Rue du Moulin Fayvon

“A mill from the 12th century? Right here?” you might ask, your eyebrows shooting up in surprise. And you’d be right to be surprised. Rue du Moulin Fayvon isn’t your typical Parisian street name. It hints at something older, something whispering of a time before the grand boulevards and the Eiffel Tower. Rue du Moulin Fayvon, you see, takes its name from the Moulin Fayvon, a mill first mentioned in documents dating back to 1135. Imagine that, a mill standing here when Paris was still finding its feet! This wasn’t just any mill. It was owned by Abbot Suger, a man who practically invented Gothic architecture. He used the profits from the Moulin Fayvon to fund the construction of the Basilica of Saint Denis. That’s right, this little street has a connection to one of the most important churches in France! The mill that stands on Rue du Moulin Fayvon today isn’t the original, of course. It dates back to the 19th century. But still, it stands as a testament to the area’s long and fascinating history. Sadly, the river that powered the mill, the River Croult, is now hidden underground, channeled there in the 1950s. But even without the rushing water, Rue du Moulin Fayvon holds onto its secrets, whispering tales of Abbot Suger, of grinding stones and flowing water, of a Paris long gone but not forgotten.