Passage Puteaux, a short and lesser known covered passage
The Passage Puteaux is a hidden gem among Paris’s covered passages. Dating from 1839, it is one of the 30 or so remaining covered passages in the city. It connects No. 33 Rue de l’Arcade to No. 28 Rue Pasquier, just a short distance from La Madeleine Church. This charming passage is only 29 metres long, making it the shortest in Paris. Its unique design features a double-pitched glass roof covering its first half, while the second half is open to the sky.
Financed by Louis Puteaux, an entrepreneur of the time, the passage was built on the site of the former Benedictine priory of La Ville-l’Evêque in the Quartier de la Madeleine. This district was then booming, and was also experiencing rapid development, attracting the attention of speculators. Puteaux anticipated that the construction of the station Gare de l’Ouest, later renamed Gare Saint-Lazare, between Rue Tronchet and Rue de l’Arcade, would ensure the prosperity of its shopping arcade. However, as the station was ultimately built further north, in the Quartier de l’Europe, the expected influx of merchants and customers never materialised.
Thus, despite its promising beginnings, the Passage Puteaux quickly fell into oblivion. Nevertheless, it still exists today, retaining its timeless charm and original decor, notably its pilasters supporting six meticulously maintained bays, adorned with mouldings and sculpted capitals.
The Passage Puteaux is today an excellent shortcut between Rue Pasquier and Rue de l’Arcade, offering a peaceful respite from the city’s hustle and bustle: a hidden passage just waiting to be discovered.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday – 7am to 7pm
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Directions: 8th district – no33 Rue de l’Arcade – no28 Rue Pasquier
Metro: Saint-Augustin on Line 9
Coordinates: Lat 48.873115 – Long 2.323898
Wikimedia Commons: Photo and Header by Chabe01 CC BY-SA 4.0
