Passage Choiseul – The longest covered gallery in Paris
The Passage Choiseul is one of the few remaining covered passages in Paris. With two main entrances at No.40 Rue des Petits Champs and No. 23 Rue Saint-Augustin, and a smaller entrance on Rue Sainte-Anne, this 190-metre-long and 3.7-metre-wide Passage Choiseul is the longest in Paris.
The architect Tavernier built it between 1825 and 1827 as an extension o the Rue de Choiseul. It crosses the site of the former Banque Mallet estate, which once comprised four private mansions encompassed within Rue Saint-Augustin, Rue Sainte-Anne, Rue Gaillon, and Rue des Petits Champs.
One of these mansions, the Hôtel de Gesvres, built in 1655 by the architect Lepautre, had fallen into disrepair by the end of the 18th century. Tavernier demolished these private mansions, but preserved the porch of the Hôtel de Gesvres, which now serves as the entrance to the Passage Sainte-Anne.
The Passage Choiseul is covered by a double-pitched glass roof and lined with three-story terraced houses. Shops are located on the ground floor, while the upper floors were formerly reserved for apartments. Only the attic level is above the glass roof. Unlike more prestigious arcades such as the Galerie Vivienne and Galerie Colbert, the Passage Choiseul has historically housed more modest local shops, as well as businesses related to culture and the arts. The absence of luxury boutiques, in a way, allowed it to retain its old-fashioned charm.
Offenbach’s Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
The Passage Choiseul once housed a puppet theatre, the Théâtre Comte. In 1855, the composer Jacques Offenbach acquired the property to found his own theatre, the Théâtre des Bouffres Parisiens.
From 1855 to 1862, the Bouffes Parisiens attracted the Parisian elite who flocked to Offenbach’s performances.
The theatre still exists. Its main entrance is at No. 4 Rue Monsigny, and its secondary entrance at No. 65 Passage Choiseul, which has retained its old shop window. The actors’ dressing rooms were at No. 67.
The Passage Choiseul also housed another renowned establishment: the Librairie Alphonse Lemerre, the first publisher of poets such as Verlaine and Baudelaire.
Originally located at No. 47, the bookstore then moved to No. 27 before finally settling at No. 23.
Passage Choiseul, the playground of Ferdinand Céline
The cultural atmosphere of the Passage Choiseul undoubtedly inspired the young Louis-Ferdinand Céline, who spent his formative years at No. 64, then at No. 67.
At that time, the arcade was lit by only about thirty gas lamps which, due to a lack of proper ventilation, gave off an unpleasant odor, leaving Céline with a lasting negative impression.
Over the years, the passage fell into ruin due to a lack of maintenance, leading to its gradual decline.
However, the presence of the theatre and various bookshops and stationery shops allowed some activity to be maintained, while other covered passages sank into oblivion.
It was only in the 1970s that Parisians rediscovered the Passage Choiseul, notably thanks to the opening of a boutique by the couturier Kenzo, which sparked renewed interest and brought it back to life.
Kenzo relaunched the Passage Choiseul in the 1970s
The Kenzo boutique moved to the nearby Place des Victoires, bringing with it several boutiques of artists and designers who had set up shop in the arcade to benefit from Kenzo’s renown.
Fortunately, the Passage Choiseul already enjoyed an excellent reputation and was listed as a historical monument in 1974. It was thus restored over the following years to preserve its many architectural features.
The glass roof was renovated in 1980, and then the gallery and its entrance canopy in 2012-2013, contributing to the arcade’s revival.
Although the historic Librairie Lemerre closed its doors in 1965, the passage now houses a wide variety of businesses, such as fashion boutiques, jewellery stores, art and craft galleries, restaurants, shoe stores, stationery stores, bookstores, and even a renowned colour merchant.
Opening hours: 8am to 8pm – Free entry
Directions: 2nd district
Metro:Pyramides on Line 7 or Quatre-Septembre and Bourse on Line 10
Coordinates for entrances:
Rue des Petits Champs Lat 48.867248 – Long 2.335158
Rue St-Augustin Lat 48.868850 – Long 2.335965
