Covered Passages of Paris

As my good friend Adrian Leeds always says:  "You don't come to Paris for the weather."  And, I would add, certainly not in February.  The weather site Meteoart had this advice for February 2024:  "if you want to stay dry, get out your rubber boots and your umbrella."  They went on to predict eight to fifteen days of rain in February, but they were way off.  We have been here for 29 days and have had just one sunny day.  To be fair, there have been intermittent minutes of sunshine and even a fabulous double rainbow one day, but mostly it's been grey, windy and rainy.  

One of the things I most enjoy doing in Paris is setting out on an unplanned walk to people watch and to take in the sites and sounds of the city.  I wrote about it in this post, A Flâneur in Paris. 

Wandering aimlessly about is an activity that loses some of its appeal when the rain pours down and the wind blows your umbrella inside out. Fortunately for me, I'm living this year in an area of Paris that is full of covered shopping arcades known as Passages Couverts.  With their glass ceilings, ornate decorations, interesting boutiques, book stores and cafes, they are a perfect rainy-day respite.  There are seven of these marvels within a few minutes of my apartment and if I plan my route wisely, I can almost avoid the rain. 

For Parisians of the 18th century, rain was the least of their worries.  There was no sewage system, no sidewalks and most of the narrow, dark streets were unpaved. Passages or galleries, as they are also known, became a place where people could stroll, shop, see and be seen. At night, under the glow of newly-introduced gas lamps, patrons could visit theaters, bars and dance halls. Above the shops, there were private apartments and in some passages, houses of prostitution.

The passages owe their existence indirectly to historical events in 1789. In that year, France outlawed feudalism and nationalized and sold the holdings of the Catholic church, which, in turn, led to a period of financial speculation and a construction boom.  Between the end of the 18th century and the middle of the 19th century, 150 covered passages were built in Paris - each with its own style and each a world unto itself. Architectural styles included everything from Neo-Classical to Renaissance to Pompeian to Art-Deco. 

Of those 150 passages, today only 30 remain  Most of the others were torn down during the renovation of Paris by Georges-Eugène Haussmann between 1853 and 1870.  The passages are privately owned, but the owners receive financial aid from the city. The aim is to preserve these national treasures and to ensure that they remain a place where people live, and where specialized commerce can thrive - or where one can wander aimlessly on a grey, rainy day in Paris. The Palais Royal is where the first Galeries de Bois or wooden galleries were built in the 1770s. Balzac in his novel Les Illusions Perdues (Lost Illusions) called them "one of the most renowned Parisian curiosities." By day, they were the gathering place for the aristocrats, intellectuals and financial leaders of France. But as Balzac went on to write: "The poetry of this amazing bazaar shatters at night" when the galleries became a place of gambling, prostitution and chaotic debauchery.

Reading Balzac, one can vividly imagine the scene. On this day, however, chance and the magic of cinema left nothing to the imagination. As I entered the Palais Royal, there were crowds of people in 18th-century dress, strolling among market stalls. Suddenly, in the square, a sword fight broke out, and the crowd surged forward, cheering on the two young, dueling aristocrats. "Coupez" came a loud voice, and the action stopped.  I had not stepped back in time, but rather had come upon  the filming of an episode of "Marie Antionette" for the TV station Canal Plus. 

After watching for awhile, I crossed the square and walked along the elegant shops under the opposite arcade, with the sounds of the 18th century fading quietly away.  I left the Palais Royal, crossed the street and climbed the steps to pass through the smallest passage in Paris, the Passage des Deux Pavillons. Then it was on to the Galerie Colbert and the Galerie Vivienne. Just steps away from one another, they are the two of the most beautiful passages in Paris.

Formal and elegant, the Galerie Colbert is the property of the Bibliothèque national, France's national library. It's home to the National Institute of the History of Art and the National Heritage Institute.  There are no shops, but visitors are allowed in to view the magnificent rotunda with its glass cupola and lovely sculpture.

An historic monument that opened in 1826, the Galerie Vivienne is a garden of sensory delights. Elegant and refined, its Pompeian, Neo-classical decor is adorned with Corinthian columns and frescoes. Overhead, a glass ceiling and a spectacular cupola bathes the gallery in diffused light, even on a rainy day. Underfoot, the marble and mosaic tile floors are a work of art, beautifully intact along the entire length of the 180-meter gallery. The mosaicist, Giandomenico Facchina, inscribed his name in tile at the entrance to the gallery. Walk slowly and look around.  There is so much to see and the shops are so varied - a wonderful toy store, a book vendor, a tailor, a boot maker, a fine fabrics store, a stamp merchant, a wine shop, and several cafes and restaurants. 

My first stop was Le Valentin Vivienne, a traditionally beautiful restaurant with delicious home-made pastries. It's packed at lunch, but it's a delightful place to wile away the morning. Next stop was the  Librairie Jousseaume, one of the oldest and most charming book stores in Paris.  Operated by the Jousseaume family since l870, it has been a fixture in the Gallery since its opening in 1826 when it was known as the Petit-Siroux, a name that is still embossed on the shop window. Customers have included  such famous French authors as Collette and Jean Cocteau.

If you linger long enough to enjoy all the treasures of the gallery, by the time you reach the other end, you can stop for a glass of wine  or a cup of tea at the Bistrot Viviennne.  Or you can walk 10 minutes north, where you'll find the Passage des Panoramas and the Passage Jouffroy, home to the Musée Grévin, Paris's famous wax museum. 

I, instead, turned my steps toward home. My last stop was the Galerie Véro-Dodat, one of my favorites.  The gallery takes its name from the two investors who opened it in 1826. At the time, it was famous for its modern gas lighting and for the refinement of its decor. It was supplanted by more modern galleries and in the 20th century, was threatened with demolition.  In the late 1970s, it was purchased by a group of antique dealers, who completely restored it in 1997.  Vero-Dodat is now home to antique stores, art galleries, jewelry shops, and high-end furniture and clothing boutiques, all attracted by the nostalgic charm of the gallery.  

I hope the sun shines on you when you come to Paris,  but if it doesn't, the covered passages await you.

For more photos, click here.

A bientôt, 

Geraldine

Photos by GK unless otherwise noted