Paris1972-Versailles2003

I take you now to the passages/galeries of Paris !!! I have been to several but lots more to see , they are just gorgeous. You will see them in the next posts, bear with me, its Paris!!! Glad to have found me more in my old cd roms, great! Therefore, here is my take on the Passage Choiseul of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.

Paris is full of secret places, testimonies of the history of the city. Discovering them helps to better understand the past of it. Take the covered passages of Paris, for example. In the 19C, thanks to Baron Haussmann’s grand urban transformation plan, the city had more than 70! Let me give some definition ; what is a passage? Well best describe as a private lane open to the public, a shortcut between several lanes, whether it is covered or not. A pedestrian space, the passage can house both commerce and housing. Only the abundant decoration and the luxury of the shops differentiate a gallery from a passage. Today, the covered passages and their timeless charm have won back the hearts of Parisians who crowd alongside those that have been tastefully restored. While many of them have disappeared as the city has evolved, many other passages have survive. Read on some of my tales of those present in the beautiful City of Paris.

The Passage Choiseul is located by 40 rue des Petits-Champs / 23 rue Saint-Augustin / 40 rue Dalayrac Passage Sainte-Anne ,2éme arrondissement. Today, less traveled, it nevertheless had a facelift in 2013.

At 190 meters long, the Passage Choiseul is one of the largest in Paris Since its opening in 1827, it has lost some of its lustre among Parisians. And despite the installation of a boutique by fashion designer Kenzo in 1970 (now relocated to Place des Victoires), it has never regained its former popularity. At least, if you go there when Parisians are at work, you won’t be stepped on. You’ll discover chiselled wooden walls, marble pilasters and arches lined with light bulbs replacing the old gas lamps. The writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline lived here as a child between 1899 and 1907, when his mother ran a store in the passage.

According to Johann-Friedrich Geist, it is, of all the Parisian passages, « the one who best embodies the character of the street: two rows of houses are opposite, only linked by a wrapped glass. » Theater and literature were the two most striking characteristics of the passage. In the large alley wandered the regulars of the surrounding theaters. Paul Verlaine’s first publisher had his bookstore in the passage and Ferdinand Céline lived there as a child for many years.

The city of Paris going outs on the passages: https://www.paris.fr/pages/decouvrez-la-magie-des-galeries-et-des-passages-18889

The Association of passages et galeries of Paris : http://passagesetgaleries.fr/passages-parisiens/

The Paris tourist office on the covered passages: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/unusual-paris-the-covered-passages-a1801

There you go folks, hope you find it helpful for your next trip to Paris. Or just browse these wonders of architecture in the most beautiful city in the world, Paris. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Passage Choiseul of Paris !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!