There are quite a few streets in Paris that at first glance seem completely standard and we cross them without noticing, on our way to more interesting places. However, sometimes these streets hide the most interesting stories. One of them is Barbette Street, located in the heart of the 3rd arrondissement (Le Marais).
Here stood a mansion, built in the late 13th century by Étienne Barbette, head of the Parisian merchants' guild . Barbette was known not only for building the first quay in Paris (the Quay Augustin, located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris ) but also for the law that bears his name, which requires both the landlord and the tenant to give the other party 3 months' notice in the event of vacating the apartment (a law that still exists today).
Despite the man's public works, he was not particularly popular, due to his collaboration with King Philip the Fair (don't let his nickname fool you), and the mansion was burned down by an angry Parisian mob in 1306. In 1390, the mansion was rebuilt by the French finance minister Jean de Montague, who was also not particularly popular (like most finance ministers) and in 1409 he was accused of embezzlement and executed (his body remained hanging for 3 years until he was acquitted of all charges in a retrial).
The murder of the Duke of Orléans brings the English into Paris through the back door.
The estate passed to Queen Isabella of Bavaria of France , who took up residence there after her husband, King Charles VI, lost his mind. During her stay there, the queen began an affair with the king's handsome younger brother, Louis of Orléans. This aroused the jealousy of Jean "the Fearless", Duke of Burgundy and the king's cousin, who was also in love with the queen.
Since Louis of Orléans was tall and handsome while the Duke of Burgundy was short and ugly, it was pretty clear that Jean “the Fearless” would need little more than a few chansons and a romantic dinner to win the queen’s heart. And so, true to his nickname, the Duke of Burgundy decided to take action.
On November 23, 1407, the Duke of Orléans went to visit the Queen at the estate of Barbet, when a messenger informed him that the King wished to speak with him and that he should appear before him at the Palace of Saint-Paul, located in the southern part of the Marais (now the 4th arrondissement ). When the Duke arrived at the Alley of the Crossbows, he was attacked by 18 hired assassins armed with hammers and axes. Louis even managed to shout “I am the Duke of Orléans” because he thought the assassins had mistaken him for someone else, but in response the assassins shouted “It is you we are looking for.”
The Duke and his companions had no chance, and his mutilated body was found in the morning and given a magnificent funeral, during which the Duke of Burgundy said, “Never has such a vile and treacherous murder been committed on French soil.” The Duke of Burgundy’s words convinced no one, and he was forced to flee Paris in order to return there with an army.
Thus began a bloody civil war between the supporters of Burgundy and the supporters of the Duke of Orléans, who were called “Armagnacs” after Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, who commanded them. Jean “the Fearless” paid for his actions in 7, when he was murdered by the supporters of the Count of Armagnac, but before that he had managed to open the gates of Paris to the English.
About 150 years after these bloody events, the estate of Barbet was purchased by Louis de Breze, one of the most powerful noblemen in France, who married a 13-year-old girl named Diane de Poitiers. When King Francis I passed by, he noticed the beautiful girl and decided to bring her to the king's court. However, the royal mistress, the Duchesse d'Etampes, immediately suspected the purity of his intentions and did not allow the romance to develop.
However, Diane de Poitiers did not give up and instead of trying to win the king's heart, she turned her efforts to winning the heart of his son (you can read about the amazing love story between them here ). After Diane de Poitiers' death, the estate was sold by her daughter and over the years it was destroyed, and on its ruins the streets of Barbet and Elzevier were created.
Today, there is nothing special on the street worth visiting, but as you pass from the Cognac-Je Museum towards the Sauvage Palace , pass by this street and remember a drama that took place there about 600 years ago.
Have you visited Barbet Street? Here are some other good options for the rest of your trip.
- If you are looking for hiking trails that include Barbet Street and additional information about the Marais district, you can find them in the article. Le Marais – The Complete Traveler's Guide.
- If you feel like visiting museums, you will be happy to know thatCarnival Museum, Picasso Museum וCenter Pompidou They are within walking distance.
- If you're done walking around the Marais district and want to walk somewhere else, I recommend this page The itineraries My.
