by delightful old buildings housing shops and restaurants. Originally part of the 15th-century palace of the archbishops of Rouen – hence the name, which is a corruption of the original – it was threatened with demolition in 1959 but protests by concerned neighbours saved it. Henri II’s mistress Diane de Poitiers lived here, and the composer Saint-Saëns
was born in the rue du Jardinet in 1835. The middle courtyard is the most unusual and still retains a three-legged wrought-iron mounting block, known as a pas-de-mule, which was used by the elderly and the overweight when they had to mount a horse (or mule).
Le Procope
Did You Know?
Although the guillotine takes its name from its designer, Dr Guillotin, it was first used in 1792 at the behest of Dr Louis, and was known as a Louisette.
Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe
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Wander the courtyards at will before returning to rue l’Ancienne-Comédie and turn left. Cross Boulevard St-Germain and you will be on rue de l’Odéon. Opened in 1779 to improve access to the Odéon theatre, this was the first street in Paris to have pavements with gutters. It is still an attractive and fashionable street and is famous for some of its shops, including the original location of Shakespeare & Company, Sylvia Beach’s famous bookshop which stood at No. 12 from 1921 to 1940 (it is now located at No. 37 rue de la Bûcherie in the Latin Quarter). Beach was an influential figure in the literary world of the inter-war period, befriending many a struggling young writer, including Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. She was also largely responsible for the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses (thanks to acting as a secretary, editor, agent and financier to the impecunious Irish writer).
Opposite No. 12 is Les Amis des Livres at No. 7. Founded by Adrianne Monnier, this famous French bookshop was frequented by the likes of André Gide and Paul Valéry. At the top of the street sits the Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe. This stark, almost forbidding façade was designed by Marie-Joseph Peyre. Regarded as the most influential architect in 18th-century French Neoclassicism after Sufflot, he is now all but forgotten, apart from this theatre, which was built between 1767 and 1782. Built on the grounds of the former Hôtel de Condé, the site was purchased by the king to house the Comédie Française. It was here that Beaumarchais premiered The Marriage of Figaro
St Germain des Prés
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