Rue Bonaparte is a street in the

6th arrondissement of Paris The 6th arrondissement of Paris (''VIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ''le sixième''. The arrondissement, called Luxembourg in ...

. It spans the

Quai Voltaire The Quai Voltaire is a street located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. 308 meters long, it lies between the Quai Malaquais and Quai Anatole-France. The Quai Voltaire begins at the Rue des Saints-Pères and ends at the Rue de Bac and the Pont R ...

/Quai Malaquais to the

Jardin du Luxembourg The Jardin du Luxembourg (), known in English as the Luxembourg Garden, colloquially referred to as the Jardin du Sénat (Senate Garden), is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. Creation of the garden began in 1612 when Marie de' ...

, crossing the Place

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the north ...

and the

place Saint-Sulpice Place Saint Sulpice is a large public square, dominated on its eastern side by the Church of Saint-Sulpice. It was built in 1754 as a tranquil garden in the Latin Quarter of the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Features In addition to the church, ...

and has housed many of France's most famous names and institutions as well as other well-known figures from abroad. The street runs through the heart of the fashionable

Left Bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terrai ...

and is characterised by a number of 'hôtels particuliers' (grand townhouses) and elegant apartment buildings as well as being bounded by the river at one end and the park at the other. With fifteen buildings or monuments classified as ''

Monument Historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

'', it has more such listed sites than any other street in the 6th arrondissement. Rue Bonaparte also has many literary associations and contains a number of bookshops, antiquarian booksellers, publishers and art galleries. Its architecture and location have made it one of Paris' most historic and sought-after residential addresses.
:

History

The length of the street was formerly the site of a river called ''La Noue'', which at the time formed the eastern boundary of the ''Pré-aux-Clercs'' (an area of land belonging to the

Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...

). Later, the river was enlarged into a 27-m wide canal and named ''Petite Seine'' ('Little Seine'), which in turn supplied water to the moat of the

when its fortifications were built during the 14th century. In the 17th century, those fortifications were demolished along with the moat and the canal. Rue Bonaparte - Rue du Pot-de-Fer, Paris 6

Rue Bonaparte - Rue du Pot-de-Fer, Paris 6

At one time, it was divided into two streets - the ''rue du Pot de Fer dite du Verger'' and the ''rue des Petits Augustins'' (also known variously in the late 16th century as the ''rue Bouyn'', ''Petite rue de Seine'', ''Rue de la Petite Seine'' and the ''Chemin de la Noue''). Its present form was established by government decree on 7 September 1845, which resulted in the opening of the part of the street between the

Boulevard Saint-Germain Boulevard Saint-Germain () is a major street in Paris on the Rive Gauche of the Seine. It curves in a 3.5-kilometre (2.1 miles) arc from the Pont de Sully in the east (the bridge at the edge of Île Saint-Louis) to the Pont de la Concorde ( ...

and the ''rue du Vieux-Colombier''. Its name was subsequently changed on 12 August 1852 to commemorate the

Emperor Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. The name 'Rue Bonaparte' was first proposed during the period of The

Consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth coun ...

; it was formally renamed "''Saint-Germain-des-Prés''" under the Bourbon Restoration, and then officially regained the name of "''Bonaparte''" a few months after the coup of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, in August 1852.

Composition

In its present form it has subsumed the following historic streets: * ''Rue des Petits-Augustins'', between the ''quai Malaquais'' et the ''rue Jacob'' P1020874 Pais VI Rue Bonaparte rwk

* ''Rue Saint-Germain-des-Prés'', opened in 1804, between the ''Rue Jacob'' and St-Germain-des-Prés, it was named variously the ''Cour des Religieux'', ''Rue Bonaparte'', ''rue de la Poste aux Chevaux'' and in 1816 ''rue Saint Germain des Prés'', before finally reassuming its current name. * ''Rue Saint-Germain'', between the ''Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés'' and the

Place Saint-Sulpice Place Saint Sulpice is a large public square, dominated on its eastern side by the Church of Saint-Sulpice. It was built in 1754 as a tranquil garden in the Latin Quarter of the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Features In addition to the church, ...

was named in 1847. In 1804, this part of the street, which at times was known as the old ''rue Saint-Germain-des-Prés'', ran between the rue Jacob and the rue du Vieux Colombier. * ''Rue du Pot de Fer Saint-Sulpice'', between rue du Vieux-Colombier and the

rue de Vaugirard The Rue de Vaugirard (Street of Vaugirard) is the longest street inside Paris's former city walls, at . It spans the 6th arrondissement of Paris, 6th and 15th arrondissement of Paris, 15th arrondissements. The Senate (France), Senate, housed in th ...

, was named in the 15th century ''Ruelle Saint-Sulpice'', then ''Ruelle Henri du Vergier'', then ''Rue du Verger''. At the beginning of the 17th century, it was renamed ''rue du Pot de Fer dite du Verger''. Some historians suggest that it was also known as ''rue des Jardins Saint-Sulpice'' and ''rue des Jésuites''. * ''Rue du Luxembourg'' in 1879, was the name given to the part comprising the rue de Vaugirard and the

Rue d'Assas Rue d'Assas is a street in the 6th ''arrondissement'' of Paris, named after Nicolas-Louis d'Assas. Features * Musée Edouard Branly (at #21) * Musée "Bible et Terre Sainte" (at #21) * Main campus of Panthéon-Assas University (at #92) * Zadki ...

, then in 1918, the name '' Rue Guynemer''.

Landmarks

The rue Bonaparte itself contains some of Paris' notable landmarks, including: * The Ecole de Beaux Arts * The

Académie nationale de médecine Situated at 16 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the Académie nationale de médecine (National Academy of Medicine) was created in 1820 by King Louis XVIII at the urging of baron Antoine Portal. At its inception, the instituti ...

* The Place Saint Germain-des-Prés * The

* The Fontaine de la Paix * The Church of Saint-Sulpice * The Saint-Sulpice Fountain * The Promenade de l'allée du Séminaire * The

is at its southern tip

Notable addresses

* No. 5: Birthplace of the French painter

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Born ...

(the street was then called rue des Petits Augustins) on 23 January 1832. Home of French field marshal and colonial administrator le Maréchal Hubert Lyautey from 1911 to 1934. French National Heritage site (

Monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

). * No. 13: Art studios of Modernist French painters

André Derain André Derain (, ; 10 June 1880 – 8 September 1954) was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse. Biography Early years Derain was born in 1880 in Chatou, Yvelines, Île-de-France, just outside Paris. I ...

and

André Dunoyer de Segonzac André Dunoyer de Segonzac (6 July 1884 – 17 September 1974) was a French painter and graphic artist. Biography Segonzac was born in Boussy-Saint-Antoine and spent his childhood there and in Paris. His parents wanted him to attend the military ...

, as well as Anglo-French painter Paul Maze. * No. 14: The

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts The Beaux-Arts de Paris is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level arts education and training. This is classical and historical School of Fine Arts in France. The art school, which is part of the Paris Science ...

. French National Heritage site (

). * No. 16:

(''The National Academy of Medicine''). French National Heritage site (

). * No. 18: Site of the first provisional government of

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

in 1916. It is marked by a plaque which reads "''Ici en 1916 le gouvernement provisoire tchecoslovaque établit son siège sous la présidence de T. G. Masaryk''". * No. 19: Home of the French painter Amédée Jullien from 1861 to 1875. French National Heritage site (

). * No. 20: Home of the American woman of letters, Natalie Barney, from 1909 to 1969. In her literary salon she played hostess to many of the 20th century's most important writers and artists from both sides of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

including

André Gide André Paul Guillaume Gide (; 22 November 1869 – 19 February 1951) was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (in 1947). Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the Symbolism (arts), symbolist movement, to the advent o ...

Paul Claudel Paul Claudel (; 6 August 1868 – 23 February 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism. Early lif ...

, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald,

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an expatriate American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Fascism, fascist collaborator in Italy during World War II. His works ...

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

, T. S. Eliot,

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

, and

Françoise Sagan Françoise Sagan (born Françoise Delphine Quoirez; 21 June 1935 – 24 September 2004) was a French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Sagan was known for works with strong romantic themes involving wealthy and disillusioned bourgeois chara ...

. (Incorrect. Barney lived nearby at 20, rue Jacob. It is just around the corner. See wiki entry on Barney. * No. 24: The American novelist

Henry Miller Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...

stayed at no. 24 between 1928 and 1930 during which time he began his relationship with the American writer

Anaïs Nin Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (February 11, 1903 – January 14, 1977; , ) was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Born to Cuban parents in France, Nin was the d ...

. * No. 30: The restaurant at no. 30, the ''Café Pré aux Clercs'', was

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

's favourite haunt in Paris. * No. 31: The

Salon des Cent ''Salon des Cent'' ("Salon of the One Hundred") was a commercial art exhibition in Paris, based at 31 Rue Bonaparte. The ''Salon'' sold color posters, prints and reproductions of artwork to the general public at reasonable prices. It was establi ...

was established there in 1894. * No. 34: Workshop of the famous painter François Gerard. Home of Romy Schneider in the 70's and of Georges Wolinski from 1974 to 2008. * No. 36: Home of French philosopher and sociologist

Auguste Comte Isidore Marie Auguste François Xavier Comte (; 19 January 1798 – 5 September 1857) was a French philosopher and writer who formulated the doctrine of positivism. He is often regarded as the first philosopher of science in the modern sense ...

, between 1817 and 1822, during which time he published his first essays. * No. 42: Home of French philosopher

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...

and

Simone de Beauvoir Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir (, ; ; 9 January 1908 – 14 April 1986) was a French existentialist philosopher, writer, social theorist, and feminist activist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, and even th ...

, from 1945 to 1962. During this period Sartre was involved in establishing the quarterly literary and political

review A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a content rating, ...

, ''

Les Temps Modernes ''Les Temps Modernes'' (''Modern Times'') is a French journal, founded by Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. It first issue was published in October 1945. It was named after the 1936 film by Charlie Chaplin. ''L ...

'' (Modern Times) as well as publishing some of his best-known works including: Les Mains Sales (

Dirty Hands ''Dirty Hands'' (french: Les Mains sales) is a play by Jean-Paul Sartre. It was first performed on 2 April 1948 at the Theatre Antoine in Paris, directed by Pierre Valde and starring François Périer, Marie Olivier and André Luguet. A politi ...

), Les Chemins de la Liberté (''

The Roads to Freedom ''The Roads to Freedom'' (french: Les chemins de la liberté) is a series of novels by French author Jean-Paul Sartre. Intended as a tetralogy, it was left incomplete, with only three of the planned four volumes published. The three published nov ...

''), the Critique de la raison dialectique (''

Critique of Dialectical Reason ''Critique of Dialectical Reason'' (french: Critique de la raison dialectique) is a 1960 book by the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, in which the author further develops the existentialist Marxism he first expounded in his essay '' Search for a Meth ...

''), and Les Mots ( The Words), La Mort dans l'Âme (''

Troubled Sleep ''Troubled Sleep'' (french: La mort dans l'âme, published in the United Kingdom as ''Iron in the Soul'' is a 1949 novel by Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in ...

'' - also known as: ''Iron in the soul''), ''

The Devil and the Good Lord ''The Devil and the Good Lord'' (french: Le Diable et le Bon Dieu) is a 1951 play by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. The play concerns the moral choices of its characters, warlord Goetz, clergy Heinrich, communist leader Nasti and others dur ...

'' / ''Le diable et le bon dieu'', ''Kean'', Les séquestrés d'Altona (''

The Condemned of Altona ''The Condemned of Altona'' (French: ''Les Séquestrés d'Altona'') is a play written by Jean-Paul Sartre, known in Great Britain as ''Loser Wins''. It was first produced in 1959 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. It was one of the last ...

''). * No. 88: Dating from 1680, this 'hotêl particulier' was the home of French Cardinal, diplomat and man of letters

Melchior de Polignac Melchior Cardinal de Polignac (11 October 1661 – 20 November 1742) was a French diplomat, Cardinal and neo-Latin poet. Second son of Armand XVI, marquis de Polignac and Marquis Chalancon, Governor of Puy; and Jacqueline de Beauvoir -Grimoard-d ...

from 1732 until his death in 1742. From 1794 until 1815 it was the residence of French Catholic priest,

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

and revolutionary Abbé Gregoire. French National Heritage site (

). * No. 92: The Hungarian Cultural Institute * Other notable current and former residents are

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

Nancy Cunard Nancy Clara Cunard (10 March 1896 – 17 March 1965) was a British writer, heiress and political activist. She was born into the British upper class, and devoted much of her life to fighting racism and fascism. She became a muse to some of the ...

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

, and

Romy Schneider Romy Schneider (; born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach; 23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982) was a German-French actress. She began her career in the German genre in the early 1950s when she was 15. From 1955 to 1957, she played the central chara ...

References

External links

* {{Parisstreetcat2, 6, Bonaparte