“Prè Maudit” is the name echoing through the ages of Rue du Prè. It hints at a past far removed from the modern Parisian street we see today.
Rue du Prè is a public road in Paris. It is in the 18th arrondissement. The street begins at 92, Rue de la Chapelle. It ends in a dead end. Rue du Prè is only 54 meters long and 8 meters wide. Its entrance goes under a residential building.
Imagine this once cursed field. They said no crops would grow there. Animals that grazed there would die within the year. This ominous reputation gave the area the name “Prè Maudit”. It translates to “Cursed Meadow”.
In 1417, a band of Bohemians even camped here. Paris would not let them in. Some say the Bishop of Paris cursed them. That curse may have contributed to the area’s grim name.
The street’s history is intertwined with disputes and dark tales. Lucien Lambeau mentions a dispute in 1661. It involved the abbey of Saint-Denis and the curate of La Chapelle. The area was called “Prè-Mauduit” back then.
Old maps from 1704-1705 show a vast territory. It had fields called “Le Prè Maudit” or “Guigne-Barat”. Later maps show it as “la remise du Prè-Maudy”.
Around 1840, the road was officially opened. It was then part of the former town of La Chapelle. At that time, it was named “Rue du Prè-Maudit”. A portion of the road became part of the railway’s freight yard.
In 1880, a gruesome event stained the street’s history. The dismembered body of Alexandre Lenoble was found in the sewers. The killer, Victor Prévost, was executed for the crime.
Rue du Prè-Maudit was also linked to Jeanne Weber. She was an infamous poisoner. People called her “the ogress of Prè-Maudit”. In 1905, she murdered her nieces in a building at number 7.
The street officially became Rue du Prè in 1920. However, the echoes of its past linger. They remind us of the dark legends. They tell us tales of crime.
Today, the area is undergoing changes. The freight yard is becoming a park. It is called Chapelle-Charbon. Rue du Prè will soon have direct access to it.
So, as you stand here on Rue du Prè, remember its journey. A cursed meadow transformed into a Parisian street. A place of legends, crimes, and now renewal.