Quartier de Charonne

Beyond the périphérique, nestled in the 20th arrondissement, lies the Quartier de Charonne. It whispers stories of a time when it wasn’t a quartier at all, but a village. A village swallowed by the ever-expanding appetite of Paris. The Quartier de Charonne officially became part of Paris in 1860, thanks to Napoleon III. Imagine a rural landscape, dotted with vineyards and market gardens. The air, thick with the scent of grapes and freshly turned earth. This was Charonne before Haussmann’s grand boulevards. The heart of the village revolved around the intersection of rue Saint-Blaise and rue de Bagnolet. The Church of Saint-Germain de Charonne, a sturdy Romanesque structure, watched over its inhabitants. It still does, its squat bell tower a steadfast reminder of Charonne’s past. The church holds a unique distinction. It shares with Saint-Pierre de Montmartre the honor of having one of the last parish cemeteries within Paris. Wander through its grounds and you might recognize a name or two, echoes of lives lived within these ancient walls. The metro arrived relatively late to the Quartier de Charonne. Line 1 reached Porte de Vincennes in 1900, serving the southern part. Line 2 touched the west in 1903. But the heart of Charonne remained untouched by the iron horse until 1933, when Line 9 finally extended its reach to Porte de Montreuil. Before that, the Petite Ceinture railway, a circular line that once looped around Paris, offered a connection to the outside world. The Gare de Charonne, established in 1862, was a vital link. The line ceased passenger operations in 1934, but the station building remains, a ghost of a bygone era. It later housed La Flèche d’Or, a café and concert venue, a testament to Charonne’s enduring spirit. Today, the Quartier de Charonne is a blend of old and new. The high-rises of modern Paris loom large, but step onto rue Saint-Blaise and the city fades away. Cobblestones underfoot, quaint lampposts overhead, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting from the boulangeries, you are back in the village. The ghosts of vignerons and maraîchers still linger, their legacy preserved in the quiet charm of this unique quartier.