180 days abroad: rue de Grenelle

Boutique specializing in Italian fare. Jambon de Parme sounds so much better than dried ham.

I had a little over an hour to kill yesterday while waiting for A., so I decided to take a stroll down the rue de Grenelle in the 7th, beginning at the rue de Bac, and finishing at les Invalides.
Originally, this street was a footpath leading from the center of the city to an area of marsh and plains. It was here, in 52 BC, that the Gauls lost their leader, Camulogène, to the Romans. For much of the next 1400 years, this land, rather sterile, served as a royal hunting ground for rabbits and small game birds. For much of this time period, it was owned by the Abbey of Sainte Geneviève du Mont, and later served as home to the hunting castle of the comte de Tréville (under Louis XIII.) In 1751, the castle was sold to the state, as Louis XV wanted a military school fit to rival les Invalides, built by Louis XIV. This school became a gunpowder storage area during the revolution, and after its destruction, the land was carved up into small parcels and sold. Finally, in 1860, the entire village of Grenelle was annexed into the city of Paris. (Historical maps can be found here.)

Beginning in 1529, the path starts appearing on maps under different names: chemin aux Vaches, chemin de la Justice, chemin du Gibet or petit chemin du Port. As the years passed by, the path became more important (grand chemin des Vaches or grand chemin de Garnelle,) and finally in the 18th century, the path has become a street with the name Grenelle-Saint-Germain.

I spent my time walking down the street roughly between numbers 50 and 150. Most of the elegant buildings, called "hotels particuliers," were built between 1650 and 1750. Their secrets lie hidden behind the doors and walls that give the street a narrow feel. The occasional open door, or the access to a museum or two reveals the reason that it is said that the 7th is one of the greenest districts in Paris. Yes, there are many parks, but many more private gardens. (79, rue de Grenelle is the home to the Russian ambassador.) Many of these buildings have been taken over by diverse branches of both local and national government (Education Nationale, Ministre de la Defense, Mairie du VII arrondissement.) It is understandable why the average cost per square meter makes the apartments located on this street to be among the most exclusive in the city.

Cadran solaire over a door at 85, rue de Grenelle.

dome of the Protestant Reform Church, former Bernadine nunnery, built in 1747.

detail of metal work in a door at 114, rue de Grenelle. (if you look at the street view on Google maps, the door is open, giving a hint as to what may be found inside.