Fougères. That is what the name Rue du Fecheray evokes. The Terrace du Fecheray sits at the foot of Mont-Valérien. Here, the name “Fecheray” echoes through time. Before grand boulevards and celebrated figures lent their names to Parisian streets, there were places like Rue du Fecheray. These names spoke of the land itself, of rural life.
Rue du Fecheray is not just a street. It is a whisper from Suresnes’ past. Henri Sellier ensured that old names from the land were kept alive. He presented these names to the Société historique de Suresnes.
Michel Guillot credits two Benedictine monks from the Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Hilarion Chalant in 1669 and Philibert Duroussin in 1752 were the first to identify areas. Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, a surveyor in 1731, also contributed. The Napoleonic land registry of 1813 later adopted their work.
The names mattered greatly. They spoke to the needs of those who lived there. Rue du Fecheray reminds us of a time when fields and woods defined Suresnes. Imagine ancient maps showing woods and old trades. Think of the legends and dangers that once filled this area. The name “Fecheray” itself has seen many variations. Each one points to ferns that once grew here.
From the Terrasse du Fecheray, you can see Paris. The Eiffel Tower is visible. So are the Panthéon and Montmartre. It is a place to appreciate the view and the history beneath your feet.