“Saint-Ladre… Saint-Lazare…” Have you ever considered why a leper’s patron saint lends his name to this path? The story of Chemin de Saint-Ladre is a journey through time. It reveals a transformation from a place of isolation to a hub of Parisian life.
Chemin de Saint-Ladre’s tale begins with a leprosarium. It was a sanctuary for those afflicted by leprosy. This area was once known as the Enclos Saint-Lazare. This enclosed space measured ninety-two arpents. That’s about thirty-two hectares. The Enclos Saint-Lazare finds mention as early as 1110. It was a hospital for lepers. They invoked Saint-Ladre or Saint-Lazare. He was the patron saint of lepers in the Middle Ages.
Let’s paint a picture of the Enclos Saint-Lazare. It was delimited by several streets. These included the Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière to the west. The Rue de Paradis lay to the south. The Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis marked the east. The Clos Saint-Charles bordered it to the north.
Royal protection shaped the fate of this domain. A chapel frequented by lepers stood here in the 9th century. Philippe I added a mill and land to the hospital. Louis VI created the Saint-Ladre fair in 1110. Louis VII confirmed it. Philippe-Auguste bought it in 1183. He transferred it to the Halles de Paris. In compensation, Saint-Lazare received authorization to open a new fair in the Enclos Saint-Laurent.
Louis VII initiated the “logiz du roy” around 1147. It became a mandatory stop for sovereigns ascending to the throne. Kings and queens received oaths of allegiance from Parisians here. Until Louis XV, deceased sovereigns’ bodies were displayed here.
Saint-Lazare gained the right to build an aqueduct across its vineyards in 1179. Water sources from Pré-Saint-Gervais and Belleville fed the first Parisian fountains. A mill and the Ferme Saint-Lazare also existed within the enclosure. These gave rise to the Passage de la Ferme-Saint-Lazare and the Cour de la Ferme-Saint-Lazare.
The church Saint-Lazare stood near the Église Saint-Laurent. It was demolished in 1823 because of its poor condition. Subterranean passages connected it to the Église Saint-Laurent and the Couvent des Récollets. The church’s entrance faced the Faubourg Saint-Denis. It was customary to temporarily place deceased kings’ bodies here before their final journey to the Basilique Saint-Denis.
The 17th century marked a decline in leprosy. In 1632, Adrien Le Bon ceded Saint-Lazare to Vincent de Paul. Vincent de Paul established the Congregation of the Mission. Saint Vincent de Paul founded the Filles de la Charité with Louise de Marillac in 1633. They served foundling children and the sick.
Saint-Lazare hosted the “Conférences de Saint-Lazare”. Figures like the Cardinal de Retz and Bossuet participated. Saint-Lazare became a prison for unruly family members. Chapelle was interned here in 1646. From 1635 to 1660, Saint-Lazare received around twenty thousand “exercitants”. Many foreign missions were managed from here.
The Maison Saint-Charles, a retreat for convalescing priests, was built in 1644. Around 1645, Saint Vincent established the Hospice des Treize-Maisons for orphans. In 1653, he founded the Hospice du Saint-Nom-de-Jésus for the elderly. Vincent de Paul died at Saint-Lazare in 1660. He was buried in the church Saint-Lazare.
In 1661, the priests of the Mission revived the fair created by Louis VI. They relocated it to the Enclos Saint-Laurent. In the early 18th century, the Mission built rental properties along the Faubourg Saint-Denis. Saint-Lazare continued as a prison. It housed wayward wives, young offenders, and priests. This contributed to the domain’s growth.
The French Revolution brought decline. The Maison Saint-Lazare was pillaged on July 12-13, 1789. Its library was decimated. In 1792-1793, the Lazarists were scattered. Saint-Lazare became a prison in 1794. The Maison Saint-Lazare transformed into a prison during the Terror.
The domain of Saint-Lazare was the largest enclosure in Paris at the end of the 18th century. Speculators developed the area after the revolution. Claude-Martin Goupy negotiated land with the Lazarists. Barracks were built.
In 1821, the department ceded part of Saint-Lazare to financiers. They developed the area around Place Charles-X. Achille Leclère designed the Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. New streets were created. The Compagnie du Nouveau Quartier Poissonnière failed. Urbanization was slow.
The first Gare du Nord opened in 1846 on former Saint-Lazare land. The current Gare du Nord was completed in 1865. The Gare de l’Est opened in 1849 on Clos Saint-Laurent land. It was named Gare de l’Est in 1854.
In the 1830s, the prison Saint-Lazare transformed. In 1834, Louis-Pierre Baltard built the “infirmerie spéciale”. Around 1930, it became the Maison de santé Saint-Lazare. The hospital Saint-Lazare closed in 1998. Today, only the infirmary and chapel remain.
Several workshops and stores set up on the former Enclos Saint-Lazare in the 19th century. Étienne Calla established a foundry in 1820. Around 1831, Baccarat and other glassmakers distributed their products here. In 1865, François Pinet founded his shoe store.
The Marché Saint-Laurent was built in 1835-1836. It was replaced by the Marché Saint-Quentin in 1866. Other developments included a power station and the Crèche Paul-Strauss. The Square Alban-Satragne was created in 1963. The Parking souterrain Magenta Alban Satragne was constructed in 1971.
A vast redevelopment project began in 1999. Cultural, sports, and educational facilities were built. Historical buildings were restored. A landscaped park was created. The Rue Léon-Schwartzenberg was named in 2008.
Today, Chemin de Saint-Ladre tells a powerful story. It speaks of healing. It shows imprisonment. It embodies renewal. It is a testament to Paris’s ever-evolving nature.