Passage des Alouettes

Overhead, the sky is a brilliant blue. Swallows dart and weave through the air above Passage des Alouettes. This passage, by the way, is named after these small birds, “alouettes” in French. The neighboring Rue des Alouettes gave its name to this charming passage. Passage des Alouettes begins at Boulevard Jean XXIII, extending from Rue Jean Perréal where it meets Rue des Alouettes. It stretches southward, ending at Rue Longefer, across from number 16. Along the way, it intersects with Rue Despeignes and Rue Cézard. The passage’s architecture reflects different eras. The northern part, developed around 1950, is flanked by a seven-story apartment building on the east and three others, including a newer one, on the west. These buildings showcase a typical 1950s style with rows of balconies. Further south, past Rue Despeignes, the passage is bordered by the gates of residences and five-to-seven-story buildings. These buildings stand close to the street on the east side and further back on the west side. Interestingly, there are few entrances to these residences from the passage itself. Passage des Alouettes takes a slight bend at its end between a large apartment building and number 23, which offsets the curve with two angles. Rows of trees on either side of the passage define the parking spaces. Before the extensive development of the area, a small passage existed in the late 19th century, serving a few isolated houses. The southern part of the passage was opened around 1990, effectively transforming it into a street.