How about a street named after a philosopher who invented the first calculating machine? That is Rue Blaise Pascal. This Parisian street stretches across the 5th and 13th arrondissements. It connects the Jardin-des-Plantes and Val-de-Grâce quarters. It also touches the Croulebarbe quarter. Rue Blaise Pascal spans 710 meters and is 13 meters wide.
The street owes its name to Blaise Pascal. He was a famous philosopher and mathematician. He lived from 1623 to 1662. Pascal had ties to the Port-Royal house. The street’s naming honors his connection.
The history of Rue Blaise Pascal is quite interesting. It sits on the site of the old Cordelières convent. During the French Revolution, the convent became national property. It was sold in 1796. In 1825, two new streets were created here. These were Rue Pascal and Rue des Cordelières.
Rue Blaise Pascal follows the Bièvre valley bottom. It runs near a dead arm of the river. Two bridges once crossed this part of the river. The property owners from the convent domain paid for them. Between 1857 and 1866, the area changed. Boulevard de Port-Royal was built over the street using a bridge. Later in 1905, the Bièvre River was covered. This happened on the final stretch between Rue Pascal and Rue Broca buildings.
Let’s talk about some key moments on Rue Blaise Pascal. In 1832, a refuge for cholera orphans was built. It was on the site of the destroyed old convent. By 1836, this became the Lourcine hospital. At the start of the 20th century, it evolved into Broca Hospital. Now, it focuses on gerontology.
During World War I, Rue Blaise Pascal faced a tough time. German planes bombed it in an air raid.
Several notable buildings mark Rue Blaise Pascal. At number 14, lived Paul Charlemagne. He was a painter and lived there from 1892 to 1972. Number 22 was once home to the Saint-Marcel theater. It opened on December 23, 1838. The oriental-style theater could hold one thousand people. Bocage and Marie Dorval performed there. Number 40 is a private road. Also, numbers 54-56 house Broca Hospital. It was formerly the Lourcine hospital. It was founded in 1832.
In the square next to number 54, you can see a piece of history. A section of wall with two arched bays remains. This is the last bit of the old Cordelières convent of the Saint-Marcel suburb.
The street is linked to the democratic reform banquet. François Guizot, the prime minister, stopped the banquet scheduled for January 13, 1848. It was planned to take place at what is now No. 54. This was the Lourcine-Pascal Hospital. The meeting was moved to February 22 in the Champs-Élysées.
Violent fighting occurred at a barricade between Nos. 1 and 2 on June 23, 1848. It ended with the workers’ defeat the next day. They were protesting the National Workshops’ closure.
Jean Allemane and other Communards set up the 5th arrondissement’s Watch Committee in March 1871. They met at No. 17. Also, No. 81 became the Russian Revolutionary Socialist Party’s library in Paris in 1902.
So, as you stroll down Rue Blaise Pascal, remember the philosopher, the convent, and the history that shaped this Parisian street.