Rue Mouffetard, Paris

The street Rue Mouffetard (popularly: La Mouffe ) is one of the oldest streets in Paris and is one of the most famous sights of the city. It is located in the 5th arrondissement between Place de la contrescarpe the north and the Rue Censier in the south. Overall it has a length of 605 m and a width of 7 m.

Name and history

The name comes from the old French term Mouffetard Moufette for " skunk " from; the unpleasant odor came from the former course of the river Bièvre ( His ) in the vicinity which today runs underground here. The first mention of the road was in 1254, when along the road a way of Lutetia (former name of Paris) on Lugdunum (Lyon ) led to Rome. Since 18 July 1724 the road is within the city limits, when King Louis XV. defined the limits of Paris. Because of its location on a hill, the area surrounding the road was not considered in the reconstruction plans of Baron Haussmann, which enabled her to preserve its medieval character. On 24 May 1938, a pot of gold from the time of Louis XV in the construction work on the Rue Mouffetard 53. found.

Structures

Along the Rue Mouffetard there are numerous houses from the 16th - 18th Century. At the junction with the Rue du Pot de Fer built under the Marie de Médicis fountain Pot de Fer is from 1624, remodeled in 1671.

In the south of the road stands the church of Saint- Médard. It was mentioned in documents for the first time in 1163 and built largely new in the 16th century in the Renaissance style. In 1784 the Lady Chapel was built. In the 18th century the church was the meeting place of Konvulsionäre of Saint- Médard, a fanatical movement of the Jansenists.

Others

The road is a typical market street filled with market stalls and restaurants.