What secrets are buried beneath the Avenue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques? This street separates the Val-de-Grâce quarter from the Sorbonne quarter in Paris’s 5th arrondissement. The Avenue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques’s story starts with city fortifications.
The street owes its name to the city’s moats. These moats were near the old Saint-Jacques gate of Philippe Auguste’s enclosure. The Avenue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques was opened in the mid-17th century. It replaced an old path outside Charles V’s enclosure. This enclosure was dug from 1357 to 1365. It was filled in from 1646 to 1660. The avenue led to the Saint-Jacques gate.
Let’s explore some notable buildings on the Avenue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques. Number 4 is a remarkable building. It was built in 1762. It stands on the site of the “Petit Oyson” jeu de paume. The plot retains the rectangular shape of the establishment.
At number 10, you will find the La Libre Pensée association bookstore. A plaque commemorates Ferdinand Buisson. He was a deputy who passed the 1905 law separating church and state. The plaque was placed in 1980 to protest Pope John Paul II’s visit to France.
Numbers 16 and 18 feature classified storefronts. These include a bakery and a butcher shop. The French composer Marius Constant lived at number 16 until his death. A commemorative plaque marks the building’s facade. The Association philotechnique is located at number 18.
A Portuguese and Brazilian bookstore sits at numbers 19-21. Michel Chandeigne founded it in 1986. Charles Péguy’s Cahiers de la Quinzaine were printed at number 21. A History of Paris panel pays tribute to him.
The painter and engraver Alexis Nicolas Noël lived and died at number 22. Painter Alfred Sohn-Rethel and phonetician Jean-Pierre Rousselot lived at number 23.
Georges Moustaki composed an instrumental piece named Rue des fossés-Saint-Jacques. It appeared on his album Le Métèque. The famous cabaret Port du Salut was also nearby. It stood at the corner of Rue Saint-Jacques. Many famous French singers performed there after the war.
Two stone plaques at the corner of Rue Saint-Jacques show the street’s old name. A 1729 decree mandated engraving the street name on a stone plaque. The National Convention ordered the removal of feudal and superstitious signs on August 14, 1792. The letters “St” were removed. They were later restored under the Consulate.
The Avenue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques is more than just a street. It is a journey through Parisian history. It is a place where art, literature, and politics intertwine. Each building has its own tale. Each plaque has its own memory. The Avenue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques invites you to listen closely.