Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cour du Commerce-Saint-André is a public road located in the Monnaie district in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. This square passage, opened in the 1730s, initially linked Rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain (today rue de l'Ancienne-Comédie) to Rue Saint-André-des-Arts. He then ran along palm play fields in the ditches of Philippe Auguste's enclosure, whose remains are still visible in some shops.

Around 1776, the passage was extended to rue des Cordeliers (current rue de l'École-de-Médecine), and in 1791, an opening towards the courtyard of Rouen (now Rohan court) was pierced through the remains of the medieval enclosure. In 1823, the entrance to Rue Saint-André-des-Arts was rebuilt to form the current gallery. The excavation of Saint-Germain Boulevard in 1866 reduced the passage of about 40 metres, causing the destruction of Danton's house at its end.

The court owes its present name to a decree of 1877, which distinguishes it from other homonymous passages in Paris. In 1987, its 19th century facades, roofs, entrances and glass windows were listed as historic monuments. The place preserves traces of Philippe Auguste's enclosure, including the Saint-Germain Gate, and houses famous addresses such as the café Le Procope (founded in 1684), the Relais Odéon, or the old printing house of Marat for L-Ami du Peuple.

Among the notable residents, Sainte-Beuve lived at No. 2 from 1831 to 1841, while at No. 9, Joseph Ignace Guillotin experimented with his guillotine on sheep at the Schmidt carpenter. In No. 8, Marat installed the newspaper, and Danton lived at No. 20 (disappeared during the Haussmannian work). These elements make the court a place full of revolutionary and cultural history.

In 1952, the painter Balthus immortalized the passage in his painting Passage du Commerce-Saint-André, adding an artistic dimension to his heritage. Today, the court remains a testimony to the urban transformations of Paris, mixing medieval remains, 19th century architecture and memory of the Enlightenment and Revolution.

External links