Ever wondered about a street named after a cursed field? Today we find ourselves on Rue du Pré. It is nestled in Paris’s 18th arrondissement. Rue du Pré is more than just a street. It is a whisper from the past.
Rue du Pré stretches a mere 54 meters. Its width spans about 8 meters. The street begins at 92 Rue de la Chapelle. It ends as a dead end. What makes Rue du Pré unique is its entrance. A rectangular archway cuts through a residential building.
The name Rue du Pré means “street of the meadow”. However its origin is far from idyllic. It refers to a place called “le Pré Maudit”. This translates to “the cursed meadow.” Legend says that animals grazing there would die within the year. Nothing would grow.
The history of Rue du Pré is long. An order from September 7 1661 mentions a dispute. It was between the Abbey of Saint-Denis and the curate of La Chapelle. The place was then called “Pré-Maudit.”
A map from 1704-1705 shows a vast territory. It depicts fields and crops. The area was labeled “Le pré Maudit” or “Guigne-Barat”.
Around 1840 a road was officially opened. It was in the former town of La Chapelle. It went by the name “Rue du Pré-Maudit.” Later a section was integrated. It was into the railway’s freight station.
In time the freight station will become Chapelle-Charbon Park. Rue du Pré will have direct access. By decree the street was added to Parisian roads.
Rue du Pré has seen its share of strange events. In 1417 a group of Bohemians camped nearby. Parisians refused them entry into the city. The Bishop of Paris excommunicated them. Some say this is another origin of the street’s ominous name.
In 1880 the street was the scene of a gruesome crime. The dismembered body of Alexandre Lenoble was discovered. It was in the sewers of Rue de La Chapelle. Victor Prévost the culprit was guillotined.
Jeanne Weber was a notorious poisoner. She earned the nickname “the ogress of Pré-Maudit.” In 1905 she committed murder at number 7 Rue du Pré. She strangled her nieces Suzanne and Georgette.
Rue du Pré is a reminder. It recalls forgotten stories and eerie tales. It is a small street. Yet it holds centuries of Parisian history within its short length. Take a moment to imagine the cursed meadow. Picture the events that unfolded here. They have shaped the story of Rue du Pré.