Who doesn’t know the following scenario? You’re walking around the streets of Paris, enjoying yourself, when suddenly, without warning, your bladder tells you that it needs to empty itself, and preferably as quickly as possible. Some of you will seek out a bush in one of Paris’ public parks (if you happen to be there) or try to “sneak into a café alone” in the hope that the waiter won’t catch you. The lucky ones might find a “spaceship” (this is what public toilets in Paris look like) and if you’re even a little bit lucky, they won’t stink of urine (or worse).
So today I want to tell you a little about the history of public toilets in Paris, which begins in the 17th century. We'll discover which preacher (unknowingly) gave his name to a chamber pot, which emperor the urinals were named after, and of course, where you can find public toilets in Paris when "nature calls."
When the famous preacher “donates” his name to a portable chamber pot
We will begin our journey through the public services of Paris in my favorite district in Paris, which is... La MaraisWalk down Saint Antoine Street until you reach a beautiful Baroque church called Saint Paul – Saint Louis (the exact address is 99 Rue St. Antoine).
While you admire the breathtaking beauty of this church, let me recommend that you take a tour of the various chapels until you reach the statue of Louis Bourdaloue.
In the heart of the vibrant Jewish Quarter (and the falafel!), a studio equipped down to the last detail.
Near Parc Monceau and the Rue de Lévis market. Also suitable for Sabbath-keepers (mechanical entrance).
Authentic historic building with elevator. Fully furnished, luxurious kitchen and a stone's throw from the metro.
We have carefully filtered and selected dozens of additional recommended apartments in all the equal districts of Paris.
We have collected for you the most recommended hotels in Paris – from intimate boutiques to absolute luxury.
Chances are, if you just happened to come to this church, you would probably quickly pass by it, as there is nothing special about this statue compared to the other impressive statues and paintings in this church. However, we will stop here and pay our respects to the man. It is not every day that you come across the “tribal bonfire” of the Parisian nobility of the 17th century.
To understand the importance of Bordallo, one must understand that entertainment options at that time were very limited (in the absence of inventions like television or Facebook). You could, of course, go to an execution inSquare sock (Place de Grève), but chances are all the good places are taken.
Another option was to go toopera Or to the theater, but that was pretty expensive (or you would buy standing tickets and those sitting above you could throw orange peels at you). The last option for getting some cheap entertainment in Paris was…going to church to hear a sermon.
And if you're talking about preaching, then the best preacher of that time was our friend Bordallo, who preached at the Church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis. Think of a solo show by Lior Schlein live. Bordallo was like that. He was so good that on Sundays, the Rue Saint-Antoine was simply blocked by the carriages of the nobles who parked there.
No one was willing to miss even one of his sermons. The problem was that these sermons lasted between 2-3 hours and since the church was a relatively cool place, pressure was created on the bladder. What do you do? How can you evacuate without missing a single word of Bordallo?
For men, it was pretty simple. They went to some hidden chapel and did what they did, while everyone else was focused on the sermon. For women, it was of course more complicated because of the dresses they wore that made every pee a logistically complicated operation. But don't worry, the French brain came up with patents for us and someone invented a small chamber pot that you could hide under your dress so that you could do your business without anyone noticing. Since the pot was used for the first time during Bordallo's sermon, someone decided to name it after the preacher and it caught on.
And so the women continued France to use this portable chamber pot until the end of the 18th century, and they had no need for public toilets at all.
From barrels of urine to spaceships
So after talking about the 17th century, let's elegantly skip straight to the 18th century. At that time, Parisians used to defecate under every fresh tree and on every sidewalk, which contributed to making Paris the smelliest city in the world (don't believe me? Read the“Perfume” by Patrick Ziskin).
The police chief of Paris, Sartine, tried his best to combat the phenomenon and even issued an order prohibiting public urination. To make things easier for the public, Sartine scattered hundreds of empty barrels throughout Paris, which became the first public toilets in Paris.
Because barrels full of urine were not the most hygienic thing to think of, the director of the Seine district, Count Rambuteau, decided in 1834 to install the Vespassiennes, public toilets that allowed people to urinate while standing behind a metal screen, which was supposed (in most cases) to hide the urinater from public view (no one thought about women at that time).
The Vespasian was named after the Roman Emperor Vespasian, who taxed public urinals in ancient Rome and was famous for saying “Money has no smell.” The Vespasian urinals existed in Paris until the end of World War II and served, among other things, as an advertising platform (the person who created and pasted posters on the walls of the Vespasian made quite a bit of money). They were also a meeting place for members of the gay community in Paris at the time (think 19th-century Grinder).
The Vespasian urinals reached their peak of fame during the occupation of Paris, when they were used by members of the Resistance as a meeting place and for the transmission of messages. After the end of World War II, the city of Paris decided to close the public urinals for hygiene reasons, and today there is almost no trace of the Vespasian (the last time I saw one was when I was walking in the 14th arrondissement, if it still exists, it is next to the only prison still in Paris, called La Santé).
Instead of public urinals, in the 1980s, Paris decided to build public toilets, which look like spaceships, and as you can see in the following film, they are not particularly popular with Parisians….
https://youtu.be/WpaCQjOQd4w
Recommended public toilets in Paris
Finally, while we're on the subject of toilets, I'd like to recommend two public toilets that have a special charm. The first is near The Church of the Magdalene (Madeleine) and is in my opinion the most beautiful in all of Paris. These are public toilets built in the Art Deco style in 1905 and as you will see in the pictures they are not only incredibly hygienic, but also charming. Unfortunately the last time I visited the place the toilets were closed (probably for renovation). I hope that by the time of your next trip to Paris you will be able to visit them.
The second is in the mall below the Louvre Museum. It is a super modern public toilet with all the possible luxuries. For 3 euros, one of the employees will lead you to a huge and spacious booth and give you a remote control that will allow you to control the music, the toilet temperature and other aspects while “sitting”. There is no doubt that this is a royal experience that is definitely worth its price, since this is probably the only way for most of us to feel like kings on the throne (at least for a few minutes). Don’t miss the experience.
And finally, if you are traveling in Paris right now and suddenly need a toilet in Paris, I'm sure this map can help you (the toilets in green are free while those in orange are paid).
Planning a trip to Paris?
If you have read an article about public toilets in the City of Lights, it is very likely that you are currently traveling in Paris or perhaps even planning your next trip there. In that case, let me highly recommend you: Paris Guide, in which I have collected all the information necessary to maximize your enjoyment of the French capital (recommendations on places to stay, attractions, itineraries, restaurants, and much more).