“Imagine a small bird singing a sweet song” That’s the Rue des Alouettes for you. A small street in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. Its name means Lark Street. It’s a tribute to the larks that once sang here. Before the city grew around it.
Rue des Alouettes wasn’t always a street. In 1734 it was a path. A simple chemin des Alouettes. The path connected the Buttes-Chaumont to the Rue de La Villette. It had a peculiar shape. A sort of zig-zag.
Things changed. In 1812 the path appeared on the cadastral map. It became an official Parisian street in a decree. In 1909 it grew longer reaching the Rue Fessart. Then in 1912 it officially got its name Rue des Alouettes. The zig-zag was straightened. A new street Rue Carducci was born.
Number 9 Rue des Alouettes holds a special place. It houses the Collège Claude-Chappe-Ida-Grinspan. This honors Claude Chappe the inventor of the telegraph. He tested his inventions nearby. Since June 9 2021 it also honors Ida Grinspan a Holocaust survivor. She lived in this neighborhood.
Rue des Alouettes a small street with a big history. A history of larks paths and progress. A history of inventions and survival. A history whispered on the wind. A history waiting to be discovered. A street that remembers. A street that lives. Walk with me and discover its charm.