Haven’t you noticed how street names often tell a story? Right here we find ourselves at Passage Ruisseau.
Passage Ruisseau is a small reminder of a much larger story. The Passage Ruisseau recalls a river that once flowed through this area. It is a small piece of history.
Let me introduce you to a forgotten waterway. Once upon a time, a long stream meandered through northern Paris. This stream eventually emptied into the Seine. It met the river near the Pont de l’Alma.
This Parisian stream began as several small courses of water. These originated in the hills of Ménilmontant. Belleville and Montmartre also fed it. So did Pré-Saint-Gervais.
The stream flowed westward. It crossed the area where the Grands Boulevards now stand. The water passed through today’s Faubourg-Saint-Honoré district. It completed its journey at the Seine near the Pont de l’Alma.
The earliest record of this stream dates back to 629. A charter mentions the waterway. It notes its source on the hill of Ménilmontant. The stream took its name from this origin.
The Ruisseau ran through marshy land. These wetlands belonged to the canons of Sainte-Opportune. From the 12th century, these religious figures worked to drain the land. They dug ditches to channel the water.
Over the centuries, parts of the stream disappeared. This was especially true near Montmartre. However, the section from Place de la République to the Pont de l’Alma continued. It formed a kind of border around the north of Paris.
Pastures and fields developed around the stream. Gardens and orchards also appeared. This continued until the 18th century. Urban development then began to transform the area.
By the 16th century Paris grew quickly. Its population increased dramatically. Waste water disposal became a pressing issue.
The decision was made to transform the Ruisseau. It would become a sewer. The stream’s course was diverted. It was made to follow the Grands Boulevards. These boulevards marked the city’s northern limits. The stream was renamed the Grand Égout. This translates to the Great Sewer.
In 1740 the route was altered again. A new sewer was dug. This ran from Place de la République to the Seine near the Trocadéro. It followed parts of Rue du Château-d’Eau and Rue du Colisée.
Later the city allowed residents to cover the sewer. This was for hygiene reasons. Each property owner had to maintain their section. However, this rule was not well enforced.
Gradually the canal disappeared under new streets. By 1823 the Ruisseau had vanished completely. Only the Passage du Ruisseau-de-Ménilmontant remained. It is in the 20th arrondissement.
Standing here at Passage Ruisseau think of the waters that once ran through this place. A small street a small passage a small place. Yet it holds a history within it. It tells us about forgotten rivers and changing cities.