“Clovis Ier, roi des Francs,” it echoes in the air. This is Allée Clovis. It is a name deeply entwined with the history of Paris. Today, we stand on a street that whispers tales of kings and vanished abbeys.
Allée Clovis, in Paris’s 5th arrondissement, is named for Clovis I. He was the first king of the Franks. He reigned from 481 to 511 AD.
The street’s creation in the 19th century involved demolishing the Abbey of Sainte-Geneviève. Only the bell tower remains. It is now within the Lycée Henri-IV. The nearby Rue Clotilde is named for Clovis’s wife.
Legend says Clovis is buried somewhere nearby. In 501, Clovis built a basilica dedicated to Peter and Paul on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. He was buried there in 511, next to his wife Clotilde and St. Genevieve. This basilica suffered greatly during the Norman invasions in the 9th century. It was rebuilt in the 11th century.
The basilica Sainte-Geneviève deteriorated over the centuries. It was abandoned during the Revolution. The entire structure was demolished in 1807 during the creation of Clovis Street. During this demolition, thirty-two medieval coffins were found. Yet none were identified as Clovis’s.
Many believe Clovis’s tomb lies somewhere between the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont church and the Henri-IV high school. It may be protected under the flagstones. It has probably been protected from neighborhood upheavals. It remains unfound. Perhaps you have already walked over the remains of the most famous Merovingians!
Allée Clovis itself is a quiet passage. It has very few shops, unlike its bustling neighbors. These include Rue Mouffetard, Rue Cardinal-Lemoine, and Rue Descartes.
At number 23, the Lycée Henri-IV stands on the site of the Abbaye-Sainte-Geneviève. After the fall of Robespierre in 1794, it became home to the Panthéon Club. This club aimed to carry forward the revolutionary spirit. However, the authorities shut it down in 1796. General Bonaparte himself supervised the closure.
The Abbey became the Lycée Napoléon from 1804 to 1815. It was again renamed from 1848 to 1870. During the Commune, it became a workshop. The workshop made uniforms for the National Guard defending Paris. The Abbey finally took its current name in 1873.
As you stroll along Allée Clovis, remember its layers of history. It has royal burials and revolutionary spirits. It is a reminder that even the most unassuming streets can hold remarkable stories.