What secrets does a name hold? The Chemin des Pissottes, a seemingly ordinary path, holds a story that takes us back to the heart of old Paris. The path you stand on now, my friends, was part of a much longer route. It led from the bustling heart of Paris to a small hamlet called La Pissotte, nestled on the outskirts near the Chateau de Vincennes. You might chuckle at the name, and rightly so. “Pissotte” is a rather indelicate term, a colloquialism even back then, referring to a place where, well, necessities were relieved. You see, the Chemin des Pissottes was named after the Rue de Montreuil, a road known to be less than fragrant due to a rather unfortunate combination of open sewers and a lack of public sanitation. This route, rough as it might have been, was a lifeline connecting La Pissotte to Paris. The name Chemin des Pissottes, though amusing to our modern ears, serves as a tangible reminder of the realities of life in a bygone era. It’s a testament to the evolution of a city, from its humbler beginnings to the grand metropolis we know today.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.