How quiet and peaceful Rue Henri Becque is today. Yet, its name echoes a time of dramatic upheaval in the world of French theater. Right here, in the heart of the 13th arrondissement, runs a street named after one of France’s most influential playwrights, Henri Becque. Before 1899, this street bore a different name: Rue Mauny. It was a humble lane in the then-separate commune of Gentilly. The year 1863 saw Rue Mauny, along with the rest of Gentilly, absorbed into the expanding city of Paris. However, the street’s identity would change again a few decades later. The year 1899 marked the passing of Henri Becque, a playwright known for his sharp, realistic depictions of Parisian life. In a fitting tribute, Rue Mauny was renamed Rue Henri Becque, cementing his legacy within the city he portrayed so vividly.
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.