Rue de la Tour d’Auvergne

“A melody drifts on the air, can you hear it?” I ask, turning towards Rue de la Tour d’Auvergne. “It’s the ghost of Chopin’s Funeral March, first played in 1839 at number 45, in the Le Carillon cabaret.” Rue de la Tour d’Auvergne whispers stories of artists and revolutionaries. It’s a street that has seen Paris transform. Originally a path known as Chemin de la Nouvelle-France in 1714, it became Rue de la Tour d’Auvergne in 1760. Recently, in 2019, it was renamed Rue Louise-Émilie-de-La-Tour-d’Auvergne, honoring an abbess of the Montmartre Abbey. This street stretches 418 meters, connecting Rue de Maubeuge to Rue des Martyrs. Its buildings hold echoes of famous residents. Composer Georges Bizet, of Carmen fame, was born at number 26. The popular songwriter Pierre-Jean de Béranger resided at number 30. Victor Hugo sought refuge at number 37 from 1848 to 1851, after his role in suppressing the June insurrection. It was here he met Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who assured Hugo he had no imperial ambitions. Later, in December 1851, Hugo briefly lived at number 41. Police searched for him there during the coup d’état, but he escaped through the gardens. Further along, at number 44, lived Simon Charles Mayer, a colonel during the Paris Commune. He witnessed the tumultuous events of 1871. And at number 48, Raymond Callemin of the Bonnot Gang was arrested. The street’s past is a tapestry woven with music, literature, and revolution. Each building holds a piece of the story, a reminder of the lives that shaped Rue de la Tour d’Auvergne. As you stroll along, imagine the whispers of these figures, their dreams and struggles still echoing on this historic street.