Picture a cattle-driving path. This is now Rue du Bac. It once led to a ferry across the Seine.
Rue du Bac is an old street. The ferry was called “le bac”. It crossed the Seine to the Louvre’s western end. Now, the Pont Royal bridge stands there. It was completed in 1689.
Let’s explore Rue du Bac. It’s more than just an old street. It holds memories of notable Parisians. These memories are stored on streets throughout the city. Many are right here on Rue du Bac.
At number 40, some American tourists found themselves with an illustrious neighbor. It was the ghost of André Malraux. He was DeGaulle’s minister of cultural affairs. Some remember him for his novel “La Condition Humaine”. He finished that book in a room just one door south from where they stayed.
Malraux was complex. Some said he was one third genius. Another third was hard to follow. The final third was totally incomprehensible. He died in 1976. He is buried in the crypt of the Pantheon.
Another of De Gaulle’s ministers once lived at number 44. This was Maurice Couve de Murville. His portrait graced the cover of Time magazine in February 1964. He had important dealings with the United States.
As France’s foreign minister, he had a tough job. He informed President Lyndon Johnson that France could not support the Vietnam enterprise. France believed America’s policies would fail. Sadly, he was right.
Branching off Rue du Bac is Rue Montalembert. It’s named for a writer and publicist of the 1830s. He also once resided at number 40 Rue du Bac. As we follow this little street we come to Rue Jacob.
Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams negotiated here. In 1783, they signed the Treaty of Paris. This ended the Revolutionary War. It officially recognized the United States of America. The building isn’t original. Yet, the site remains the birthplace of the USA.
The Marquis de Lafayette had one of his homes at number 183 Rue de Bourbon. It makes one speculate about the American Colonies. What might have happened had France not been on our side? The French-American admiration goes both ways. The Marquis named his eldest son George Washington de Lafayette.
The writer Romain Gary lived at number 108. He won the Prix Goncourt twice. He was an essayist and a soldier. He was also a politician and a diplomat. Plus, he was a pilot. He worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood. Later, he became consul of France in Los Angeles. He died in 1980. His ashes float in the Mediterranean.
From 1892 to 1901, the American artist James Whistler lived at number 110. He died in London in 1903. His mother’s portrait remains in Paris. It’s now a stone’s throw from Rue du Bac in the Orsay Museum.
Françoise Renée de Chateaubriand observed something. Before the French Revolution, Parisians were enthusiastic. They supported the Americans’ struggle for independence. In the street, the coolest thing was to be American. Chateaubriand wrote about this in his memoires.
Chateaubriand traveled to America. He met General Washington. He called Washington a citizen soldier. He was the liberator of a world. Chateaubriand remained a lifelong friend of America. He noted that Washington’s republic lived on. Napoleon’s empire was destroyed. You can find a sculpture of this remarkable man across the street in a little park.
Rue du Bac is not just a street. It is a place where history whispers. It is a place where American and French spirits intertwine.