“Where did Rue de Perpignan go?” a perplexed tourist might ask. Rue de Perpignan was once a real street in Paris. It disappeared in the late 1860s.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine Paris before the grand boulevards. Picture narrow streets and a bustling city within the city on Île de la Cité. Rue de Perpignan existed then in the old 9th arrondissement, which is now the 4th.
This street wasn’t very long. It started at Rue des Marmousets and ended at Rue des Trois-Canettes. Numbers on the buildings were painted black. The highest number was 12.
But why “Rue de Perpignan?” Its name came from a jeu de paume court nearby. Jeu de paume was an old game. Think of it as an ancestor to tennis. The court was called Perpignan. So, the street became Rue de Perpignan.
Over the centuries, the street had many names. In 1203 it was called “domus in Cherauri”. By 1241 it was known as “vicus de Carro Aurici”. Other names included Rue Charauri, Rue Champron and Rue Champrose. It even went by Rue de Champrousiers.
By 1702, Rue de Perpignan had just eleven houses. Two lanterns illuminated the street at night. Imagine the scene. The soft glow of lanterns. The sounds of Paris echoing around you.
So what happened to Rue de Perpignan? The transformations of Paris during the Second Empire changed everything. Emperor Napoleon III wanted a modern city. He tasked Baron Haussmann with redesigning Paris.
The old Hôtel-Dieu de Paris needed reconstruction. Rue de Perpignan stood in the way. The street vanished to make room for the new hospital. The Hôtel-Dieu still stands on the site today. Rue de Perpignan became a memory.
Now, there is an interactive map that tells the story of every street in Paris. It is called Nomenclature officielle des voies. This map shows the history of Parisian streets. The map traces back to 1873. It is constantly updated with the city’s history.
So, as you explore Paris remember the lost Rue de Perpignan. Think of the countless stories that unfolded on that small street. Consider how much the city has changed. Each street holds a piece of Paris’s past.