Hidden amidst the Parisian grandeur stands Avenue des Bons Enfants. Its name whispers tales of a bygone era. A legacy etched not in stone but in the very fabric of the street itself.
Avenue des Bons Enfants in the 1st arrondissement boasts a history stretching back to 1208. That’s when the Collège des Bons Enfants was founded. It offered education to thirteen impoverished schoolboys. The street’s very name a testament to this charitable institution. Before this though the area was known as the chemin qui va à Clichy or chemin de Clichy. Later it became known as ruelle par où l’on va au collège des Bons Enfants and rue des Ecoliers Saint-Honoré.
Imagine the cobblestones echoing with the footsteps of those early scholars. Their laughter and whispers lost to time. Yet the Avenue itself remains. A silent observer of centuries of Parisian life. It changed its name to rue Neuve des Bons Enfants appearing on maps in 1760 and 1771. Part of it was later used to create rue Radziwill.
The Avenue’s quiet demeanor hides a dramatic event. On November 8 1892 a bomb exploded at the police station at number 24. Six policemen died instantly. Intended for Baron Reille the bomb was originally placed near the Opera. A janitor or perhaps a street sweeper found it. Policemen took it to the station where it detonated. The press barely covered the incident focusing more on Baron Reille. Anarchist Emile Henry claimed responsibility. However Félix Fénéon contested this. The mystery of who placed the bomb remains unsolved. Guy Debord later wrote a song about this event. He mistakenly attributed it to Raymond Caillemin a member of the Bonnot gang.
The Avenue also bears witness to the lives of notable figures. Gérard de Nerval the writer and poet lived at number 13. Brillat-Savarin the renowned gastronome resided at number 14 in 1794. Number 19 marked the site of the Hôtel de la Chancellerie d’Orléans. Sadly this magnificent building was demolished in 1924. Despite being declared a historical monument in 1914 it fell victim to urban development. Plans to restore it remain ongoing. Nearby La Rochefoucauld was born and Jean-Philippe Rameau died in the area in 1764.
Avenue des Bons Enfants today stands as a poignant reminder of Paris’s rich past. Its name its history its silent stories speak volumes. The street continues to quietly witness the ebb and flow of Parisian life. A legacy of scholars a bomb’s echo and celebrated residents all interwoven into the Avenue’s identity. The Avenue des Bons Enfants a small street with a big story to tell.