28.7.08

Passages and Galleries

There are a number of (mostly) 19th century “passages” or “galleries” in Paris. They were somehow the predecessors to present shopping centres - rain and weather protected. I have already posted about some of them:
Passage Prado (1785), Passage Jouffroy (1847); Passage des Panoramas (1834), Passage Vendôme (abt. 1825), Passage Brady (1828 ), Passage Bourg l’Abbé (1828) and Passage du Grand Cerf (abt. 1830).

There are many more. This is about some of them which are quite geographically grouped (see Google map at the end).

I have no specific information about Passage Hulot – and there is not much to see - except that it’s officially closed (however still open) and that obviously Molière died in an apartment at this address (1673), soon after having collapsed on scene at the nearby theatre (Palais Royal). (No plate to be seen, but his statue is very close.) (You can find a post about Palais Royal I made last year.)












Passage des Deux Pavillons is just an opening between Palais Royal and Galérie Colbert and Galérie Vivienne (see below).










Galérie Vivienne (1826) (see also top pcture) was very much "à la mode" during a few decades after its opening, full of fashionable shops, drinking and eating places. In 1830, Berlioz led crowds here, singing “La Marseillaise” to celebrate the revolution of the July monarchy. A few decades later, games and prostitution were prohibited in the nearby Palais Royal and the number of visitors decreased. In the beginning of the 20th century, it was thought to have the Gallery demolished, but it somehow survived, was restored and in the in the 70’s and 80’s it became again fashionable, to a large extent thanks to Kenzo and J-P Gaultier who installed shops and made fashion shows here.
Galérie Colbert (1827), opening one year after Galérie Vivienne, never achieved the same popularity. It was completely rebuilt in 1985. Today it’s owned by the nearby National Library and is basically occupied by official institutions (National Institute for Art History and some Sorbonne University activities). There is also a restaurant, Le Grand Colbert, with a typical 19th century brasserie setting, and a statue, “Eurydice bitten by a snake”, by C.F.Nanteuil-Lebeuf; there is another “Eurydice-statue” by him at the Louvre.
Galérie Viro-Dodat (1826) was created by two butchers, Viro and Dodat. It was restored in the 80’s and still offers a number of quite elegant shops and a café (where Gérard de Nerval had a last drink before he hanged himself). You can find some very nice ceiling paintings.
Here is where you can find these places.







35 comments:

lyliane six said...

Très beaux et pratiques quand il pleut, ces passages, tu as le don de dénicher des coins secrets et souvent inconnus. Quelques armatures des verrières me font penser aux pavillons Baltard, elles doivent être d'époque.

GMG said...

Hi Peter!
Sorry for the absence these last weeks, but unfortunately it wasn’t due to some summer holidays… ;))
Just dropped by to say hi and will try to get back here to enjoy your pictures with some more time during the week!

Anonymous said...

Peter, your pictures !!!

They are so practical in case of rain or sun and one just has to admire the architecture as well.

Cuckoo

Alain said...

Elle protègent de la pluie, et du temps ces galeries, car rien n'a changé depuis longtemps. Ce sont les ancêtres de nos centres commerciaux, mais comme tes photos le montrent, elles sont souvent vides.

claude said...

J'adore ces passages. Môme, j'allais au cours de danse classique dans un de ces passages où j'arrivais toute barbouillée après un trajet en métro à pneus. Je vais demander à ma petite maman quel était ce passage. Je crois me souvenir qu'il y avait un tailleur juif dans une des boutiques.

Olivier said...

certaines de ces galeries n'ont rien a envier avec des musées, la Galérie Vivienne pourrait être le moyen-palais, La Galérie Colbert le petit musée rodin, etc... J'adore ces galeries, on dirait que le temps c'est arrêté.

hpy said...

Très pratiques quand il pleut, pas mal aussi quand il fait beau, et je crois que tu pourras encore en dénicher d'autres.

Anonymous said...

Where were all the people shopping? It must have been early on Sunday morning.

PeterParis said...

lyliane:
En partie d'époque, en partie refait!

gmg:
Welcome back whenever you have the time!

cuckoo:
Nice also when the sun is shining a hot day!

PeterParis said...

alain:
Oui, souvent assez vides, mais c'est juillet, les parisiens sont partis, les touristes ne connaissent pas...

claude:
Tu me diras! ... et si c'est un autre passage, j'irai!

olivier:
Tu as bien raison! Heureusement qu'un certain nobre est toujours là!

PeterParis said...

hpy:
Oui, je vais trouver d'autres!

abraham:
Some of them are quite empty, but of course we are in July; Parisians are on holidays, tourists don't always find these places...
(Photos taken last Friday afternoon.)

Thérèse said...

On aurait pu se croiser... dans le passage Jouffroy le 19 juillet...
J'ai même rapporté une carte de l'hôtel Chopin pour qui voudrait y séjourner, les prix y semblent super raisonnables.

Anonymous said...

tiens, je vois qu'on parle de moi ici. :-)))) je tiens à dire que la rencontre avec ces tribus de la papouasie nord occidentale m'a fait entrevoir qu'un autre monde était toujours possible. Un monde dans lequel le cacaotès géant est toujours roi, où le pélican à trois pattes n'est pas encore sujet aux railleries de ses congénères à deux pattes, où l'enfant peut encore grimper aux arbres puisqu'il y a encore des arbres. La rencontre avec certaines plantes, qui n'existent plus que sous ces contrées, a également mis mon coeur en joie. Nous avons le difficile devoir de protéger ces communautés qui vivent encore en autarcie. Pour cela, je vous invite à sauvegarder votre patrimoine et celui des autres. Et de ne pas vous en faire si vous sortez sans parapluie alors qu'il pleut. Vous trouverez toujours un passage à l'abri des éléments déchaînés de notre bonne vieille terre.
C'était Nicolas Hulot, en direct de l'océan tout là-bas en bas du globe terrestre. Ushuaïa à toutes et tous.

PeterParis said...

therese:
Passage Juouffroy le 19 juillet? ... et sans me contacter?
L'Hôtel Chopin est très bien situé et l'entrée est ravissante. Pour la qualité des chambres, je ne sais pas.

nicolas:
Je t’ai trouvé bien silencieux ce dernier temps mon cher Nicolas ! J’ai vu l’autre Nicolas récemment et il me semble qu’il t’a un peu oublié. Ca fait plaisir de voir que tu es toujours là prêt à reprendre la parole! Ushuaia ! (Tu ne devrais pas utiliser ton adresse suisse pour envoyer des massages !)

Anonymous said...

peter: relis ta réponse: je ne fais pas de mAssages mais des mEssages. :-)))))))))))

Azer Mantessa said...

this is strange

i can't remember all these places at all *scratch head*

seems to me our tourist guide never even bothered to take us here ... which i will like it a lot

a) nice passages ... historica indeed
b) nice architecture
c) i like the ambient kinda painting
d) galleries

thanks for the tour.

very nice.

PeterParis said...

nicolas:
Milles excuses pour ce lapsus!!! :-)))))))

azer:
Once again, free of charge! :-)))

Maxime said...

être à l'extérieur tout en étant à l'intérieur, c'est ce qui est fascinant dans ces galeries, ainsi que la lumière très particulière qui y règne.

sonia a. mascaro said...

So beautiful those “passages” or “galleries”! They have much charm! Great post with nice photos, Peter, as always!

PeterParis said...

maxime:
En effet!

sonia:
Nice comments ... as always!

Shammickite said...

I have seen passages like this in London too... now if only I could remember where!
All the shops look so elegant, and I love the way you have added a little snippet of history to each location.
Thank you Peter, I enjoyed the tour!

Virginia said...

Peter,
You will have to advise me closer to time for my trip to Paris in Nov. about which of these you recommend. I don't want to miss them. I believe from your handy map, that Galerie Viro-Dodat might be the closest to our hotel. Who knows. Thanks for all the lovely photos and as always your interesting comments about each.

Noushy Syah said...

How considerate of the town council to build more passages in Paris for public paths-make life easier when shopping and provide comfort should the weather turns bad and also it gives beauty to the place.

Any summer sale?:)

HZDP said...

Palaces in Paris, and those sculptures, we are always facinated by these pictures.I should visit this beautiful place someday.

Ash said...

Beautiful passages...lovely!

Anonymous said...

I love those nostalgic passages. I think I should make a list of them according to your blog entries.

alice said...

Ces passages et galeries, quel charme! Si un jour tu viens à Nantes, n'oublie pas de marcher le nez en l'air Passage Pommeray, celui-là aussi est de toute beauté.

PeterParis said...

ex-shammickote:
Thanks for these kind words!

virginia:
Yes, don't forget tp contact me before (and during) you visit!

noushy:
Nothing by the town council, all private initiaitives... and long ago!

PeterParis said...

zoe:
Try to make it soonest possible!

ash:
Thanks!

april:
Maybe soon the list will be longer.. there a a few more!

PeterParis said...

alice:
Merci! Noté!

krystyna said...

Very beautiful are these passages. You reminded me about passages in Krakov when I liked to walk.

krystyna said...

Sorry, correct is Cracow.

hpy said...

Il y en a aussi à Bruxelles.

Anonymous said...

I love the light in the passages, it makes the shopping experience enjoyable.

You prove my point, Peter, that a photographer could find a million themes to photograph in Paris.

I don't recall, did you do a lamp post theme?

Thérèse said...

You will certainly dig up a lovely passage where to meet between bloggers next summer! Too short of a selfish stay!