From the end of the Ancien Régime to the Second Empire, there were around 140 covered passages. Today, only about twenty remain. Spread across the Rive droite, they are mainly concentrated in the Louvre district and around the former Bourse. Now listed as historic monuments, each passage and gallery has its own tone and distinctive atmosphere. These remnants of pre-Haussmann Paris bear witness to the transformation of urban space in the 19th century. Dedicated to commerce and the art of strolling, these covered streets seem to stand outside time and the bustle of the city.
Your walk will begin opposite the Comédie Française, where you will discover the site of the very first covered passage, now vanished. We will then cross the gardens of the Palais Royal to take the arcades, once used as passageways by kings and later by revolutionaries. You will retrace the steps of iconic figures such as Vidocq or Nana, while your guide shows you how to decode the mythological and decorative symbols of the Verot-Dodat and Vivienne galleries. We will finish on the Grands Boulevards, near the theaters, the Grands Magasins and the Opéra, where fashionable Parisian society delighted in showing off its finest attire.
Price: €18/person
Source: paris.fr — photo: slp