A Parisian enigma. That’s what the Passage du Puits once was. Right here where we stand now a bustling thoroughfare once existed. This wasn’t just any alleyway. The Passage du Puits held a unique place in Parisian history. Its very name whispered of a past far removed from the modern city.
The Passage du Puits meaning literally “Passage of the Well” derived its name from a public well. This well served the community for centuries. Imagine the thirsty townsfolk drawing water from its depths. The well was the heart of this small street. It stood as a symbol of life and community.
Construction on the Passage du Puits began around 1230. By 1250 it had earned its name. Guillot de Paris’s “Dit des rues de Paris” mentions it as “rue du Bon-Puis”. The street’s history spanned centuries. It endured many transformations. It experienced periods of prosperity and change.
In 1540 the Passage du Puits was briefly renamed “rue de Fortune”. It only briefly held this name before reverting to its original moniker. Its name became a constant even during periods of rapid city growth and change. This shows how vital the well was to the local neighborhood.
The end came in 1855. The Second Empire’s urban renewal changed Paris forever. This included the widening of Rue des Ecoles. The Passage du Puits was deemed an obstacle. It was sacrificed to the cause of progress. Demolition of the street and the well followed soon after. In their place rose new buildings and the square Paul-Langevin.
Though no longer physically present the Passage du Puits remains in the memory. It remains a chapter in the city’s rich tapestry of streets and stories. It serves as a reminder of a humbler Paris. A Paris where a simple well defined a neighborhood. The Passage du Puits a place now gone but not forgotten.