Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Passage Choiseul and passage Sainte-Anne à Paris 1er dans Paris 2ème

Patrimoine classé
Passage
Paris

Passage Choiseul and passage Sainte-Anne

    23 Rue Saint-Augustin
    75002 Paris 2e Arrondissement
Passage Choiseul - Paris 2ème
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Passage Choiseul et passage Sainte-Anne
Crédit photo : Clicsouris - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
1825–1827
Construction of the Choiseul passage
1826
Death of François Mazois
1907
Replacement of the canopy
années 1970
Renewal with Kenzo
7 juillet 1974
Historical Monument
2012–2019
Complete restoration
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The passage; facades and roofs on streets of buildings 23 rue Saint-Augustin, 40 rue des Petits-Champs, 6 to 46 rue Dalayrac and 59, 61 rue Sainte-Anne, comprising the entrances to both passages: inscription by order of 7 July 1974

Key figures

François Mazois - Initial architect Draw the plans, die in 1826.
Antoine Tavernier - Architect completer Finish Choiseul and draw Sainte-Anne.
Étienne-François de Choiseul - Politician (name of passage) Minister of Louis XV, eponymous street.
Alphonse Lemerre - Literary editor Publish *The Contemporary Parnasse* at n°23.
Louis-Ferdinand Céline - Writer There lived a child, inspired *Death on credit*.
Kenzo - Couturier Restarting attendance in the 1970s.

Origin and history

The passage Choiseul, built between 1825 and 1827 in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, is a speculative initiative of the bank Mallet et Cie. It replaces the private hotels of Lionne, Langlée, Gesvres (whose porch remains) and Radepont, originally intended to give way to buildings. Only the passage was finally realized, due to the nearby construction of the Opéra Comique theatre (room Ventadour). Designed by architect François Mazois (deceased in 1826), his completion was entrusted to Antoine Tavernier, who also drew the passage Sainte-Anne, creating an east-west access to Choiseul. A west entrance on Dalayrac Street completed the whole.

With 190 metres in length and 3.7 metres in width, the Choiseul Pass is the longest in Paris. Its architecture combines arches on pilasters on the ground floor (shops and entresols) and residential floors, under a replaced roof around 1907. The facades, in soberly decorated wooden panels, imitate marble. Between 2012 and 2019, restorations (glass, marquises, floor, lighting) restored its original brilliance. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1974, it includes the facades of the border buildings (23 rue Saint-Augustin, 40 rue des Petits-Champs, etc.).

The passage experienced a revival in the 1970s thanks to the opening of a shop by the designer Kenzo, before stabilizing his influx. Open Monday to Saturday (8h-20h), it houses a marked literary and cultural heritage: Alphonse Lemerre published Le Parnasse contemporain (Verlaine, Coppée, Mendes), while Louis-Ferdinand Céline lived there as a child (1899–1907), later describing his "decrepitude" in Mort à crédit under the name of passage des Bérésinas. The theatre of Les Bouffes-Parisiens (opened in 1857) and actress Sophie Desmarets (owner of an antique shop) also left their mark.

Architecturally, the passage combines utilitarianism (access to theatres, business district) and decorative sobriety. Its coated walls, intersolar arcades and glass windows make it a typical example of Parisian covered passages, designed to fluidize pedestrian traffic while sheltering shops and housing. The courtyard of the former hotel of Gesvres, integrated with the north entrance, recalls its aristocratic origin.

Despite a decline common to many passages in the 20th century, Choiseul remained lively thanks to its proximity to the Grands Boulevards and the theatres. Its recent restoration and literary history (Zola cites it in Au Bonheur des Dames) make it a living heritage place, between memory of Haussmann's Paris and commercial modernity.

External links