Rue Bonaparte

Rue Bonaparte

View starting at no. 88 Rue Bonaparte from theRue de Vaugirard
Shown within Paris
Length	1,010 m (3,310 ft)
Width	11 m (36 ft)
Arrondissement	6th
Quarter	Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Odéon
Coordinates	48°51′11″N2°19′59″E
From	7 Quai Malaquais
To	58 rue de Vaugirard
Construction
Completion	Ord. du 7 septembre 1845
Denomination	12 August 1852

Rue Bonaparteis a street in the6th arrondissement of Paris.It spans theQuai Voltaire/Quai Malaquais to theJardin du Luxembourg,crossing the PlaceSaint-Germain-des-Présand theplace Saint-Sulpiceand has housed many of France's most famous names and institutions as well as other well-known figures from abroad. The street runs through the heart of the fashionableLeft Bankand is characterised by a number of'hôtels particuliers'(grand townhouses) and elegant apartment buildings as well as being bounded by the river at one end and the park at the other. With fifteen buildings or monuments classified asMonument Historique,it has more such listed sites than any other street in the 6th arrondissement.

Rue Bonaparte also has many literary associations and contains a number of bookshops, antiquarian booksellers, publishers and art galleries. Its architecture and location have made it one of Paris' most historic and sought-after residential addresses.

___	Located near theMétro stations:Saint-Sulpice,MabillonandSaint-Germain-des-Prés.

History

The length of the street was formerly the site of a river calledLa Noue,which at the time formed the eastern boundary of thePré-aux-Clercs(an area of land belonging to theAbbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés). Later, the river was enlarged into a 27-m wide canal and namedPetite Seine('Little Seine'), which in turn supplied water to the moat of theAbbey of Saint-Germain-des-Préswhen its fortifications were built during the 14th century. In the 17th century, those fortifications were demolished along with the moat and the canal.

Street plaque also showing former name

At one time, it was divided into two streets – therue du Pot de Fer dite du Vergerand therue des Petits Augustins(also known variously in the late 16th century as therue Bouyn,Petite rue de Seine,Rue de la Petite Seineand theChemin de la Noue). Its present form was established by government decree on 7 September 1845, which resulted in the opening of the part of the street between theBoulevard Saint-Germainand therue du Vieux-Colombier.Its name was subsequently changed on 12 August 1852 to commemorate theEmperor Napoleon I.

The name 'Rue Bonaparte'was first proposed during the period of TheConsulate;it was formally renamed "Saint-Germain-des-Prés"under theBourbon Restoration,and then officially regained the name of "Bonaparte"a few months after the coup ofLouis Napoleon Bonaparte,in August 1852.

Composition

In its present form it has subsumed the following historic streets:

• Rue des Petits-Augustins,between thequai Malaquaiset therue Jacob

Rue Bonaparte – view of the placeSaint-Germain-des-Préslooking towards the rue Jacob.

Rue Bonaparte – looking towards theplace Saint-Sulpice.

• Rue Saint-Germain-des-Prés,opened in 1804, between theRue JacobandSt-Germain-des-Prés,it was named variously theCour des Religieux,Rue Bonaparte,rue de la Poste aux Chevauxand in 1816rue Saint Germain des Prés,before finally reassuming its current name.
• Rue Saint-Germain,between thePlace Saint-Germain-des-Présand thePlace Saint-Sulpicewas named in 1847. In 1804, this part of the street, which at times was known as the oldrue Saint-Germain-des-Prés,ran between the rue Jacob and the rue du Vieux Colombier.
• Rue du Pot de Fer Saint-Sulpice,between rue du Vieux-Colombier and therue de Vaugirard,was named in the 15th centuryRuelle Saint-Sulpice,thenRuelle Henri du Vergier,thenRue du Verger.At the beginning of the 17th century, it was renamedrue du Pot de Fer dite du Verger.Some historianssuggest that it was also known asrue des Jardins Saint-Sulpiceandrue des Jésuites.
• Rue du Luxembourgin 1879, was the name given to the part comprising the rue de Vaugirard and theRue d'Assas,then in 1918, the nameRue Guynemer.

Landmarks

The church and fountain of Saint-Sulpice

the Allée du Seminaire opposite Nos 88-92 rue Bonaparte

Therue Bonaparteitself contains some of Paris' notable landmarks, including:

• TheEcole de Beaux Arts
• TheAcadémie nationale de médecine
• ThePlace Saint Germain-des-Prés
• TheAbbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
• The Fontaine de la Paix
• The Church ofSaint-Sulpice
• TheSaint-Sulpice Fountain
• The Promenade de l'allée du Séminaire
• TheJardin du Luxembourgis at its southern tip

Notable addresses

No. 5 rue Bonaparte

• No. 5:Birthplace of the French painterÉdouard Manet(the street was then called rue des Petits Augustins) on 23 January 1832. Home of French field marshal and colonial administratorle Maréchal Hubert Lyauteyfrom 1911 to 1934. French National Heritage site (Monument historique).
• No. 13:Art studios of Modernist French paintersAndré DerainandAndré Dunoyer de Segonzac,as well as Anglo-French painterPaul Maze.
• No. 14:TheÉcole nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts.French National Heritage site (Monument historique).
• No. 16:Académie nationale de médecine(The National Academy of Medicine). French National Heritage site (Monument historique).
• No. 18:Site of the first provisional government ofCzechoslovakiain 1916. It is marked by a plaque which reads "Ici en 1916 le gouvernement provisoire tchecoslovaque établit son siège sous la présidence de T. G. Masaryk".
• No. 19:Home of the French painterAmédée Jullienfrom 1861 to 1875. French National Heritage site (Monument historique).
• No. 20:Home of the American woman of letters,Natalie Barney,from 1909 to 1969. In her literary salon she played hostess to many of the 20th century's most important writers and artists from both sides of theAtlanticincludingAndré Gide,Paul Claudel,ScottandZeldaFitzgerald,Ezra Pound,James Joyce,T. S. Eliot,Samuel Beckett,andFrançoise Sagan.(Incorrect. Barney lived nearby at 20, rue Jacob. It is just around the corner. See wiki entry on Barney.
• No. 24:The American novelistHenry Millerstayed at no. 24 between 1928 and 1930 during which time he began his relationship with the American writerAnaïs Nin.
• No. 30:The restaurant at no. 30, theCafé Pré aux Clercs,wasErnest Hemingway's favourite haunt in Paris.
• No. 31:TheSalon des Centwas established there in 1894.
• No. 34:Workshop of the famous painter François Gerard. Home of Romy Schneider in the 70's and of Georges Wolinski from 1974 to 2008.
• No. 36:Home of French philosopher and sociologistAuguste Comte,between 1817 and 1822, during which time he published his first essays.
• No. 42:Home of French philosopherJean-Paul SartreandSimone de Beauvoir,from 1945 to 1962.During this period Sartre was involved in establishing the quarterly literary and politicalreview,Les Temps Modernes(Modern Times) as well as publishing some of his best-known works including:Les Mains Sales(Dirty Hands),Les Chemins de la Liberté(The Roads to Freedom), theCritique de la raison dialectique(Critique of Dialectical Reason), andLes Mots(The Words),La Mort dans l'Âme(Troubled Sleep– also known as:Iron in the soul),The Devil and the Good Lord/Le diable et le bon dieu,Kean,Les séquestrés d'Altona(The Condemned of Altona).
• No. 88:Dating from 1680, this 'hotêl particulier' was the home of French Cardinal, diplomat and man of lettersMelchior de Polignacfrom 1732 until his death in 1742.From 1794 until 1815 it was the residence of French Catholic priest,abolitionistand revolutionaryAbbé Gregoire.French National Heritage site (Monument historique).
• No. 92:The Hungarian Cultural Institute
• Other notable current and former residents areVoltaire,Nancy Cunard,Catherine Deneuve,andRomy Schneider.

External links

• Media related toRue Bonaparte (Paris)at Wikimedia Commons