The Boulevard du Temple, formerly nicknamed the "

Boulevard du Crime The Boulevard du Crime was the nickname given in the 19th century to the Boulevard du Temple in Paris because of the many crime melodramas that were shown every night in its many theaters. It is notorious in French history for having lost so many ...

", is a

thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highw ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

that separates the 3rd arrondissement from the

11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first atteste ...

. It runs from the Place de la République to the Place Pasdeloup, and its name refers to the nearby

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

where they established their Paris priory.

History

Boulevard du Temple by Daguerre (unmirrored)

The Boulevard du Temple follows the path of the city wall constructed by

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

(the so-called ''

Enceinte Enceinte (from Latin incinctus: girdled, surrounded) is a French term that refers to the "main defensive enclosure of a fortification". For a castle, this is the main defensive line of wall towers and curtain walls enclosing the position. For ...

'', constructed between 1356 and 1383) and demolished under

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

. The boulevard, lined with trees, was built between 1656 and 1705. From the time of

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

(1774–1792) until the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 ...

in 1830, the Boulevard du Temple was popular and fashionable. It was a place for walking and recreation. Cafés and theatres previously located at the Saint-Laurent and Saint-Germain fairs moved here. After a time, it was nicknamed the ''

'' after the crime

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

s that were so popular in its many theatres. In 1782,

Philippe Curtius Philippe Curtius (1737–1794) was a Swiss physician and wax modeller who taught Marie Tussaud the art of wax modelling. Marie Grosholtz, the future Marie Tussaud, lived in the Berne home of Curtius, for whom her mother acted as housekeeper. Ma ...

Madame Tussaud Anna Maria "Marie" Tussaud (; née Grosholtz; 1 December 1761 – 16 April 1850) was a French artist known for her wax sculptures and Madame Tussauds, the wax museum she founded in London. Biography Marie Tussaud was born 1 December 1761 in S ...

's tutor in wax modelling, opened his second exhibition on this Boulevard. On this boulevard, on 28 July 1835, Giuseppe Fieschi made an attempt on the life of the king,

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

. The attempt failed, but it resulted in 18 dead and 23 injured.

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

spent several months each winter at 42, boulevard du Temple from 1856 to 1869. A photograph of this street was taken in 1838 by

Louis Daguerre Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre ( , ; 18 November 1787 – 10 July 1851) was a French artist and photographer, recognized for his invention of the eponymous daguerreotype process of photography. He became known as one of the fathers of photog ...

from high in his 350-seat

Diorama A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...

Building at 4, Rue Sanson, where it intersected with the Rue des Marais, and which from the rear looked out roughly southwards over the rooftops towards Boulevard du Temple (since demolished, the place where it stood is at the south side of Rue Léon Jouhaux just off the north corner of Place de la République). The image is one of the earlier

Daguerreotype Daguerreotype (; french: daguerréotype) was the first publicly available photographic process; it was widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process. Invented by Louis Daguerre a ...

s (invented 1837), and it is thus believed to be the earliest surviving photograph showing a person. A man stopped to have his shoes shined, and by remaining still, he (though not his head) unwittingly became captured on the plate, while all the other traffic rushing through the street vanished from the image due to the long time of exposure. The exposure of this shot was 4 to 5 minutes. The transformations of Paris by Baron Haussmann radically modified this part of

Le Marais The Marais (Le Marais ; "the marsh") is a historic district in Paris, France. Having once been an aristocratic district, it is home to many buildings of historic and architectural importance. It spreads across parts of the 3rd and 4th arr ...

; today, only the

Théâtre Déjazet The Théâtre Déjazet is a theatre on the boulevard du Temple (popularly known as the 'boulevard du crime’) in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France. It was founded in 1770 by Comte d'Artois who later was crowned Charles X. It was then clos ...

remains of the late 18th century theatres; half of them were demolished for the enlargement of the Place de la République.

Theatres

The history of the names of the theatres at various sites on the boulevard du Temple is summarized in the following list. Unless otherwise noted the names and dates are from Lecomte, and the street addresses are based on the 1861 Paris guide of Lehaguez. * 1759: Théâtre de Nicolet, ou des Grands Danseurs ** moved across the street to 58 boulevard du Temple in 1764 ** Grands-Danseurs du Roi (acquired this name in 1772) ** Théâtre de la Gaîté (acquired this name in 1792) ** rebuilt in 1808 and 1835 after a fire ** The company relocated to the rue Papin in 1862. ** The building on the boulevard du Temple was demolished sometime thereafter. * 1769:

Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique The Théâtre de l’Ambigu-Comique (, literally, Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity), a former Parisian theatre, was founded in 1769 on the boulevard du Temple immediately adjacent to the Théâtre de Nicolet. It was rebuilt in 1770 and 1786, but in ...

Nicolas-Médard Audinot Nicolas-Médard Audinot (also ''Odinot'', ''Oudinot'' (7 June 1732, Paris – 21 May 1801) was a French actor, singer, impresario, and puppeteer. He first played at the Comédie Italienne. In 1762, he set up a puppeteer theatre at foire Saint-G ...

** located at 62 boulevard du TempleColette 1983
p. 79
** destroyed by fire in 1827 (relocated to 2 boulevard Saint-Martin) ** replaced by the

Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques The Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques was a theatre in Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries. Opened first in 1832 in the site of the old Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique on the Boulevard du Temple, under Frédérick Lemaître it became a noted venue f ...

(1st, 1831) ** expropriated in 1862 * 1774: Théâtre des Associés ** located at 52 boulevard du TempleLehaguez 1861
p. 25
** Théâtre Amusements-Comiques (1787) ** Théâtre Patriotique (1790) ** Théâtre Sans-Prétention (1797) ** Closed in 1807 by Napoleon's decree on the theatres, it became the Café d'Apollon. ** Théâtre de

Madame Saqui Madame Saqui (born Marguerite-Antoinette Lalanne on February 26, 1786 in Agde, Hérault ; February 21, 1866) was a noted French tightrope walker or "rope dancer." For a time she had her own theatre, which she had re-decorated. She continued to p ...

(1816) ** Théâtre du Temple (1832, a vaudeville house run by Roux, dit Dorsay) **

Théâtre des Délassements-Comiques Théâtre des Délassements-Comiques is a name that was used for a number of different theatres in Paris from 1785 to 1890. First (boulevard du Temple, 1785–1799) The first Délassements-Comiques was a small theatre on the boulevard du Temple, ...

(3rd, 1841, this company relocated to the rue de Provence in 1862) ** Théâtre du boulevard du Temple (1862, for two weeks in July, relocated to the Théâtre Lyrique, reopening with the name Théâtre Historique) ** The building on this site was later demolished. * 1779: Théâtre des Élèves pour la Danse de l'Opéra ** probably located at 48 boulevard du Temple ** Lycée-Dramatique (1791) ** Théâtre Lazzari (1st, 1792, also spelled Lazari or Lazary) ** Théâtre Français du boulevard (1793) **

Théâtre des Variétés-Amusantes The Théâtre des Variétés-Amusantes was a theatre company in Paris. History In 1778, Louis Lécluse (or Lécluze), a former actor at the Opéra-Comique turned dentist, opened a theatre at foire Saint-Laurent, which shortly afterwards he transf ...

(2nd, 1793) ** destroyed by fire in 1798 * 1785:

(1st), of Plancher ('Aristide Valcour') ** located between the Hôtel Foulon ite of the later Théâtre Historiqueand the site of the later Cirque-Olympique ** Théâtre Lyri-Comique (1800) ** Théâtre des Variétés-Amusantes (3rd, 1803) ** Nouveaux Troubadours (1805) ** Closed in 1807 by Napoleon's decree on the theatres, most of the building was demolished except for the entry hall, which continued to be used for exhibiting trained dogs and monkeys performing tricks. * 1787: Théâtre des Bluettes comiques et lyriques ** Théâtre des Élèves de Thalie (1791) * 1787: Cabinet des figures de cire (Cabinet of wax figures), disappeared in 1847 * 1813: Théâtre des Funambules (1st) ** located at 54 boulevard du Temple ** The company relocated to the boulevard de Strasbourg in 1862, closing after one year. ** The building on the boulevard du Temple was demolished on 18 July 1862. * 1821: Théâtre Lazzari (2nd) ** located at 50 boulevard du Temple ** Spectacle Lazzari ** Théâtre de Petit-Lazzari ** Théâtre Lazzari (also spelled Lazary, demolished sometime after 1862) * 1821: Panorama-Dramatique ** located at 48 boulevard du Temple ** The theatre closed after 21 August 1823 and was replaced with a six-story residential building. * 1827: Cirque-Olympique (3rd) ** located at 66 boulevard du TempleLehaguez 1861
p. 24
** Opéra-National (1st, 1847, this company reopened at the Théâtre Historique in 1851) ** Théâtre National du Cirque (1848) ** Théâtre Impérial du Cirque (1853, relocated to the theatre on the Place du Châtelet in 1862) ** The building on this site was later demolished. * 1846: Théâtre Historique (1st) ** located at 72 boulevard du Temple ** Opéra-National (2nd, 1851) **

Théâtre Lyrique The Théâtre Lyrique was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien). The company was founded in 1847 as the Opér ...

(1st, 1852) ** Théâtre Historique (2nd, 1862, name revived by the Théâtre du boulevard du Temple) ** This building was demolished in 1863. * 1853: Théâtre des Folies-Concertantes ** located at 41 boulevard du Temple,Lehaguez 1861
p. 26
on the site of the former ''concert-bal'', the Folies-Mayer ** Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles (1854) **

(1859) ** Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles (1872) ** Théâtre Déjazet (1873) ** Troisième Théâtre Français (1876) ** Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles (1880) ** Théâtre Déjazet (1880–)

Metro stations

The Boulevard du Temple is: It is also It is served by lines 3, 5, 8, 9, and 11. Paris m 3 jms

References

Notes Sources * Brazier, icolas(1838). ''Histoire des petits théâtres de Paris'', new edition, volume one. Paris: Allardin
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. * Chauveau, Philippe (1999). ''Les théâtres parisiens disparus, 1402–1986''. Paris: Éditions de l'Amandier. . * Colette, Marie-Noëlle (1983). ''La Musique à Paris en 1830-1831''. Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale. . * Goncourt, Edmond de; Goncourt, Jules de (2005). ''

Journal des Goncourt The Goncourt Journal was a diary written in collaboration by the brothers Edmond and Jules de Goncourt from 1850 up to Jules' death in 1870, and then by Edmond alone up to a few weeks before his own death in 1896. It forms an unrivalled and enti ...

'', volume 1: 1851–1857. Paris: H. Champion. . * Hemmings, F. W. J. (1994). ''Theatre and State in France, 1760–1905''. New York: Cambridge University Press. . (2006 paperback reprint). * Lecomte, Louis-Henry (1905). ''Histoire des théâtres 1402–1904. Notice préliminaire''. Paris: Daragon
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. * Lehaguez, M. (1861). ''Le nouveau Paris et ses environs. Guide de l'étranger''. Paris: A. Lehaguez
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. * Lust, Annette Bercut (2002). ''From the Greek Mimes to Marcel Marceau and Beyond''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. . * McCormick, John (1993). ''Popular Theatres of Nineteenth Century France''. New York: Routledge. . * Planta, Edward (1821). ''A New Picture of Paris; or, The Stranger's Guide to the French Metropolis''. London: Samuel Lee and Baldwin, Craddock
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. * Some of the information on this page has been translated from its French equivalent. {{Authority control Temple, Boulevard du 3rd arrondissement of Paris 11th arrondissement of Paris Louis Philippe I hu:Boulevard du Temple (dagerrotípia)