Do you know why this street is called Rue des Ruines? This street’s name hints at a past filled with destruction. The Rue des Ruines whispers tales of what once was.
Today we explore the story behind this evocative name. The Rue des Ruines is a commercial street. It is known by all. But this street is also steeped in history.
Once, a battle was won by Napoleon Bonaparte. It was over the Austrians at Rivoli Veronese in Italy in 1797. To thank Marshal Masséna, Napoleon bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Rivoli.
The opening of the Rue de Rivoli in the middle of the 19th century led to the disappearance of 70 lanes. Many squares, passages, dead ends and gardens vanished. Many of these had funny names. For example, the cul-de-sac du Dauphin and Rue des Mauvaises Paroles.
Currently, the Rue de Rivoli extends over 3 kilometers. It crosses no less than 54 streets. Several famous writers once lived on the Rue de Rivoli. Eugène Ionesco lived at number 14. Joseph Kessel lived at number 18. Chateaubriand lived at 194. Tolstoï lived at 206. Even Tourgueniev lived at 210. Today, it welcomes artists at 59Rivoli. This is one of the rare squats of Paris.
Rue de Rivoli is an attractive street full of shops. It has elegant cafes and famous arcades. A magnificent statue honoring Admiral de Coligny stands at number 160. He lived from 1519 to 1572. However, the inscribed date of birth is not correct.
Let us turn our attention back to the Rue des Ruines. The name Rue des Ursins has changed several times over the centuries. In the Middle Ages and modern times, it connected Port Saint-Landry to the Rue de Glatigny. Several routes aligned on its location. One was attested by manuscripts from the 13th to 18th centuries. It was called “Rue d’Enfer” or “Rue d’Enfer-en-la-Cité”. Its name is said to be a distortion of “via inferior” meaning lower street. From 1300 to 1321, two others were part of the Port Saint-Landry. They were named “Rue Saint-Landry” and “Rue du Port Saint-Landry”. Both took their names from the nearby church of Saint-Landry.
In the 16th century, it was named “Rue Basse-du-Port-Saint-Landry.” A manuscript from 1636 mentions “Rue Saint Landry”, “Rue du Port Saint Landry”, “Rue d’Enfer” and “Rue des Ursins”.
On 18th-century maps like Turgot’s (1739) and Junié’s (1786), it was called “Rue d’Enfer”. This was east of Rue du Chevet-Saint-Landry. West of this street, it was called “Rue Basse-des-Ursins”. This referred to the Hôtel des Ursins. It passed north of the church of Saint-Landry. Saint Landry’s relics were stored there from the 9th century.
In 1702, “Rue d’Enfer” in the Cité district had 4 houses and 1 lantern. “Rue Basse-des-Ursins” had 10 houses and 1 lantern. In 1769, there were plans to open a quay on part of the street. This project was not carried out. The street became “Rue Basse-des-Ursins”.
During the widening of Rue d’Arcole in the late 1830s, the street was raised. Rue Basse-des-Ursins ended in a dead end against a retaining wall. During the reconstruction of the Hôtel-Dieu, Rue d’Arcole was rebuilt. The final section beyond Rue de la Colombe was removed. The name was simplified in 1881 to its current form.
This street’s journey reflects the changing face of Paris. It shows destructions and reconstructions. It is a place where history is etched into every stone.