Whispers of laughter echo through the stones. They tell tales from the past on Rue des Bons Enfants. This street has a story etched into its very cobblestones.
Rue des Bons Enfants is nestled in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It is near the Palais-Royal and the Louvre. Its name translates to “Street of the Good Children.” But its history is more complex than its innocent name suggests.
The name Rue des Bons Enfants comes from a college. The Collège des Bons-Enfants was founded in 1208. It supported thirteen poor scholars. Imagine them centuries ago walking this very street.
But there is also a Rue des Mauvais-Garçons. It is in the 4th arrondissement. This adds a playful contrast to the city’s street names.
In the 12th century, the street was simply known as the “chemin qui va à Clichy”. It meant the road to Clichy. Over time it evolved to honor the Collège des Bons-Enfants.
The street’s history isn’t all about good children. Number 24 Rue des Bons Enfants was the site of a deadly event. On November 8 1892 a bomb exploded at the police station. Six policemen died instantly.
The bomb was originally meant for Baron Reille. He directed the Société des Mines de Carmaux. It was left at the company’s headquarters. A concierge found it and took it to the police station. There it detonated with tragic consequences.
The press barely noticed this event. They would have preferred the baron’s liquidation. An anarchist claimed responsibility. But controversy surrounded the act. The true bomber remained a mystery.
Later Guy Debord wrote a song about the bombing. The song was titled “La Java des Bons Enfants”. He attributed the act to Raymond Callemin. Callemin was a member of the Bonnot gang.
The street itself has seen changes over the centuries. In the early 20th century part of Rue des Bons Enfants was removed. This made way for the expansion of the Banque de France.
Number 19 Rue des Bons Enfants holds a particularly sad story. It was once the site of the Hôtel de la Chancellerie d’Orléans. This building was built in 1705. It was for a mistress of Philippe d’Orléans. Later it was occupied by chancellors.
Despite being listed as a historical monument it was dismantled. The excuse was the public good. A road was needed for the Banque de France expansion. The building was declassified and demolished.
The stones were stored in crates. They were meant to be rebuilt elsewhere. But this never happened. As of 2011 there were plans to restore the hotel. It would be placed in three salons. These salons were in the former Hôtel de Rohan-Strasbourg. The project’s completion remains to be seen.
At number 11 Rue des Bons Enfants you can find the Passage Vérité. This passage leads to Place de Valois. The writer Gérard de Nerval lived at number 13. Brillat-Savarin the famous gastronome lived at number 14 in 1794.
Today Rue des Bons Enfants is shorter than it once was. It stretches 134 meters. It runs from Rue Saint-Honoré to Rue du Colonel-Driant.
The metro station Palais-Royal – Musée du Louvre serves the area. As you walk along Rue des Bons Enfants remember its layers of history. From the poor scholars to the tragic bombing each step echoes with stories.