Rue Saint-Rustique, Pedestrian street in Montmartre, Paris, France
Rue Saint-Rustique is the oldest street of the former village of Montmartre, a narrow passage without sidewalks between the 5, rue du Mont-Cenis and the 2, rue des Saules. It climbs to the highest point of the Butte at 129 m, paved with large cobblestones and lined with small houses; a tall blue-grey wooden shutter and a round pink sign face each other across the way.
Rue Saint-Rustique is the oldest street of the former village of Montmartre, existing as a path before the 11th century and later marking the boundary between the seigneuries of Saint-Denis and Montmartre. Called rue Notre-Dame around 1516, it was classified in the Paris road network by a decree of 23 May 1863 and took its present name by a decree of 26 February 1867. A decree of 11 August 1867 planned to remove it in favour of a 12-metre-wide street, but was never applied.
The street's name refers to Saint Rusticus, martyred with Saint Denis and Saint Eleutherius near here according to legend. At No. 18, the building of the restaurant La Bonne Franquette housed Charles Aznavour in the 1950s. In 1957 Audrey Hepburn sang "Bonjour Paris" in Funny Face on this street.
The street has no sidewalks and keeps its large cobblestones and an axial gutter, so walking requires care. It runs from 5, rue du Mont-Cenis to 2, rue des Saules and has been officially pedestrian since 1973. It sits at the 129 m summit of the Butte Montmartre, reached on foot via the surrounding stairways.
In 1973 Rue Saint-Rustique became the first street in Paris to be officially pedestrianised. It has no pavements and is paved with large cobblestones, with a stream running down its centre line, and it lies at the highest point of the Butte Montmartre, 129 metres above sea level.
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