Passages of Time

Once the exclusive domain of the haute bourgeoisie, Paris’s arcades provide a glimpse of a secret world.

     On a cold or rainy afternoon, a ramble through the warren of 19th-century passages couverts (covered passageways) on Paris’s Right Bank offers a delightful diversion from traditional indoor attractions and a chance to do some real exploring in a quarter rarely frequented by tourists. The passages also reflect a quieter side of the city, giving harried travellers a chance to catch their breath.

      These tall iron and glass-roofed structures with hand-carved woodwork, wrought iron gas lanterns and marble or mosaic-tiled floors became a common feature of the urban scene in Paris in the 19th century.    

       Purpose-built for the haute bourgeoisie to stroll through a warm, brightly lit space browsing at luxury boutiques free from rain and mud, they provided a welcome haven from the street - becoming, in essence, the original shopping mall.

     Until their creation, promenading was near impossible. Footpaths were a notion of the future, raw sewerage was thrown from windows and the narrow streets were littered with manure.

      During their heyday in the mid-1800s, around 150 covered passageways ran from Les Halles to the Palais Royal and up to the theatre and shopping districts of the 2nd and 9th arrondissements, enabling pedestrians to traverse these neighbourhoods almost entirely under cover. The passages also provided an acceptable place for women to wait for carriages and a short cut through city blocks, connecting the grands boulevards.

     By the end of the 19th-century, wide boulevards with footpaths took over for promenading, electricity was introduced and department stores evolved. Small shopkeepers were unable to compete and the arcades declined.

      Today, fewer than 20 remain. The majority are concentrated in the 2nd and 9th arrondissements within walking distance of each other and are marked on maps of Paris. Most are now in business rather than residential quarters, attracting local workers in their lunch hour and Saturday afternoon foot traffic from nearby neighbourhoods.

     While quieter today, their old-world charm still gives a fleeting feel of Paris in a heady era when the nearby grands boulevards were in full swing, the dance halls and theatres were jam-packed and the city’s first restaurants and luxury boutiques were springing up. Leaving familiar Paris behind, you are thrown into a world of old-fashioned confectionaries, quirky curiosity shops and antique bookstores that offer a unique French shopping experience - especially at Christmas time when the passages are draped with garlands of pine and twinkle with tiny lights.

      Although most passages are classical in style, they vary substantially in character. Each has a unique personality, largely dependant on the extent of renovation in the past two decades. Some are elegant and polished, others laid-back and scruffy, but all evoke a real sense of the past.     

      For a taste of old Paris, get off the metro at Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre and walk north through the Palais Royal with its clipped trees, splashing fountains and restaurant terraces that spill onto the garden. It’s a favourite place for locals to walk their dogs and read the newspaper. While tranquil today, the former royal palace has a colourful history and was once the scene of revolutionary plotting, gambling and debauchery.

      In bad weather you can walk its length under cover of the stone arcades and browse among the specialist shop windows displaying everything from armies of lead soldiers and collections of French military medals to antique table accessories. While not officially passages, these arcades were precursors to those nearby.

      Slip out of the Palais Royal through the narrow passage du Perron, past the boutique devoted to music boxes and another to antique dolls and weave your way through the crooked passage deux Pavillon to galerie Vivienne.

       Built in the 1820s, the most exquisite of the passages (the name galerie is considered more exclusive than passage) has been restored to its original splendour with shafts of light streaming through the glass roof and onto the beautiful mosaic- tiled floor. Today, it’s a fashionable place to shop and attracts an upmarket clientele. Like most of the passages, it comes alive around lunchtime.

      Among its chic traders are Jean-Paul Gaultier, Wolff & Descourtis, draped with beautiful scarves, and the tea salon, A Priori The. Legrand filles & fils, a classic old-fashioned épicerie (entered from rue de la Banque) has a space for dégustation, with gourmet plates and selections of French wine served by the glass.

      The elegant galerie Colbert next door, resplendent with trompe l’oeil marble columns, houses the Biblioteque Nationale (public library) and is also one of the most majestic galeries in Paris. 

       For a completely different feel, walk up the nearby rue Vivienne and thread through three historic passages near Hotel Drouot, the leading French auction house.

      The first you’ll encounter is the timeworn passage des Panoramas, the oldest of the surviving passages, built in 1800, and the first in the capital to be illuminated by gaslight. Spectacular revolving panoramas near its entrance also made it unquestionably the most fashionable.

     Designed by American, Robert Fulton and executed by French artist Pierre Prévost, the panoramas (a precursor to the movies) created the illusion of being surrounded by dramatic historical scenes, great European cities or far-away lands. The panoramas changed regularly and pedestrians flocked here for a breathtaking visual treat.

       Although the panoramas have long vanished, a number of 19th-century establishments with original charm still exist. Amongst them, Stern (at number 47) has produced handcrafted invitations, letterheads and calling cards for the haute bourgeoisie since 1840. The store’s window-display features century-old invitations to state dinners and prestigious soirees. In order to attract nobility it was necessary for luxurious boutiques to make clients feel as comfortable as if they were at home.        

 
       Consequently, the interior of Stern resembles a miniature version of a well-appointed living room with carved dark-wood panelling, leather chairs and gilt mirrors. Food and tea were served to guests around a warm fire, who had to qualify for a calling card by owning an honourable title.

     You will also stumble upon dusty second-hand book and stamp shops and the artist’s entrance to Théâtre des Variétés, a small theatre house which provided the inspiration and setting for Emile Zola’s novel, Nana.

      Homemade sweet and savoury tarts beckon from the window of L’Arbre a Cannelle, a pretty tearoom with elaborate ceilings, Corinthian columns and façade of sculpted wood panelling set in a former chocolatier. Opposite is a boutique devoted to antique inkwells.

     Cross over the bustling boulevard Montmartre (at the heart of the traditional theatre district) and be swept into passage Jouffroy – an eclectic arcade lined with wooden shop fronts. Built in 1847 its original popularity hinged on the fact that it was one of the first heated arcades in the city - and there’s still a warm and inviting feel. Here you’ll find the colourful Musée Grévin, or Paris Wax Museum (containing historical French scenes and famous characters from the French revolution to present day) along with a trove of unusual and interesting boutiques.

     My favourite is the antique cane collection at number 34, artistically displayed in a tiny shop embellished with traditional marionette stage façades. Directly opposite is Pain d’Epices (or gingerbread), an old-fashioned toyshop with myriad miniature treasures for a French inspired doll’s house and classic French board games.

     Comptoir de Famille next door sprawls over two floors and is crammed with French country furniture, quality linen, gorgeous soaps, scented candles and bath oils. There is also a musty store specialising in cinema (from books and postcards to old films and black-and-white photos) and the sweet-smelling Le Valentin pâtisserie crammed with pastries, chocolates and jewel-coloured jams.
      Up a flight of stairs at the end of arcade is the quirky Hôtel Chopin. As all passage gates are closed in the evening, it is possibly the safest and quietest budget hotel in the city. Chopin’s great love, Baronne Aurore Dupin, alias George Sand, also has a presence in the quarter. Fans of the romantic feminist writer can visit the Musée de la Vie Romantique; a small museum devoted to Sands life just a short walk north.     

      Cross over rue de la Grange-Batelière to enter the third and quietest connecting arcade. Passage Verdeau is a jumble of dusty antiquarian bookshops, antique furniture and bric-a-brac shops. Photo Verdeau at number 14, specialises in vintage cameras, enlarged black and white photos and publicity posters, while Le Cabinet de Curieux, at number 12, displays such curiosities as an intriguing Italian dagger from 1750, and a bronze Napoleon III drinking cup engraved with dancing women.

     Finish your nostalgic visit by stepping back in time at 35 rue du Faubourg- Montmartre. Here you’ll discover the oldest confectionery and chocolate shop in Paris, A la Mère de Famille - a veritable museum piece. This enchanting corner store with bottle-green façade, faded gold lettering, antique cabinets and star-patterned tiled floor has been in business since 1761. Mirrored shelves and marble counters display old-fashioned sweets from all over France, luscious dried fruits, handmade chocolates and caramels. Purchases are still paid for at the traditional glassed-in wooden cashier’s booth.

     Biting into a calissons d’Aix, (the famous marzipan biscuits made in Provence) you can almost hear the clip-clop of carriages, see the gas lamps flickering and imagine 19th-century Paris in full swing.