Rue des Francs-Bourgeois

The Rue des Francs-Bourgeois (pronounced [ʁy de fʁɑ̃ buʁʒwa]) is one of the longer streets in the Marais district of Paris, France.[1]

Rue des Francs-Bourgeois
Rue des Francs-Bourgeois is located in Paris
Rue des Francs-Bourgeois
Shown within Paris
Length705 m (2,313 ft)
Width8 to 13 m (26 to 43 ft)
Arrondissement3rd, 4th
QuarterMarais
Coordinates48°51′25.56″N 2°21′43.98″E / 48.8571000°N 2.3622167°E / 48.8571000; 2.3622167
From19 Place des Vosges
To56 Rue des Archives
Construction
Completion1868
Denomination1500

Starting near the Centre Georges Pompidou (Rue Rambuteau), the road is considered trendy, with numerous fashion boutiques. The Rue des Francs-Bourgeois is one of the few streets which largely ignores France's strong tradition of Sunday closure, even within Paris. As such, it is a popular location for weekend brunches and walks. Notable buildings include the ancient hôtels Carnavalet, Lamoignon, Sandreville, d'Albret, d'Alméras, Poussepin, de Coulanges, Hérouet, de Jaucourt, de Fontenay, de Breteuil and de Soubise. Hôtel Carnavalet houses the museum of the history of Paris.[citation needed]

History

edit

The street was once known as the Rue des Poulies. In 1415, a noble called le Mazurier offered the Chief Prior of France a huge private mansion with 24 bedrooms to receive 48 poor people. These people were so poor that they did not pay the city's taxes, and were called francs-bourgeois. In 1868, the street was joined with the Rue Neuve Saint-Catherine and the Rue du Paradis-au-Marais.[citation needed]

Jack Kerouac facetiously translated the name as "street of the outspoken middle class".[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Rue des Francs-Bourgeois". ParisMarais: The Art of Living Guide. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  2. ^ Melehy, Hassan (2016). Kerouac: Language, Poetics, and Territory. New York: Bloomsbury. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-5013-1436-0. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
edit