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Key figures

Origin and history

The Jouffroy Pass is a covered passage in Paris from the 9th arrondissement, built in 1845 as an extension of the Panoramas Pass to capitalize on its popularity. It extends 140 metres between Boulevard Montmartre and Rue de la Grange-Batelière, with a double "L" route to adapt to the elevations of the terrain. Its entirely metallic and glazed structure, designed by the architects François-Hippolyte Destailler and Romain de Bourges, makes it a pioneer of 19th century technological innovations. It is also the first Parisian passage heated by the ground, with wooden decorations limited to ornamental elements.

The management of the passage was entrusted to a private company headed by Count Félix de Jouffroy-Gonsans, owner of the land, and Mr Verdeau, whose names were attributed to the passages Jouffroy and Verdeau. Originally, the passage was home to a variety of shops (trailers, cafes, hairdressers) and became a lively place, notably after the opening of the Grévin Museum in 1882, whose secondary entrance gives directly into the passage. This museum, founded by Arthur Meyer and Alfred Grévin, attracted a considerable crowd, making the passage one of the most frequented in Paris at the end of the 19th century.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the passage declined and almost was demolished in 1912, before being modernized in 1932 with the addition of electric ramps. Ranked a historic monument in 1974, it was renovated in 1987 and then in 2019, restoring its interior facades and original pavement. The passage also houses the Chopin Hotel (1846), one of the oldest in Paris, and keeps a clock decorated with stucco and a characteristic glass. Its irregular layout and narrow shops reflect the constraints of the original plots, some of which once occupied the vegetable garden of the Crozat hotel.

The Jouffroy passage embodies the urban evolution of Haussmannian Paris, combining architectural innovation, commercial life and cultural heritage. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments in 1974, and subsequent renovations, underline its importance as a vestige of Parisian covered passages, conceived as "urban offerings" in the 19th century. Today, there is still a place of strolling and shopping, marked by the presence of the Grévin Museum and quality shops.

The origin of the name pays tribute to Felix de Jouffroy-Gonsans (1791–63), owner of the land, while the history of the place is linked to figures such as Rossini, who lived in a building demolished in 1836 for its construction. The passage was also the scene of popular events, such as the exhibition of the "lingot gold" in 1851, attracting crowds who came to admire this large lottery lot installed on a throne.

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