Rue des Colonnes, Protected historic street in 2nd arrondissement, France
Rue des Colonnes is a protected street in the 2nd arrondissement that extends between two main roads and is lined on both sides by classical covered walkways supported by columns. The passage is about 7.75 meters wide and passes by residential buildings and shops, all sharing the same unified classical design.
In 1792 a group of buyers purchased the hôtel de Verneuil for 480,000 livres and formed a company to redevelop the site. Architect Nicolas Vestier planned a private street with thirty-six Doric columns inspired by Paestum, but he left the project in 1794 after completing the first eight houses. The street linked the rue des Filles-Saint-Thomas to the théâtre Feydeau and was closed by gates from 11 pm to 5 am.
The name comes from the arcaded galleries that line both sides of the street. The architect Nicolas Vestier planned arcades carried by thirty-six Doric columns inspired by the temples of Paestum and decorated with palmettes. The galleries were meant to be public, six feet wide, running at ground and mezzanine level.
The street runs between rue des Filles-Saint-Thomas and rue Feydeau; Quatre-Septembre and Bourse metro stations are the nearest. Walk it on foot to see the ground-floor arcades and the blue "rue des Colonnes" signs at each corner. The passage is narrow, so there is little room for vehicles.
The street was a private passage: gates closed it between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the owners paid the Feydeau theatre 500 francs a year for 27 years under the 1793 agreement, a sum a lawsuit cut to 3,000 francs in 1806. Architect Nicolas Vestier planned 36 Doric columns inspired by Paestum, but left the project in 1794 after building the first eight houses to the first floor.
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