Old buildings.

This pharmacy, at no. 115, Rue Saint Honoré, has been there since 1715. On the wall you can read “Fabrique d’extraits évaporés à la vapeur et dans le vide” (Makes extracts, evaporated, steamed in the void). This is where Axel von Fersen bought the invisible ink he used in his correspondence with Marie Antoinette. (I trust you know about the flight to Varennes and the possible more or less close relationship between Marie Antoinette and Axel - if not, you may read e.g. here, here, here or here.)
The facade of the pharmacy was modified during the 19^th century and the interior much later… There are only a few traces of something old. On a wall you can read that this is the only place where “Digitaline Cristallisé de Nativelle” could be bought. The crystallized digitaline came into use during the 19^th century, obviously a heart stimulator (or poison - see Agatha Christie, Colombo…).

Comparing the maps from the time of Marie Antoinette and Axel, end of 18^th century, with today, we can see the distance between the Tuileries Palace (burnt down in 1871), where Marie Antoinette spent the last years before her imprisonment, and the pharmacy. Rue Saint Honoré was then an important street – the now more or less parallel Rue de Rivoli (the red dotted lines) did not yet exist.

The yellow dotted part of Rue Saint Honoré is on both sides full of 17th, 18^th and a few 19^th centuries’ buildings.

Some special places and buildings: In front of the pharmacy is the place (the building is gone) where Molière was born (see previous post) and later Richard Wagner lived for a while. Not far away you have a gate, which corresponds to an opening in the Philippe Auguste wall which has since disappeared (except... see previous posts). 

There is a completely different type of building from 1776, originally occupied by water supply personnel. The fountain which is incorporated in the building, “La Fontaine du Croix-du-Trahoir”, was in its original form opened in 1529. 

What was a shop with a surprising name, “A la Renommée des Herbes Cuites” (To the reputation of cooked herbs), created in the 19^th century, is now a restaurant.

This building, “Au Bourdon d’Or” (The golden bumblebee) dates from 1825. In a previous building here, with the same name, there was an apothecary shop where King Henry IV obviously received care after being attacked in 1610. Well, he didn’t survive.

You can also find the “Oratoire du Louvre”, originally, in 1611, opened as a French, distinct, branch of the “Oratary of Saint Philip Neri”, later, in 1623, made a royal chapel (where the funerals of Louis XIII and Richelieu were held). It became a protestant church in 1811 (which means that the doors are closed except for masses).

There is a little gallery, “Village St. Honoré”…

… a number of bars and restaurants…

… shops.