A city within a city. That is the feeling you get when you discover the Passage Saintie. This passage is a hidden gem in Paris. It is located in the 3rd arrondissement, in the Sainte-Avoye neighborhood.
Today we will explore the Passage Sainte-Avoie. It is a private passage, so it is not accessible to the public. The Passage Sainte-Avoie begins at 8 Rue Rambuteau. It ends at 62 Rue du Temple.
The Passage Sainte-Avoie is relatively short. It stretches only 80 meters long. Its width measures 8.7 meters. This passage was created in 1828. It was built on the site of the hôtels de Mesmes and Angran d’Alleray. King Henri II once lived in the Hôtel de Mesmes. He called it the Logis du Roy.
Anne de Montmorency died in this hotel. He was injured at the Battle of Saint-Denis. A pistol ball struck him. It was loaded with three bullets. Marshal Anne de Montmorency had fought in over 200 battles. He served under five kings. These kings were Louis XII, François I, Henri II, François II, and Charles IX.
The Passage Sainte-Avoie owes its name to a convent. This was the convent of the religious order of Sainte-Avoie. Sainte-Avoie is also known as Hedwige. The convent was located nearby. The passage follows the route of Philippe Auguste’s wall. This wall would have cut across the current Rue Rambuteau. It faced the opening of Rue Pecquay. The wall exited onto the current Rue du Temple. This was between numbers 60 and 62.
The Rambuteau metro station serves this area. If you look around, you will see the Fontaine Saint-Avoye nearby. Also close are the Jardin Anne-Frank and the Square du Temple.
Covered passages like the Passage Saintie were popular in Paris. They were built mainly in the first half of the 19th century. These passages linked at least two streets. They had glass ceilings. They were pedestrianized. Artificial lights illuminated them at night, originally with gas lamps. They were privately owned and highly ornamented. Small shops lined the ground floor. The upper floors usually had apartments.
These passages became centers of social life. Today only a few of these passages remain. The Passage Sainte-Avoie stands as a reminder of a bygone era. It is a hidden piece of Parisian history.