Mouffetard Street
Ce point d’intérêt est disponible en audio dans le circuit: Visit Paris, Sorbonne University, Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens
You’re now strolling past the Place de la Contrescarpe, a spot made famous by the singer Jacques Brel, towards Mouffetard Street. This street follows an ancient Roman road that linked Paris to Italy via Lyon. It ran along the Bièvre, a tributary of the Seine River that’s been buried underground. Believe it or not, this famous street had a rather seedy reputation back in the day. They say the term “Mouffetard” derives from the word “mouffette,” meaning “skunk” – a fitting name for a street that stank because of all the sewers in the Bièvre and the toxic runoff from the skinners, butchers and tanners that had set up shop here. It just wasn’t the best of neighbourhoods. Today, Mouffetard Street is a far cry from its sordid past. It’s a magical place that has inspired writers and filmmakers, and it’s just perfect for a leisurely stroll. Do the titles “Tales of Rue Broca” and “The Witch in the Broom Cupboard” ring a bell? They’re both set here! And how could we forget the treasure that’s been found here, at number 51-53? In 1938, workers demolishing a dilapidated building stumbled upon small fabric pouches containing over 3,000 gold coins from the days of Louis XV. They also found a will from Louis Nivelle, the king’s secretary, bequeathing the treasure to his daughter Anne. Poor thing, she never got to claim her inheritance. After the war, the gold was divided among the city of Paris, the workers who found it, and the 84 surviving descendants of Louis Nivelle.
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