The Paris Traveler

Rue Visconti

by Lynn on June 18th, 2007

Such an enormous history for such a little street! The Rue Visconti has been filled with notoriety for hundreds of years. Not only have famous writers, painters, and other historical figures lived here, but this small passageway has also been painted, photographed, filmed and revered. Numbers 17-19 have seen more than its fair share of famous lodgers; Balzac, Ingres, and Delacroix to name a few.

Victor Hugo wrote about this little street in Les Misèrable, Léo Ferré sang about it in his song À Saint-Germain-des-Près, Christo blocked the alleyway as one of his art expressions, while in more recent times, Patrick Süskind uses it as a backdrop in his book, Le Parfum and Vincent Pérez and Carla Bruni do a video clip here.

I’ll tell you a little secret unknown to most pedestrians passing by, there is also Le Bois Visconti that dates back before the Middle-Ages! It extends from the Rue de Seine, to the Rue Jacob. Imagine having your own little woods hidden in the middle of the 6e in Paris! But that’s not all, it is said that the oldest tree in Paris is in the Bois Visconti and a hidden temple, le Temple de l’Amitié.

Legend also has it that a princess from a royal European family was hidden and disguised as a nun living on the rez-de-chaussée in number 24 because she was insane. Some said that she was related to tsar Nicolas II, others said to the British royal family, but in reality it was only a legend. Or was it?

There are secret passages ways leading from one street to another, and communication caves underground. Are you beginning to think maybe you should pass by this little street and have a look yourself; then why not go to the Rue Visconti Red Carpet affair on June 23rd and 24th? There will be a number of events (exhibits, conferences, etc.) taking place during the week-end including a cocktail on Saturday evening and a brunch on Sunday.

For more information you can visit their website.

Photo Credits: Flickr and Google Earth

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POSTED IN: Fun & Quirky Places, Great Walks, History & Information, Outdoor Activites