Avenue du Parc de la Lande

“Lost in time,” a historian mused, “yet Avenue du Parc-des-Princes stands before us.” Avenue du Parc-des-Princes. This Parisian artery pulses with a history tied to the iconic Parc des Princes stadium. Originally, it led to the stadium, giving the avenue its name. Built in 1897, the stadium’s presence forever shaped the avenue’s destiny. Avenue du Parc-des-Princes wasn’t always what we see today. In 1926, it emerged from the remnants of fortifications, bastions 64 and 65 of the Thiers wall. It also swallowed a portion of Rue du Parc, once part of Boulogne-Billancourt before its annexation to Paris. The avenue originally extended to Place de la Porte-d’Auteuil. Changes came. In 1934, part of the avenue gave way to Place du Docteur-Paul-Michaux, marking the avenue’s new end. Another shift occurred in 1951. The section between Place de la Porte-d’Auteuil and Rue Claude-Farrère and Rue Lecomte-du-Noüy became Avenue du Général-Sarrail. Even the roaring 1970s brought transformation. The construction of the périphérique erased the avenue’s connection to Avenue de la Porte-de-Saint-Cloud. Avenue du Parc-des-Princes is more than just asphalt and concrete. It holds stories. At number 1, the entrance to Lycée Claude-Bernard stands as a gateway to knowledge. Further down, at numbers 23 and 27, an elementary school and a maternelle respectively nurture young minds. A darker tale lurks in the avenue’s past. Between the tranquility of Bois de Boulogne and the quiet of 28 Rue Michel-Ange, a chilling assassination took place. Russian journalist and economist Dimitri Navachine was brutally murdered by Jean Filiol of the Cagoule. Six blows from a truncated bayonet ended his life on this very avenue. Avenue du Parc-des-Princes. A place of beginnings and endings. A place where history unfolds.