Cet article est paru en français le 21 novembre 2008.
Rue Eginhard is a charming street of the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Located, near Village Saint-Paul, it is a pedestrian way (and not only Sundays from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.) in the shape of an L. At the end of the longest part of the street, there is a lovely fountain.
The design of the street dates back to the 17th century when it was transformed for the owners of the even-numbered side of the steet : the "hospitalières of Sainte-Athanase" (an order of nuns).
Most of the building, except those from N°2 to N°6, of this street were designed by the master-mason, Charles de Brécy.
As it was written (in French) in the Review Paris Village N°19 (November/December 2006) : "This pedestrian way has really a peculiar atmosphere : the fountain, the houses with gardens, the narrowness of the street, its elbowed shape which protects from neighbouring brouhaha and the central gutter, ... all this produces the charm of a place untouched by time".
This street was called "ruelle Saint-Paul" from the 14th century. Its current name was given in 1864 according to the name of a great intellectual who wrote the biography of a famous man he worked for : Charlemagne (one of my ancestors... see a post on my blog of genealogy). Still today, the Vita Caroli written from 816 to 823 is one of the most used sources for the study of the ruler who refounded the so-called "Western Roman Empire". The name of the street was certainly chosen because it is very near one of the most famous high schools of Paris : Lycée Charlemagne.
This post was published in French on November 21st, 2008.
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