In September 2022 I lived inAudi's apartment On Rue Royale and in May 2023, I “returned to the scene of the crime.” There are quite a few reasons why I did this (and you can read all of them in my article about this apartment), but I would like to dwell on one reason that drew me there: history.
Anyone who knows me knows that my love for Paris began because of my love for...Its history. Hence, there is no greater pleasure for a person like me than to live on a street or neighborhood where famous people lived, magnificent institutions existed, and historical events took place that have become mythology.
Rue Royale is exactly that type of street. It is quite wide, but not very long, and yet almost every house on this street has something to tell you. So today, let me take you on a short walk, less than 300 meters long, along the street – and tell you its secrets.
The history of Rue Royale
Before we take a stroll down the street, a few words about its history.
At the northern end of the street, where it joins Rue Saint Honoré, stood the Porte Saint Honoré, which was the western entrance to medieval Paris. This is the famous gate near which the Joan of Arc During the siege it imposed on Paris, which at the time was occupied by the English and their allies.
During the 18th century, it was decided to build a square in honor of Louis XV near the western edge of the Tuileries Gardens. This square would later become the Place de la Concorde, and in order to allow traffic to flow into it from the north, it was decided to demolish what remained of the gate and wall and build a new street. Since the square was initially called Place Louis XV, it was decided to call the street “Royal Street”.
Indeed, anyone on the street certainly feels how majestic it is, thanks to its elegant buildings, whose facades were designed by the famous architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel (1698-1782). However, the street did not remain so majestic for long.
In 1789, the French Revolution And in 1792, the street changed its name to “Rue de la Revolution,” and became part of the tragic journey of those condemned to death being led to the guillotine, which was placed in the Place Louis XV, which became “Place de la Revolution.”
The street continued to change names following the change of government. It became the Royal Street of Saint-Honoré (rue Royale Saint-Honoré) and in 1795 the Rue de la Concorde, and only in 1814 was the street given back its original name – Rue Royale.
And speaking of kings, in 1843, during the reign of King France The last Louis-Philippe (reigned 1830-1848) had an amazing event on the street. On August 12, tens of thousands of butterflies landed on the street and its immediate surroundings, causing traffic chaos (it is said that the columns of the Madeleine Church were completely covered in butterflies). What caused this? Even nearly 200 years after the event, scientists have no explanation.
And speaking of chaos, in 1871, during the Commune, the street became one of the uniformed battlegrounds between the Commune, who set up barricades, and the soldiers of the Third Republic. However, this was the last time, as far as I know, that so much blood was shed on the street. With the end of the Commune, the Belle Époque began, and the street became one of the most chic streets in Paris, thanks to a number of historical institutions (some of which still exist today), which we will now discuss.
A walking tour on Rue Royale
Now that we have a little bit of history on Rue Royale, it is time to take a stroll along it. We will start our walk at the Place de la Concorde, which as mentioned began its career as “Place Louis XV”. This square has a long, bloody and fascinating history and you can read about it in the article asPlace de la Concorde – Fire, blood and beauty in one central square in Paris.
After you've finished enjoying the beauty of the impressive square, head north and let's begin our trip.
Hôtel de la Marine
Address: Rue Royale 2
This magnificent palace, whose facade faces the Place de la Concorde, but one of its main entrances is from Rue Royale 2, will open to the public in 2021.
This palace belonged to the person in charge of the royal furniture and later became the main base of the French Navy, hence its name (Marine, meaning marine). This palace also has a fascinating history and if you are interested in learning about it, I recommend reading Ronen Sass's article Hôtel de la Marine – the new flagship of museums in Paris.
If you would like to visit the place (highly recommend it), you are welcome to buy tickets using the following links:
- Ticket to the Hôtel de la Marine
- Ticket to the Hôtel de la Marine (including the rooms of the Superintendent of Royal Furniture)
- Combined ticket to Hôtel de la Marine and Fondation Louis Vuitton
- Combined ticket to Hôtel de la Marine and the Marmottan Monet Museum
Maxim's Restaurant
Address: Rue Royale 3
If there is a restaurant whose name alone speaks of luxury and wealth, it is Maxim's. The place's beginnings were rather humble.
In 1891, Maxime Gaillard, a Parisian waiter, bought a bankrupt ice cream shop that stood there and decided to turn it into a bistro. How could an ice cream shop in one of the best locations in Paris go bankrupt, you ask? Very simple! The year before, the shop owner had decided to raise the German flag on July 14th (he found the time). In response, the Parisian mob raided the place, not to buy vanilla ice cream, and what wasn’t destroyed was confiscated.
However, Maxim's bistro was not very successful either, and he was forced to sell it. The one who came after him was also not very successful in business and had to sell the place to Max Lebaudy. For Max, things started to go well.
What made the place so successful was the Art Nouveau interior design, and the fact that the owner managed to bring not only high society members (including the English Crown Prince), but also some of the most beautiful women of the period, who were seated near the windows, in order to entice the wealthy pedestrians strolling the street to come inside.
And so, during the twentieth century, Maxim's restaurant became a place of pilgrimage for the fat and the basket of Paris, and in the words of the composer Franz Lehár, they all arrived there accompanied by their mistresses, but never by their legal wives.
Speaking of Franz Lehár, he was so impressed by the place and the atmosphere that he decided to set the third act of his opera, “The Merry Widow,” inside the restaurant.
Maxim's continued to be successful, even when it changed hands, and its success did not stop even during the German occupation, when the place became a favorite restaurant for quite a few senior military and SS personnel. After the war, the success continued and Maxim's owners opened restaurants around the world and entered the field of catering in airports and airplanes (yes, there were days when airplane food didn't taste like plastic).
But over the years, the name Maxim has become a sort of tourist cliché and a symbol of bygone days. The place, now owned by Pierre Cardin, has long since ceased to provide food worthy of the elite's delicate waiting, but on the other hand, chances are that if you arrive there without a tie, no snobby waiter will throw you out, and that's something too.
Restaurant opening days and hours
Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30-19:00.
Madame de Staël's house
Address: Rue Royale 6
Madame de Staël (Germaine de Staël 1766-1817) was the daughter of Louis XVI's finance minister, a socialite and writer. She lived most of her life at this address, where she had her famous literary salon. Madame de Staël, who initially admired Napoleon, eventually became one of his greatest enemies and was forced to leave Paris as a result. In those days, it was said that three powerful forces were fighting against Napoleon: England, Russia and Madame de Staël…
When Napoleon's rule finally collapsed after the Battle of Waterloo, Madame de Sattel returned to Paris, but not to this address, but ended her life at 40 rue des Mathurins, about a 10-minute walk away.
Today, if you go inside, you can find an antique store called Steinitz, which sells furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries, so who knows, maybe you'll find a chair or armchair there that Madame de Stael herself sat on :).
Audi's apartment
Address: Rue Royale 7
The only historical figure who lived here, as far as I know, is the Francophile :-). However, you too can live in this charming apartment.
If you liked the video above, please visitThis article And read more about the apartment.
The house of the architect Gabriel
Address: Rue Royale 8
This house was home to the architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel, who was responsible not only for the street and Place de la Concorde but also for a number of other famous buildings, including the Petit Trianon Palace and the Opéra Garnier. Versailles, the Officers' School (École militaire), located not far fromEiffel Tower And more.
Today it is a standard residential building, but if its gate happens to open, it is definitely worth taking a peek inside the small courtyard and enjoying a little of the genius of the architect, who once lived there.
Christofle Jewelry Store
Address: Rue Royale 9
If Maxim became the restaurant that most symbolizes the wealth of the “beautiful and the right” of the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, then Christophe’s store is undoubtedly the place where they bought their knives and forks.
It all began when Charles Christophe, who was a kitchenware maker, learned a technique that allowed him to create gilded (or silver-plated) knives and forks. Louis Philippe, King France The latter, who loved his work so much that he made him the royal supplier, continued to go from strength to strength during the Napoleon III era and the Third Republic, becoming synonymous with luxury.
Their store moved to its current location shortly before World War I, and although the war wiped out “yesterday’s world,” Christofle has survived to this day. Today, you can find kitchenware (for the wife or husband), jewelry (for the lover), and even silver menorahs!
Opening days and hours
Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30-19:00.
Lalique's store
Address: Rue Royale 11
When René Lalique (1860-1945) moved here in 1936 from Rue de la Paix, which is near theParis Opera, he was already a famous artist.
Lalique began his career as a jeweler, but in 1907 he also began producing perfume bottles commissioned by François Coty (1874-1934). The success of his perfume bottles was immediate and led him to become, in parallel with his career as a jeweler, also a respected glass craftsman.
As mentioned, Lalique's store has been here for nearly 90 years, and you can find figurines, bottles, and other glass art objects here, which will cost you quite a bit of money.
Opening days and hours
Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30-19:00.
The house of the man who censored the book of Seville
Address: Rue Royale 13
This house was home to Mr. Souard, who served as one of the royal censors during the 70s. His job was to check every play that was released and ensure that it did not contain subversive messages.
When Beaumarchais (Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais 1732-1799) wrote the play “The Book of Seville” in 1773, a comedy that deals, among other things, with the relationship between the upper class and servants, it was Soir who censored parts of it. However, despite all this, the play became a huge success and later a famous opera, thanks to Rossini.
However, with all due respect to the book from Seville, it was the second play in Beaumarchais' trilogy, aka "The Marriage of Figaro," that truly shook the foundations of French society, thanks to Figaro's subversive sentence to Count Alembeba, "What have you done, Monsieur Count, to earn all this wealth, except being born?"
There is no doubt that this question resonated throughout France and the play led, albeit indirectly, to the French Revolution, the bloody results of which can be seen in the Place de la Concorde, which, as mentioned, is not far away.
Ladurée Patisserie
Address: Rue Royale 16
Like the Garlic Flower Shop, this business is also considered one of the street's great symbols and still maintains the opulent atmosphere of the Belle Epoque.
The place was founded by Louis Ernest Ladurée in 1862, and although quite a few branches have opened over the years, this is the original and first branch. In 1871, the bakery burned down during the civil war between the Commune and government forces, and was rebuilt. During the renovation, little angels dressed as bakers were painted on the ceiling of the patisserie, and they became the symbol of the place.
Over the next 60 years, the place was not particularly famous, until owner Pierre Desfontaines decided to bring out from the depths of history an ancient patisserie, which was brought to France by none other than Queen Catherine de Medici (1519-1589), aka theMacaron.
La Dore's macaron became a household name and starting in the 80s, the company began to grow and open more branches in Paris and the rest of the world. I personally am not a fan of macarons, but if you like this pastry, you are welcome to come in, taste it and tell me if you think it is better than the one from Pierre Hermé, who used to run the place until he founded a famous patisserie chain himself.
Opening days and hours
Monday-Friday from 08:00-19:30.
Saturday from 09:00-19:30
Sunday from 10:00-19:30
Le Village Royal
Address: 25 Rue Royale
This is a kind of passage (without a roof) that connects Rue Royale to Rue Boissy d'Anglas, a paradise for anyone looking for luxury brands.
You'll find stores there for Christian Dior, Chanel, and quite a few other lesser-known luxury brands. You'll also find a cafe there that serves a mediocre breakfast at an overpriced price, but hey, at least you're sitting at a small table and watching chicly dressed French people walk down the passage. What's wrong?
Lucas Carton
Address: 27 Rue Royale
This prestigious restaurant has been around since 1880 and still maintains its status (no small feat, especially when compared to the fate of Maxim's restaurant at the beginning of the street). The place has become legendary thanks to quite a few great chefs who have worked here, most notably chef Alain Senderens, who ran the place from 1985-2013.
Here you will find a restaurant serving expensive and meticulous food alongside a bistro called Le Petit Lucas, which serves delicious food that even mortals can afford (about 40 euros for lunch). All of this is served in an elegant building from 1839. Definitely worth trying at least once in your life.
Opening days and hours
Tuesday-Saturday from 12:30-14:00 and from 19:30-21:30
The Church of the Magdalene
We reached the end of the street and the impressive Church of the Magdalene. This church has a fascinating history and if you want to get to know it, I recommend you read the article The Madeleine Church – From an Ancient Synagogue to Napoleon's Temple of Glory.
If you would like to continue your journey, let me recommend a culinary route around the Church of the Magdalene. You can find it in the article The Church of the Magdalene – a culinary itinerary for those with a sweet tooth.
Thank you so much for this special article, like all your other articles. I feel like a little angel from Haifa... sitting on the wings of my bird-watching angel, showing me from the wings the beauty and eternity of France.
Thank you,
Thank you very much for the support 🙂
Thank you very much, Zvi, for another interesting, educational article, and next time in Paris (this will be my 20th visit to this wonderful city)
I will walk down this street accompanied by your article.
Complete health
And meaningful and enjoyable work.
Thank you
Zvika
Thank you very much 🙂