A narrow street swallowed by history. That is Rue des Jacinthes. This Parisian street no longer exists. It disappeared in 1888. It was a casualty of urban renewal. The street was lost during the construction of Rue Lagrange.
Let’s dive into the story of Rue des Jacinthes. It was located in the Sorbonne quarter. This was in Paris’s 5th arrondissement. Before the French Revolution the street belonged to the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont parish. During the Revolution it was part of the Panthéon-Français section. In 1795 it became part of the Saint-Jacques quarter. Later in 1859 it became part of the Sorbonne quarter.
Rue des Jacinthes began at Rue des Trois-Portes. It ended at Rue Galande. The section of Rue Galande is now part of Rue Lagrange. The street was only 23 meters long. No other streets connected to it. It was in line with Rue des Anglais.
Its origins trace back to 1202. Mathieu de Montmorency and his wife Mathilde de Garlande ceded their fief. It was called Clos de Garlande. They wanted houses to be built there. This led to the creation of several streets. These included Rue du Fouarre and Rue Galande. Rue des Trois-Portes, Rue Jacinthe, and Rue des Rats also appeared. Rue des Rats is now Rue de l’Hôtel-Colbert.
In 1887 a decree declared a public necessity. This was for the construction of a new road. The road would extend Rue Monge to Quai de Montebello. The decree called for the suppression of Rue Jacinthe. It was on the path of the new road. The new road has been called Rue Lagrange since 1890. Demolitions began in 1888.
Le Figaro reported on the upcoming changes. On the 24th of that month there would be an auction. It was for materials from the demolition of sixty-nine buildings. These buildings were on the route of the extension of Rue Monge. The work would begin immediately after. Rue Jacinthe was described as a narrow muddy lane that would no longer exist. There was no reason to regret these disappearances. No special memories were attached to the condemned houses. Most were in a state of complete disrepair. They offered safe haven to all epidemic diseases.
Numbers 11 and 13 of Rue Lagrange were built on the site of Rue des Jacinthes. Today nothing remains of the Rue des Jacinthes. It lives on only in historical records. It serves as a reminder of Paris’s constant evolution. The city continually reinvents itself. New streets emerge. Old streets fade away.