“Who was Pierre-Narcisse Guérin?” It’s a question you might ask as you stand here on Rue Pierre-Guérin. This street in Paris honors a remarkable French painter. Pierre-Narcisse Guérin lived from 1774 to 1833. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He also directed the Villa Médicis in Rome.
Rue Pierre-Guérin is located in the 16th arrondissement. Several streets in this area bear the names of French artists. These artists were prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries. The street begins at 30 Rue d’Auteuil. It ends beyond the intersection with Rue de la Source. The street runs alongside the Villa Montmorency. There is an access point at number 27. You can reach Rue Pierre-Guérin via the metro. The Michel-Ange Auteuil station is on line 10. The Jasmin station is on line 9.
The history of Rue Pierre-Guérin is quite interesting. It was formed by merging two streets. This happened after the commune of Auteuil was annexed to Paris in 1860. One part was originally called Sente des Vignes. In 1837 it became Rue des Vignes. Later in 1859 it was renamed Rue de Magenta. This section is the oldest part of the present street. It once lay between the park of the Château de Boufflers. It also bordered a hillside covered with vineyards. These vineyards stretched to Passy. The other part was Rue Neuve-Boileau or Rue Neuve-Bondon. It ran from Rue La Fontaine to Rue de la Source. This section included the dead end. It was opened in 1856. In 1859 it also took the name Magenta.
Let’s talk about some notable buildings. At number 38 is a house with a story. Madame Bottin, owner of the Bottin directory, once lived here. From 1943 until their deaths Prince Félix Youssoupov and his wife Grand Duchess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia resided here. A commemorative plaque honors them. Number 40 houses a small school. Alice Hertz founded it in 1915. It became the Jardin d’enfants des Nations unies. This is a private nursery school. At number 44 the singer Carla Bruni rents a house. It was built in the 1930s. She lives here with her husband Nicolas Sarkozy. He is the former French President.
In April 2021 a clandestine party took place. Influencers organized it in a villa. The villa was located in the dead-end section of the street. It was near Nicolas Sarkozy’s home. Dozens of police officers intervened late at night. Rue Pierre-Guérin has witnessed both artistic inspiration and modern-day happenings. Take a moment to appreciate the blend of history and Parisian life.