The Rue des Archives is a street in
Le Marais
The Marais (Le Marais ; "the marsh") is a historic district in Paris, France. It spreads across parts of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, 3rd and 4th arrondissement of Paris, 4th Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements on the Rive Droit ...
at the border of
3rd and
4th
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama
...
arrondissements
An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, and certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands.
Europe
France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissemen ...
of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France.
Location and access
The street is located in
Le Marais
The Marais (Le Marais ; "the marsh") is a historic district in Paris, France. It spreads across parts of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, 3rd and 4th arrondissement of Paris, 4th Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements on the Rive Droit ...
district of central Paris. It is served by the
metro stations ''Hôtel de Ville'' and
''Rambuteau''.
Origin of the name
This street owes its name to the fact that it runs alongside the
Archives Nationales (National Archives) of France.
History

The
enclosure of Philippe Auguste initially cut off the street at no. 54 before a gate, the
Porte du Chaume, was created at the end of the 13th century.
The
Rue du Chaume,
Rue du Grand-Chantier, and
Rue des Enfants-Rouges were opened at the end of the 13th century as the main road for the subdivision of the
Ville-Neuve du Temple created by the
order of the Templars
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a military order of the Catholic faith, and one of the most important military orders in Western Christianity. They were founded in 11 ...
and once formed the Rue Neuve-du-Temple.
On 23 May 1863, a decree declared the alignment of the
Rue des Billettes,
Rue de l'Homme-Armé, Rue du Chaume, Rue du Grand-Chantier, Rue des Enfants-Rouges, and
Rue Molay. These streets were designed to form a single axis crossing
Le Marais
The Marais (Le Marais ; "the marsh") is a historic district in Paris, France. It spreads across parts of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, 3rd and 4th arrondissement of Paris, 4th Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements on the Rive Droit ...
.
In 1874, the Rue des Archives was created by the merger of:
* the part of the Rue du Chaume between the
Rue Rambuteau and the
Rue des Haudriettes;
* the Rue du Grand-Chantier, between the Rue des Haudriettes and the
Rue Pastourelle;
* the Rue des Enfants-Rouges, between the Rue Pastourelle and the
Rue Portefoin;
* the Rue Molay, between the Rue Portefoin and the
Rue Perrée.
In 1890, the street was extended between the Rue Rambuteau and the
Rue de Rivoli
The Rue de Rivoli (; English: "Rivoli Street") is a street in central Paris, France. It is a commercial street whose shops include leading fashionable brands. It bears the name of Napoleon's early victory against the Austrian army, at the Battle o ...
by the absorption of:
* the
Rue des Deux-Portes-Saint-Jean, between the Rue de Rivoli and the
Rue de la Verrerie;
* the Rue des Billettes, between the Rue de la Verrerie and the
Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie;
* the Rue de l'Homme-Armé, between the Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie and the
Rue des Blancs-Manteaux;
* the part of the Rue du Chaume between the Rue des Blancs-Manteaux and the Rue Rambuteau.
Before 1910, the Rue des Archives ended at the
Rue Dupetit-Thouars. At that time, the name of
Rue Eugène-Spuller
The Rue des Archives is a street in Le Marais at the border of 3rd arrondissement of Paris, 3rd and 4th arrondissement of Paris, 4th Arrondissement of Paris, arrondissements of Paris, France.
Location and access
The street is located in Le Marai ...
was given to the part of the Rue des Archives between the
Rue de Bretagne and the Rue Dupetit-Thouars.
In 2019, three sections of the Rue des Archives were officially named (from north to south):
*
Place Patrice-Chéreau (3rd arrondissement): square at the level of the
Fontaine des Haudriettes, the Rue des Haudriettes;
*
Place Ovida-Delect (4th arrondissement): square located at the crossroads of the Rue des Blancs-Manteaux;
*
Place Harvey-Milk, (4th arrondissement): crossroads of the Rue des Archives and the Rue de la Verrerie.
Buildings and structures
The plans decided in 1863 were not fully implemented and historical buildings have therefore been preserved:
* Nos 22 to 26: eastern part of the
Rue des Billettes with mainly the
Church of Les Billettes, with the oldest medieval cloister still existing in its original form in Paris. On this part, the constructions of only the odd side were destroyed and replaced by aligned
Haussmannian
Haussmann's renovation of Paris was a vast public works programme commissioned by French Emperor Napoleon III and directed by his prefect of the Seine, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, between 1853 and 1870. It included the demolition of medieval ...
buildings while the opposite bank has retained its old irregular layout.
P1290566 Paris IV eglise des Billettes rwk.jpg, {{center, Nos 22–26: Church of Les Billettes
P1370840 Paris IV cloitre des Billettes rwk.jpg, {{center, Nos 22–26: cloister of the Church of Les Billettes
P1370832 Paris IV cloitre des Billettes rwk.jpg, {{center, Nos 22–26: one of the entrances to the cloister
* No 34: Building whose 1st and 2nd floors were occupied from 1965 to 1980 by a specialized school for hearing impaired people: Le Collège et Lycée Privés Morvan (Le Cours Morvan), now at no 68 Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, in the 9th arrondissement.
* No 40: House known as "Jacques Coeur" because it was owned by one of his descendants. Today there is a public nursery school there.
* No 45: Former convent of the Fathers of the Merci; there are two wall
sundial
A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...
s inside the courtyard, only one visible from the street.
On the part along the former convent, the street has retained its original width.
P1000958 Paris III Rue des archives n°45 reductwk.JPG, {{center, Rue des Archives at no 45
P1300252 Paris III rue des Archives n45 cadran solaire rwk.jpg, {{center, Sundial
* No 53: a dummy
facade hides a
transformer
In electrical engineering, a transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple Electrical network, circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces ...
of
Électricité de France
Électricité de France SA (; ), commonly known as EDF, is a French multinational corporation, multinational electric utility company owned by the government of France. Headquartered in Paris, with €139.7 billion in sales in 2023, EDF ope ...
(EDF).
* No 54: location of the old postern, called
Postern du Chaume, opened in 1288 in the enclosure of
Philippe Auguste
Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...
.
[{{cite book , first=Jacques , last=Hillairet , author-link=Jacques Hillairet , title=Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris , language=fr , volume=1 , page=104 ]
P1300248 Paris IV rue des Archives n54 rwk.jpg, {{center, No 54: location of the old Porte du Chaume
* Northeast corner of the intersection of the Rue des Archives and the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois: remains of a fountain transformed into a viewing window during the reconstruction of the
Hôtel de Soubise
The Hôtel de Soubise () is a city mansion '' entre cour et jardin''. It is located at 60 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France.
History
The Hôtel de Soubise was built as an ''hôtel particulier'' for the Prin ...
, then remodelled in 1959 after creating of a doorway.
A plate indicates the sea level measured in the basin of the port of
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
, as well as its difference with the zero level of the
Pont de la Tournelle
The (, ''Tournelle Bridge''), is an arch bridge spanning the river Seine in Paris.
History
The location of the is the site of successive structures.
The first, a wooden bridge, was built in 1620. This bridge connected the Eastern bank of the ...
.
P1300244 Paris III Rues Francs-Bourgeois et Archives ancienne fontaine Chaume rwk.jpg, {{center, Remains of the ancient fountain of Chaume
* No 58:
Hôtel de Soubise
The Hôtel de Soubise () is a city mansion '' entre cour et jardin''. It is located at 60 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France.
History
The Hôtel de Soubise was built as an ''hôtel particulier'' for the Prin ...
(housing the
Musée des Archives Nationales, part of the
Archives Nationales) and the fountain of Haudriettes,
Rue du Chaume.
P1000959 Paris III Rue des Archives Hotel de Clisson reductwk.JPG, {{center, Rue des Archives at the level of the Hôtel de Soubise
The Hôtel de Soubise () is a city mansion '' entre cour et jardin''. It is located at 60 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France.
History
The Hôtel de Soubise was built as an ''hôtel particulier'' for the Prin ...
P1270720 Paris III rue des archives n58 rwk.jpg, {{center, Hôtel de Soubise
The Hôtel de Soubise () is a city mansion '' entre cour et jardin''. It is located at 60 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France.
History
The Hôtel de Soubise was built as an ''hôtel particulier'' for the Prin ...
* No 60:
Hôtel de Guénégaud or "Hôtel de l'Hermitage".
* No 62:
Hôtel de Mongelas,
Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature
The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (, ''Museum of Hunting and Nature'') is a private museum of hunting and nature located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France. The museum is served by the Rambuteau (Paris Métro), Rambuteau Paris Métro ...
(Museum of Hunting and Nature).
* No 68: Hôtel de Refuge.
* No 70:
Hôtel Montescot.
* No 72:
Hôtel de Villeflix.
* No 74:
Hôtel de Tallemant (or Chailloux de Jonville).
* No 76:
Hôtel Le Pelletier de Souzy,
Rue du Grand-Chantier.
* No 78:
Hôtel de Tallard (or Amelot de Chaillou),
Rue des Enfants-Rouges.
* No 80: location of the
Hôpital des Enfants-Rouges
The Rue des Archives is a street in Le Marais at the border of 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris, France.
Location and access
The street is located in Le Marais district of central Paris. It is served by the metro stations ''Hôtel de Vill ...
which became the barracks of the
Enfants-Rouges in 1808.
File:Paris rue des haudriettes fontaine.png, {{center, Fontaine des Haudriettes
File:P1000961 Paris III Rue des Archives Musée de la chasse reductwk.JPG, {{center, Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature
The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (, ''Museum of Hunting and Nature'') is a private museum of hunting and nature located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France. The museum is served by the Rambuteau (Paris Métro), Rambuteau Paris Métro ...
Further up the street, there are other interesting buildings, notably at nos 79, 81, 85, and 90.
[{{cite book, first=Jacques , last=Hillairet , author-link =Jacques Hillairet , title =Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris , language=fr , volume=1 , pages= 105–106 ]
File:P1150512 Paris III rue des Archives n°81 rwk.jpg, {{center, No 81
File:P1150510 Paris III rue des Archives n°90 rwk.jpg, {{center, No 90
Literature
In the novel ''
Ferragus: Chief of the Devorants'', by
Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly ; ; born Honoré Balzac; 20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence ''La Comédie humaine'', which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is ...
, the widow Gruget lives at no 12 in the Rue des Enfants-Rouges. This is where Jules Desmarets listens to the conversation between his wife (Clémence Desmarets) and Ferragus XXIII.
[{{cite book, first=Honoré , last=de Balzac , author-link=Honoré de Balzac , title= Ferragus: Chief of the Devorants , volume=V , work=]La Comédie humaine
(; English: ''The Human Comedy'') is Honoré de Balzac's 1829–48 multi-volume collection of interlinked novels and stories depicting French society in the period of the Restoration (1815–30) and the July Monarchy (1830–48).
''La Com� ...
, series=Bibliothèque de la Pléiade
The ''Bibliothèque de la Pléiade'' (, "Pleiades Library") is a French editorial collection which was created in 1931 by Jacques Schiffrin, an independent young editor. Schiffrin wanted to provide the public with reference editions of the ...
, publisher=Éditions Gallimard
Éditions Gallimard (), formerly Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française (1911–1919) and Librairie Gallimard (1919–1961), is one of the leading French book publishers. In 2003, it and its subsidiaries published 1,418 titles.
Founded by G ...
, date=1977
References
{{Ibid, date=January 2021
{{reflist
Bibliography
* {{cite book, first=Alexandre , last=Gady , title=Le Marais: Guide historique et architectural , location=Paris , publisher=Éditions Le Passage , year=2002 , page=368 , isbn=978-2847420050
External links
* {{commons category-inline, Rue des Archives (Paris)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Archives, Rue de
1874 establishments in France
Streets in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris
Streets in the 4th arrondissement of Paris
Le Marais