Galerie Colbert, one of Paris’ best kept secrets
The Galerie Colbert, nestled in the heart of the Quartier Vivienne, is one of the remaining 19th-century covered passages still existing in Paris.
The 83-m-long Galerie Colbert connects No. 6 on Rue des Petits Champs to Nos. 2-4 Rue Vivienne.
It was named after the Hôtel Colbert, formerly the Hôtel Baudru, built in 1634 by the architect Le Vau for Guillaume Bautru and purchased in 1665 by Colbert, the finance minister of King Louis XV.
In the 1820s, a group of speculators commissioned the architect Jean Billaud to build the Galerie Colbert, near the former private mansion, first to capitalize on the popularity of the neighboring Galerie Vivienne, but also to compete with it
Jacques Billaud’s architectural vision gave birth to one of the most elegant galleries in Paris!
The Galerie Colbert indeed indeed boasts sumptuous features, such as marble columns, finely crafted arcades, dazzling mosaics and sparkling crystal candelabras, but its impressive 15-metre-high rotunda is the focal point.
A spectacular seven-gas-lit globe’s bronze candelabrum, affectionately nicknamed the “Luminous Coconut Tree,” now lost, once hung in the centre of this dome. This magnificent light fixture made the gallery stand out from the others.
The gallery enjoyed a brief period of prosperity as the epicentre of Parisian luxury and high-end boutiques, but eventually began to decline in the mid-19th century.
The French state bought it in 1859, but eventually let it deteriorate and fall into ruin.
The Galerie Colbert was classified as a historical monument in 1974. The nearby Bibilothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France) acquired it in the early 1980s and undertook a complete restoration until 1985.
Today, the Galerie Colbert is a prestigious cultural centre.
You will therefore no longer find any shops or businesses there, except for a restaurant near the entrance on Rue des Petits-Champs.
The gallery now houses various cultural institutions, including the National Institute of Art History and various organisations dedicated to the study and preservation of art history.
Although perhaps less frequented than in its heyday, the Galerie Colbert exudes a refined elegance that turns it into an unmissable off-the-beaten-path destination for enthusiasts of art, architecture and history.
Directions: 2nd district – 6 rue des Petits Champs to 2-4 rue Vivienne – Free access
Metro: Bourse on Line 3
Coordinates: Lat 48.866974 – Long 2.339441
