons to Boulevard Lefebvre, was called Rue du Pont de Turbigo. The name changed in 1864, cementing Colonel Brancion’s legacy in the city’s fabric. The street grew in stages. It extended to Rue de Vouillé in 1901. Then it reached Place d’Alleray in 1906, completing its present form. At number 10 Rue Brancion, you’d have found the headquarters of France Télécom. Later, the Directorate of Population and Migration occupied the building. Number 104 holds a special charm. It marks the entrance to the former horse market of the Vaugirard slaughterhouses. Now, it’s the beloved Parc Georges-Brassens. On weekends, booksellers transform this spot into a haven for bibliophiles. They gather for the ancient and second-hand book market, breathing new life into this historic location. Look for the statues of François Barbaud and Émile Decroix near the entrance, silent witnesses to the area’s transformation. Nearby, another entrance leads to the Monfort-Théâtre, continuing the vibrant cultural legacy of Rue Brancion.