Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Rue de Rivoli is an iconic 3 km Parisian road, designed as an integral part of the Haussmannian works. Completed in 1855, it is part of the historical axis crossing Paris from the east (Chateau de Vincennes) to the west (La Défense). Its current route links Place de la Concorde to Rue de Sévigné, crossing the 1st and 4th arrondissements. Since 2020, it has become a major cycle artery in the capital, symbolizing the evolution of urban mobility.

The original project dates back to 1789, with the "useful and embellishment plan" of architect Charles de Wailly, providing an east-west axis between the Louvre colonnade and Rue Saint-Antoine. Land constraints, including the presence of the convents of the Capuchins and the Feuillants, delayed its realization. Under the First Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte launched the piercing of the first section (1801-1804), designed by architects Percier and Fontaine, with arcade facades and strict rules to preserve its aesthetics (ban on noisy craftsmen, commercial signs, etc.).

The western part, bordered by neoclassical arcades, was completed in 1807, but the street remained unbuilt until the 1830s, despite a 20-year tax exemption granted in 1811. The eastward extension, connecting Rue Saint-Antoine, was carried out under the Second Empire (1849-1855) as part of the Paris transformations led by Haussmann. This work involves immense expropriations, the arase of the St. James hill, and the creation of related roads such as Victoria Avenue.

The Rue de Rivoli was the scene of significant events, such as the burning of the section between Rue Saint-Martin and the Town Hall during the Paris Commune (1871), or the missed attack against President Émile Loubet and King of Spain Alphonse XIII in 1905. In the 20th century, it evolved into a commercial and cultural vocation, hosting department stores (BHV, Samaritaine), luxury hotels (Meurice, Louvre), and historic sites such as the Manège Hall, where Louis XVI was judged.

Since 2018, the street has been upgraded to focus on mild transport, with cycle paths and a restriction on car traffic. In 2020, Mayor Anne Hidalgo perpetuates these "coronapists", transforming the street into a symbol of the Paris ecological transition. Today, it welcomes 10,000 to 15,000 cyclists daily, while maintaining its architectural heritage and its structural axis function in central Paris.

The Rue de Rivoli crosses major monuments such as the Louvre, the Town Hall, the Saint-Jacques Tower, and the Tuileries Palace (disappeared). It is lined with remarkable buildings, some of which bear commemorative plaques linked to literary figures (Chateaubriand, Tolstoy, Tourgueniev) or artistic (Pissarro, Ionesco). Its history reflects the urban, political and social changes of Paris, from the Empire to the contemporary era.

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