“A noyer? What’s a noyer?” a curious tourist might ask while standing on Rue du Noyer Bondon in Drancy. Rue du Noyer Bondon. The name itself hints at a story. And indeed, it does. While our current location is in Drancy, the name “noyer,” meaning walnut tree in French, connects us to a lost street in the heart of Paris. This street, once known as Rue des Noyers, thrived in the 5th arrondissement, its name a testament to an alley of walnut trees that once separated the Clos Bruneau from the Clos de Garlande around 1215. Imagine the bustling market stalls that lined Rue des Noyers, their wares displayed under the shade of the walnut trees. This vibrant street, stretching from Rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève and Place Maubert to Rue Saint-Jacques, also housed a chapel. Dedicated to Saint Yves, this chapel served as a gathering place for Breton students and legal professionals. Sadly, the chapel, seized during the French Revolution, met its demise in 1796. But the street continued to pulse with life. The writer Louis-Sébastien Mercier once resided on Rue des Noyers, and the poet Alfred de Musset was born at number 33 in 1810. Several renowned engravers, including Émile Giroux and Jean-Baptiste Scotin, also called the street home. In 1851, Rue des Noyers absorbed the neighboring Rue du Foin, extending its reach to Rue de la Harpe. But progress, as it often does, demanded a sacrifice. The construction of Boulevard Saint-Germain led to the disappearance of Rue des Noyers. Only a few vestiges remain, like silent witnesses to its vibrant past. Now, we stand on Rue du Noyer Bondon in Drancy. Its name, a quiet echo across the centuries, reminds us of the lost walnut-lined street in Paris and the stories it held.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.