Juiverie street

You are now entering the Juiverie street, which, as its name suggests, was the district hosting the Jewish community of Nantes in the Middle Ages. Evidence of Jewish presence here dates as far back as to Roman times. At the time, they lived under the protection of the Count of Brittany and, for a fee, were allowed to have their own courts and magistrates. However, they were required to adhere to a specific schedule, and la Juiverie Street closed every evening, blocked by heavy chains. In the early 13th century, Nantes nobles incurred debts from Jewish moneylenders to finance their crusade. In 1235, crusaders murdered several Jews before leaving for the Holy Land, and the following year, Duke Peter I had all the Jews expelled from Brittany, thereby cancelling all debts contracted by the knights. The Jewish community of Nantes disappeared for a long time, but the street kept its name, except during World War II. The houses you see around you were all built after this period. At no. 7, for example, you’ll see a beautiful corbelled house dating from the 15th century. At the end of the street, at no. 20, you’ll see the entrance to Bouchot passage on your right. If it’s open, don’t hesitate to step into it and immerse yourself for a moment in the heart of an urban jungle, created by the artist EVOR as part of the Travel to Nantes project.