A field of larks. That’s what it once was. Rue Philippe Lalouette in Paris. Can you picture it? A vast expanse of wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze the cheerful chirping of larks filling the air.
This unassuming street in the 13th arrondissement holds a surprisingly rich history. Its name a testament to a much larger area the Champ de l’Alouette or Lark’s Field. This wasn’t just some quaint nickname. It was a significant part of Paris’s landscape for centuries.
Imagine this. In 1547 Eustache Lalouette a landowner decided to develop a portion of his property. He carved out a new street. This street became the northern part of today’s Rue Corvisart. That’s the hidden origin of Rue Philippe Lalouette. Its current name remembers a past that has been romanticized by stories of singing birds.
The Champ de l’Alouette was quite extensive. It stretched west to the Rue de la Santé north to the Rue Léon-Maurice-Nordmann east towards the Rue Corvisart and even a little beyond to the Bièvre River. South it bordered Rue Daviel and the Passage Victor-Marchand. The Champ de l’Alouette bordered the Clos Payen to the southeast. Some maps even confused the two. It also sat near the Convent of the Cordeliers.
The area wasn’t always a street of houses. It held significance for centuries. It was home to the English Benedictine nuns. Their convent had its main entrance on Rue des Tanneries. The nuns arrived in 1664. They bought land in the Champ de l’Alouette extending their property. Their convent was seized during the French Revolution. The property was sold in 1797.
Victor Hugo himself evoked the Champ de l’Alouette in Les Misérables. He described a charming yet desolate landscape. A green meadow with laundry lines old farmhouses water and trees. It was a quiet place. A place rarely visited. Even today the area remains relatively untouched compared to many other parts of Paris.
The street’s name has changed many times. It was Rue Payen. Then Rue de la Barrière. Rue Saint-Louis in 1802. It was even Rue du Petit-Champ-de-l’Alouette. Finally in 1867 it lost its “petit” prefix. A larger portion became Rue Corvisart. The remaining portion took its current name.
So as you stand on Rue Philippe Lalouette take a moment to appreciate its story. A story of larks fields religious communities and great literature. This small street in Paris breathes history. It whispers tales of a bygone era. A testament to a field of larks a place that once was.