The Passage Choiseul () is one of the covered passages of Paris, located in the 2nd arrondissement. It is the continuation of the Rue de Choiseul.

History

The Passage Choiseul is on a site previously occupied by four '' hôtels particuliers'', acquired by the for a real-estate development that included the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...

's nearby Salle Ventadour.Poisson, Michel (1999). ''Paris: Buildings and Monuments''. New York: Harry N. Abrams, p. 64. . The passage was built between 1826 and 1827, first to the designs of the architect , then Antoine Tavernier. Mazois died before the building was complete, and Tavernier completed the work. The author Louis-Ferdinand Céline lived there as a child in the early 20th century. The Passage Choiseul is mentioned in two of his novels: '' Journey to the End of the Night'' and '' Death on the Installment Plan''. Céline described it as having gas lamps that "stank as badly as the stagnant air", and the aroma of "dogs urine" in the passage. In 1907, the glass roof was replaced (although its ironwork dates from 1891Ayers, Andrew (2004). ''The Architecture of Paris''. Paris: Axel Menges, p. 387. .). The passage later fell into disrepair. In the 1970s, visitation increased when Kenzo opened a boutique in the passage. They have since relocated to the

Place des Victoires The Place des Victoires (; English: Victory Square, 'Square of Victories') is a circular Town square, square in central Paris, located a short distance northeast of the Palais-Royal and straddling the border between the 1st arrondissement of Pari ...

Today

The Passage Choiseul is a shopping and food area. It has restaurants, clothing stores, book stores, jewellery shops, art galleries, art supply shops and a hair stylist. The entrance to the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens is located in the passage. The ground floor is mainly retail and the upper floors are primarily residential. It is the longest covered passage in the city, at 190 meters long and 3.7 meters wide. In 2012, renovations and restoration were begun under Jean Frédéric Grevet. It is a registered

historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

in France.

Location

It is just west of the Galerie Vivienne on the

Rue des Petits-Champs ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of the genus '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for i ...

in the 2nd arrondissement.

References

{{coord, 48, 52, 08, N, 2, 20, 09, E, region:FR-75_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Tourist attractions in Paris Buildings and structures completed in 1827 Buildings and structures in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris Covered passages of Paris 1827 establishments in France