“Did you know that Rue Saint-Jacques is the oldest street in Paris?” I ask you. It is a 2000-year-old thoroughfare. It crosses the Latin Quarter. Rue Saint-Jacques was a main road of medieval Paris. Today, we explore its rich past.
Once, it lay along the cardo of Roman Lutetia. Buildings still front it. They attest to its importance. Pilgrims would start here. They journeyed along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques. This led to Santiago de Compostela. James, Jacques, Jacob, and Iago are the same saint in different languages.
The Boulevard Saint-Michel changed things. Baron Haussmann built it. It relegated Rue Saint-Jacques to a backstreet. Despite this, the street’s history remains vibrant.
The Dominican Order had its Paris base here. It was established in 1218. Pierre Seilhan led them. They settled in the Chapelle Saint-Jacques. It was close to the Porte Saint-Jacques. Parisians called the Dominicans Jacobins. The street’s name indirectly led to the Jacobin Club. This club played a role in the French Revolution.
Printing also has deep roots here. Johann Heynlin and Guillaume Fichet started the first printing press. It was briefly at the Sorbonne. Then, it moved to Rue Saint-Jacques in the 1470s. Peter Kayser and Johann Stohl were the second printers. They worked at the sign of the Soleil d’Or. The Sorbonne’s nearness attracted booksellers and printers. They set up shop here.
Rue Saint-Jacques has several notable sites. The Sorbonne stands here. The Lycée Louis-le-Grand is also nearby. The Institut de géographie of Panthéon-Sorbonne University is at number 191.
At number 163 bis is Le Port du Salut. This 18th-century inn had a cabaret. Many artists debuted here. Guy Béart and Barbara performed here. Georges Moustaki and Pierre Perret graced its stage. Jean Yanne, Coluche, Serge Gainsbourg, and Boby Lapointe also appeared between 1955 and 1982.
Number 195 houses the Institut océanographique. The Église Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas is at number 252. It is in the classical style. It was once a center of Jansenism. The astronomer Cassini is buried here. Erard and Daniel Gittard designed it. It was built between 1670 and 1684.
André Salmon was associated with number 244. He founded the revue Le Festin d’Esope. His friends Edmond-Marie Poullain and Apollinaire joined him.
The Carmelite convent was previously at number 284. It was the Carmel de l’Incarnation. It closed during the French Revolution. It was demolished in 1797.
Remember the explosion on June 21, 2023. It made headlines. The explosion occurred at number 277. A gas leak is suspected. The 17th-century pavilion collapsed. It closed off the Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce church courtyard. The destroyed building housed a public school. It also housed the Paris American Academy. It will be rebuilt.
Rue Saint-Jacques is more than just a street. It is a living history book. It is a testament to Paris’s enduring spirit. It blends the ancient with the modern. Its stories echo through time. They resonate with artists, scholars, and pilgrims alike.