history
HOTEL DU HAVRE - THE OPERA-St-LAZARE QUARTER YESTERDAY TODAV IN PARIS
Once upon a prehistoric time, the Seine river, although peaceful, decided to overflow its banks. At that time the river ran along the Opera house, St-Lazare, La Boetie St., Marboeuf St. and Alma bridge. So, the Seine left our St-Lazare quarter and found another way, the one of today. We can suppose the mammoth living there must have regretted it.(lts bones were found when the Opera house was built.)
Later the inhabitants settled in the ‘ile de la cité” for safety reasons as at that time the river was very wide. With the passing cenluries, rows of ramparts were erected as the city sprawled. On the right bank the activity turned the finances, commerce and goldsmith’s trade while the left bank accommodated students. Today it is known as the Latin Quarter, as Latin was the only language possible for studies. Once safety was assured, the rampart, somewhat damagod, were pulled down to make place to ‘Les Grands Boulevards”. At the time of Louis XIV, they already were an appreciated promenade . The Parisians had to wait until the end of l8th century to have paved boulevards and tarmac footpaths. Then strolling was possible even on rainy days. Three centuries ago the St-Lazare street was already very crowded because it led from the Roule village (near the present Champs Elysees), le La-Ville-Lévêque (The Madeleine church), and Les Percherons village (La Trinité). Comfields and ‘guinguettes” were along the St-Lazare street, and the farmers often complained because of the damage done in their fields by the soldiers who were a little bit too much in love with the girls of the «guinguettes”!
Throughout the 19th century the quarter took its present form. The “Quartier de l’Europe” was laid out and built; the Amslerdam street leading to the Tivoli Garden with its thermal springs was an appreciated walk. The Madeleine Church and the Opera House were erected. The Seine, when it changed its course, had left a huge underground water lake that took two years to be dried before starting the foundations of the Opera House. The lay-out of the quarter was then deeply transformed by the greatest constructor-demolisher ever seen in Paris : Mr. le Baron Haussmann, Napoléon lll’s Home Secretary. The St-Lazare quarter is considered as a place of busy commercial thoroughfare. lndeed, we have already mentioned the St. -Lazare street in the 17th century and the “Rue du Rocher” is an ancient Roman way leading to Argenteuil village. In 1837, at the “Place de l’Europe”, Queen Marie-Amélie, and her daughters, the princesses, inaugurated the first French railway line Paris-Le Pecq, 15 miles long whereas the King Louis Philippe was not allowed to take the risk of travelling by such means ! Some years later the terminal was built where the present St-Lazare station is and the Tivoli garden was replaced by railways.
In the 20th century the river still peacefuI showed a temporary display et bad temper and decided once again to leave its course. It certainly wanted to get back to its prehistoric way, because it wetted the stairs of the Opera and the St-Lazare station.
Today the quarter keeps its traditions; it stilI is a commercial and business centre. The department stores Le Printemps, Les Galeries La fayette, C&A, FNAC, are the favourite destinations of tourists and of course Parisians. Some green spaces remind us of the past: Square Marcel Pagnol, Square Louis XVI and Square de la Trinité with its trees of a hundred years’ standing. ‘Pubs wilh dance and pleasure gardens, typically Parisian, still existing today along La Marne river
J-P.D./March 1997
Later the inhabitants settled in the ‘ile de la cité” for safety reasons as at that time the river was very wide. With the passing cenluries, rows of ramparts were erected as the city sprawled. On the right bank the activity turned the finances, commerce and goldsmith’s trade while the left bank accommodated students. Today it is known as the Latin Quarter, as Latin was the only language possible for studies. Once safety was assured, the rampart, somewhat damagod, were pulled down to make place to ‘Les Grands Boulevards”. At the time of Louis XIV, they already were an appreciated promenade . The Parisians had to wait until the end of l8th century to have paved boulevards and tarmac footpaths. Then strolling was possible even on rainy days. Three centuries ago the St-Lazare street was already very crowded because it led from the Roule village (near the present Champs Elysees), le La-Ville-Lévêque (The Madeleine church), and Les Percherons village (La Trinité). Comfields and ‘guinguettes” were along the St-Lazare street, and the farmers often complained because of the damage done in their fields by the soldiers who were a little bit too much in love with the girls of the «guinguettes”!
Throughout the 19th century the quarter took its present form. The “Quartier de l’Europe” was laid out and built; the Amslerdam street leading to the Tivoli Garden with its thermal springs was an appreciated walk. The Madeleine Church and the Opera House were erected. The Seine, when it changed its course, had left a huge underground water lake that took two years to be dried before starting the foundations of the Opera House. The lay-out of the quarter was then deeply transformed by the greatest constructor-demolisher ever seen in Paris : Mr. le Baron Haussmann, Napoléon lll’s Home Secretary. The St-Lazare quarter is considered as a place of busy commercial thoroughfare. lndeed, we have already mentioned the St. -Lazare street in the 17th century and the “Rue du Rocher” is an ancient Roman way leading to Argenteuil village. In 1837, at the “Place de l’Europe”, Queen Marie-Amélie, and her daughters, the princesses, inaugurated the first French railway line Paris-Le Pecq, 15 miles long whereas the King Louis Philippe was not allowed to take the risk of travelling by such means ! Some years later the terminal was built where the present St-Lazare station is and the Tivoli garden was replaced by railways.
In the 20th century the river still peacefuI showed a temporary display et bad temper and decided once again to leave its course. It certainly wanted to get back to its prehistoric way, because it wetted the stairs of the Opera and the St-Lazare station.
Today the quarter keeps its traditions; it stilI is a commercial and business centre. The department stores Le Printemps, Les Galeries La fayette, C&A, FNAC, are the favourite destinations of tourists and of course Parisians. Some green spaces remind us of the past: Square Marcel Pagnol, Square Louis XVI and Square de la Trinité with its trees of a hundred years’ standing. ‘Pubs wilh dance and pleasure gardens, typically Parisian, still existing today along La Marne river
J-P.D./March 1997
