Quartier du Combat

In the heart of Paris’s 19th arrondissement lies a neighborhood steeped in history, the Quartier du Combat. Don’t let the name fool you. This isn’t a place of modern-day brawls. Its past whispers tales of a different kind of combat. The Quartier du Combat holds the 76th administrative spot in the city. It’s bordered by prominent streets. These include Rue de Meaux to the north and northwest, Rue de Belleville to the south, and Rue de Crimée to the east. Southwest, Boulevard de la Villette leads to the Quartier de l’Hôpital Saint-Louis. Imagine the scene centuries ago. From 1781 to 1833, this area hosted animal fights. Within a wooden circus, dogs battled bulls and boars, a brutal spectacle that drew crowds. Thankfully, these bloody events were outlawed in 1833. The very name “Combat” comes from the former “Place du Combat,” later renamed Place du Colonel-Fabien in 1945. Long before the animal fights, the Quartier du Combat held an even darker secret. Before the wall of the Fermiers généraux, likely between Rue de Meaux, Avenue Secrétan, and Rue Sadi-Lecointe, stood the Gibbet of Montfaucon. This gruesome structure, with its sixteen stone columns and wooden beams, could hang up to fifty people simultaneously. Its elevated levels were reserved for those of noble birth, a grim distinction in death. After 1627, the gibbet was moved further down Rue de Meaux, near the present-day Halle Secrétan. The Quartier du Combat’s land largely belonged to the former commune of Belleville. This area encompassed the space between Boulevard de la Villette, Rue de Meaux, Rue Cavendish, most of the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Rue de la Villette, and Rue de Belleville. A smaller section, between Rue Cavendish, Rue de Meaux, Rue de Crimée, and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, was part of the former commune of La Villette. These communes were annexed to Paris in 1860. Today, the Quartier du Combat is a vibrant part of Paris. It bears the marks of its tumultuous past while embracing the present. Its history, from gruesome executions to animal battles, serves as a stark reminder of how much the city has evolved.