Wondering about the story behind the lions? Here on Rue des Lions Saint-Paul, history whispers from every corner. This street in the 4th arrondissement has a past linked to royalty and art.
Rue des Lions Saint-Paul begins at 7 Rue du Petit-Musc. It ends at 6 Rue Saint-Paul. The street is 176 meters long. It is 10 meters wide.
Its name may come from lions painted on the Hôtel Saint-Pol’s main gate in 1364. Or it could be from the menagerie of Charles V and Charles VI.
This street sits on part of the old Hôtel Saint-Pol. This was land that separated the king’s residence from the queen’s. The street opened between 1551 and 1564. This happened when the large royal property was divided into lots.
In 1636, a manuscript called it “rue des Lyons”. A report noted it was dirty and full of mud.
In 1881, residents of nearby streets complained about the lack of drinking water. They asked for a public fountain.
During World War I, on April 12, 1918, number 6 Rue des Lions Saint-Paul was hit during a German air raid.
Number 3 Rue des Lions Saint-Paul is home to the Hôtel des Parlementaires de la Fronde. It is a listed historical monument. It features a Louis XV facade. Inside the courtyard, there is a Louis XV fountain and wrought iron staircases.
At number 8, Plistra had a lithography workshop during the Empire. Number 10 is a private mansion from the early 17th century. It sits behind a building from 1891. Madame de Sévigné lived at number 11, the Hôtel Paysant. The Hôtel de Launay at number 12 is a listed historical monument since 1995. Jean Beausire lived and died in the houses at numbers 14-16. Number 18 has a turret on the corner of Rue Saint Paul. Numbers 15 to 19 were once warehouses for La Samaritaine.
Rue des Lions Saint-Paul, a blend of royal history, artistic heritage, and architectural beauty awaits. Take a stroll. Imagine the kings, artists, and residents who once walked these very stones.