Cadet Metro station’s themed decor dedicated to the American War of Independence
Cadet Metro station is part of Line 7, the line that connects La Courneuve-8 Mai 1945, in the north of Paris, to Villejuif-Louis-Aragon, in the south, and is one of Paris’s cultural Metro stations.
Its cultural decor pays tribute to General Lafayette and the American Revolutionary War. Its direct access to Rue Lafayette makes Cadet station an ideal place to commemorate this chapter of Franco-American history.
Red and white stripes and white stars on a blue background adorn the platform walls. These colours, which are also found on the station seats, evoke those of the French and American flags, symbolising unity, liberty, and democracy.
A striking silhouette of General Lafayette, an iconic figure in French and American history, proudly represented astride a horse, adorns the walls at the tunnel entrance.
The culturally themed decoration of the Cadet metro station infuses considerable dynamism into this compact station, whose Art Nouveau entrance, designed by Hector Guimard, at the corner of Rue Cadet and Rue Lafayette, is one of the few that still exist.
Cadet, a metro station named after a market gardener
The Cadet metro station is named after the Cadet de Chambine family, famous for their market gardens on the land now crossed by Rue Cadet.
Originally a dirt track called Chemin de la Voirie, this street was used for the disposal of Parisian waste!
The Cadet family ingeniously used this decomposed waste as compost, a valuable resource for fertilising their crops. The wealth and reputation they acquired allowed them to climb the social ladder, consolidating their status and influence within the community. Thus, one of their descendants, the Chevalier Cadet de Chambine, became mayor of Montmorency (north of Paris) during the Bourbon Restoration.
In the mid-18th century, the neighbourhood underwent significant development. The Chemin de la Voirie, once a rural path, was transformed into a proper street, Rue de la Voirie, which in turn was renamed Rue Cadet in 1910.
Discover the Château de Chavaniac-Lafayette, Lafayette’s birthplace in Auvergne
Sites of interest near Cadet Metro station? From there, a 10mn walk will take you to the lively Grands Boulevards.
Directions Cadet Metro station: 9th district
Coordinates: Lat 48.876246 – Long 2.344454
