Voie des Pépinières

“A nursery in Thiais?” you might wonder. Voie des Pépinières, a street seemingly out of place in this urban landscape, holds a secret. It whispers tales of a time when this area, now bustling with activity, was a tranquil haven for nurturing young trees. Voie des Pépinières, a name that evokes images of verdant fields and delicate saplings, speaks to a forgotten past. Let’s uncover the story of Voie des Pépinières together. The very name, “Voie des Pépinières,” meaning “Nursery Way,” tells us its original purpose. It was a path leading to a royal nursery, a place dedicated to cultivating trees, shrubs, and flowers for the king’s residences. Imagine rows upon rows of young trees, carefully tended by skilled gardeners, their branches reaching towards the sky. This nursery, established in 1720, was known as the Pépinière du Roule, after the nearby Faubourg du Roule. It occupied a vast area, roughly where Rue de Miromesnil and Boulevard Haussmann are today. Voie des Pépinières connected this vital hub to the city, facilitating the transport of these precious green treasures. The director of this royal nursery resided in a house nearby, rebuilt in 1763. Interestingly, the first occupant of this house was Abbé Nolin, a canon of Saint-Marcel. After his death in 1794, his nephew and assistant, Louis de Lezermes, succeeded him. From 1806, the renowned botanist Louis Marie Aubert Du Petit-Thouars, brother of the admiral with the same surname, took the helm. Voie des Pépinières wasn’t just a road; it was a lifeline for the nursery, a testament to the importance of greenery even in the heart of a growing city. The royal nursery thrived until 1826, when it was sadly decommissioned. However, the legacy of Voie des Pépinières lives on, a quiet reminder of the area’s verdant past. So, the next time you find yourself strolling along Voie des Pépinières, take a moment to appreciate the whispers of history beneath your feet. Imagine the rustling leaves, the scent of freshly turned earth, and the diligent hands that shaped this once-thriving nursery. Voie des Pépinières, a street with a story waiting to be told.