Passage des Princes, Glass-roofed passage in 2nd arrondissement, France.
The Passage des Princes is a covered walkway in Paris's 2nd arrondissement connecting Boulevard des Italiens and Rue de Richelieu. The structure extends about 80 meters in length and is roughly 3 meters wide, with a sliding glass roof supported by metal arches.
Opened in 1860 as Passage Mirès, this covered passage represents the final example of such structures built during Baron Haussmann's transformation of Paris. A complete reconstruction in 1995 renewed the building while preserving its original architectural character.
The name comes from the Hôtel des Princes, a furnished hotel run by the Privat family on this site before the passage was built. From 1879 to 1883 the gallery of La Vie moderne, founded by publisher Georges Charpentier at the Boulevard des Italiens corner, showed Manet, Monet, Renoir and Sisley. From 2002 to 2022 the toy chain JouéClub ran a "Village JouéClub" here.
The passage is easy to walk through during the day and provides shelter from the weather thanks to its glass roof. It offers a level, direct route between the two major boulevards and works well both for quick transitions and lingering to shop.
The 1930s colored-glass dome decorated with roses was salvaged from the original decor and reinstalled near the Boulevard des Italiens entrance during the 1995 rebuild. The Richelieu street porch was likewise reused. Look up at that end of the passage to spot it.
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