Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Ben-Aïad Pass, located in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, is the only vestige of the Saumon Pass, a set of covered galleries built at the beginning of the 19th century. This private passage, originally named Mandar Gallery, originally linked Mandar Street to Saint-Sauveur Street (now Leopold-Bellan Street). It was part of a larger complex including a 175-metre main driveway, a Bains Gallery and a Salon Gallery, serving establishments such as a theatre and public baths. His architecture, signed Hubert Rohault de Fleury (1777–46), dates back to 1828, a period of fascist for Parisian passages, symbols of modernity and urban sociability.

The Saumon's passage reached a golden age until the end of the Second Empire, attracting a bourgeois clientele for its fashionable boutiques and prom. It was also the scene of riots in June 1832, during the funeral of General Lamarque, an episode immortalized by Victor Hugo in Choses views. Acquired in 1853 by Tunisian general Mahmoud Ben Aïad, the passage gradually declined. His son, Ahmed Ben Aïad, demolished most of the structures in 1899 to create Bachaumont Street, retaining only the Mandar Gallery, renamed Ben-Aïad around 1905. Today closed to the public and classified as a historical monument since 1997, it preserves traces of its past, such as access to the ancient baths of the Saumon.

The passage of the Saumon marked the 19th century literature, appearing in Le Petit Those by Alphonse Daudet (1868), Gustave Flaubert's sentimental education (1869), and Victor Hugo's story of a crime (1878). These references demonstrate its central role in Parisian life, between commerce, leisure and political agitations. Its decline reflects the urban transformations of Paris under Haussmann, where covered passages, once a place of strolling, gave way to wider streets and related buildings. The Ben-Aidad passage, though reduced to a congruous portion, remains a material testimony of that time.

Architecturally, the passage is characterized by its glass roof and its preserved facades, typical of 19th century galleries. The protected elements include the facades and roofs of the former bath establishment, listed as historical monuments. The current location, between Mandar, Leopold-Bellan and Bachaumont streets, recalls its original route, although most of the passage has disappeared. Its present state, unmaintained and inaccessible, contrasts with its lively past, stressing the importance of its preservation as a Parisian heritage.

External links