“Step back in time,” the tour guide whispered, his voice barely audible above the gentle Parisian breeze, “and imagine this unassuming building, this very Mairie de Romainville, as the heart of a bustling industrial town.”
The Mairie de Romainville, with its dignified yet understated façade, stands as a testament to Romainville’s rich and layered past. Constructed in 1873, expanded in 1905 and again in 1993, it replaced a grand chateau that once dominated this site. It saw Romainville transform from a rural landscape of vineyards and farms into a hub of industry, particularly pharmaceuticals.
The echoes of clattering carriages and the steady rhythm of workers’ footsteps might be long gone, but the stories remain. Did you know that this town played a pivotal role in the development of early pharmaceutical giants? It all began, curiously enough, with the horses of the Paris Omnibus Company, housed in nearby stables.
Dr. Gaston Roussel, a pioneer in the field, recognized the potential of the horses’ serum. In 1920, he utilized it to create Hemostyl, the world’s first effective treatment for anemia. This groundbreaking work led to the establishment of the Uclaf (Union chimique des laboratoires associés français) and the birth of a pharmaceutical legacy that continues to impact lives even today.
While the grand chateau is gone, replaced by the Mairie and modern buildings, the spirit of innovation persists. The legacy of Dr. Roussel is carried on by Biocitech, a hub for biotechnology, health, and environmental industries, breathing new life and purpose into Romainville’s story.