Le Marais Walk
Le Marais was once a marsh that was frequently flooded by the Seine. But by the 17th century, it had become the center of aristocratic Paris, and some of its great hôtels (mansions) have now been restored. Today, these mansions are fashionable once again and the "marsh" has become a great area for tourism.
We began our tour with a slight drizzle at the site that spawned one of the most celebrated and abhorred revolutions in human history ---Place de Bastille. From here we walked north along rue des Tournelles, noting the Statue of Beaumarchais, 18th-century author of "The Barber of Seville" and "The Marriage of Figaro", which was set to music by Rossini and Mozart. We then proceeded to the medieval-looking rue Pas-de-la-Mule (Footsteps of the Mule), towards Place des Vosges, Paris's oldest square and once its most fashionable.
Place des Vosges was begun in 1605 on Henri IV's orders and was called Place Royal, intended to be the scene of businesses and social festivities, and he even planned to live there, but he was assassinated two years before its completion in 1612. By the 17th century, the square was the home of many aristocrats: Descartes, Pascal, Cardinal Richelieu, Gautier, and Daudet. But its best-known occupant was Victor Hugo (his home, now a museum, is the only house open to the public). Unfortunately, at the time of our visit it was closed.
From here, we saw a door opening to the Gardens of Hotel Bethune-Sully, one of the favorite places in all of Paris to rest, contemplate, and dream. Built in 1625, it is now the seat of the National Office of Historical Monuments and Sites, with an information center and a bookshop inside.
We continued our walk along rue des Francs-Bourgeois until we reached the intersection with rue de Sévigné, to visit the Musée Carnavalet, a 16th-century mansion now a museum devoted to the history of Paris and the French Revolution. Again, this museum was closed when we got there. So was the Musee Picasso, which will remain closed for renovation till 2013.
Along the way to Hotel de Rohan on rue Vieille-du-Temple, we passed by some notable avant garde art galleries and shops: Yvon Lambert (known for its contemporary art), Hier, Aujourd'hui, et Demain ( France's love affair with 1930s Art Deco), Passage de Retz (opened in 1994 as an avant-garde gallery), Les Iles Grecques (a deli shop regarded most popular of the area's ethnic take-out restaurants), and Dominique Picquier (a stylish shop that sells a wide roster of fabric).
By the way, we found the Hotel de Rohan (which presently houses the Archives Nationales or the French National Archives) closed for public visit, and so with the Hôtel des Ambassadeurs de Hollande, where Beaumarchais wrote The Marriage of Figaro. It's one of the most splendid mansions in the Marais and, despite its name, was never occupied by the Dutch embassy.
As we continued walking south along rue Vieille-du-Temple, we reached Rue des Rosiers (Street of the Rosebushes), one of the most colorful and typical streets remaining from Paris's old Jewish quarter, with the Star of David shining from some of the shop windows.
From rue des Rosiers, we headed down to rue Pavée, which got its name because it was the first street in Paris, sometime during the 1300s, to have cobblestones placed over its open sewer. At this "Paved Street," we stumbled upon Bibliotheque Historique de la Ville de Paris, a public library specializing on the history of the city of Paris. No picture-taking inside, so all our photos were taken outside.
This library, located, since 1969, in the hôtel d'Angoulême Lamoignon, brings together documents on the history of Paris and the Île-de-France, with a collection dating from the 16th century to the present, about a million books and 21,000 manuscripts, as well as plans, maps, and photographs.
Then we proceeded to rue François-Miron to view the 17th-century Hôtel de Beauvais, one of Paris's most charming hôtels. A plaque shows that Mozart (7yo at the time) lived here in 1763 and played at the court of Versailles. Then, onto rue du Figuier, where we reached Hôtel de Sens. Along with the Cluny on the Left Bank, it's the only domestic architecture remaining from the 15th century. Today, the hotel houses the Bibliothèque Forney. Leaded windows and turrets characterize the façade, and the courtyard reveals more ornate stone decoration. Since the library was closed, we went to its garden at the back and there rested. Here ended our Marais walking tour of this historic district.
On the way to Rue de Rivoli, where we had decided to have a late lunch, we got lost and found our way towards rue Saint Louis En L'isle. Here, we discovered a children's library, the Bibliotheque Jeunesse Isle Saint Louis for the Ecole des Garcons. Discovering these libraries and archives that are not even part of our walking tour itinerary was a totally rewarding journey to a devoted librarian-archivist like me.