Boulevard Raspail
Encyclopedia
Boulevard Raspail is a boulevard
of Paris
, in France
.
Its orientation is north-south, and joins boulevard Saint-Germain
with place Denfert-Rochereau
whilst traversing 7th, 6th and 14th arrondissements. The boulevard intersects major roadways: rue de Sèvres, rue de Rennes and boulevard Montparnasse.
Its former name was boulevard d'Enfer, of which the passage d'Enfer is a vestigial relic.
(1794–1878), French chemist
, doctor
and politician.
The section between boulevard Edgar-Quinet and place Denfert-Rochereau had incorporated the old boulevard d'Enfer and the external boulevard (part of boulevard de Montrouge) into a single road by the law of 16 June 1859. Its width was 70 m before the decree of 14 September 1892.
Boulevard Raspail was heavily criticized by Le Corbusier
in Toward an Architecture
.
In 1933, the enlarged part of boulevard Raspail surrounding n° 51, where it meets the rue du Cherche-Midi, was named place Alphonse-Deville. The chemin de ronde d'Enfer was annexed from boulevard Raspail and boulevard Edgar-Quinet.
Boulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Its orientation is north-south, and joins boulevard Saint-Germain
Boulevard Saint-Germain
The Boulevard Saint-Germain is a major street in Paris on the Left Bank of the Seine river. It curves in a 3.5 kilometer arc from the Pont de Sully in the east to the Pont de la Concorde in the west and traverses the 5th, 6th and 7th arrondissements...
with place Denfert-Rochereau
Place Denfert-Rochereau
Place Denfert-Rochereau, previously known as Place d'Enfer, is a public square located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, France, in the Montparnasse district, at the intersection of the boulevards Raspail, Arago, and Saint-Jacques, and the avenues René Coty, Général Leclerc, and , as well as the...
whilst traversing 7th, 6th and 14th arrondissements. The boulevard intersects major roadways: rue de Sèvres, rue de Rennes and boulevard Montparnasse.
Its former name was boulevard d'Enfer, of which the passage d'Enfer is a vestigial relic.
Naming
The boulevard was named after François-Vincent RaspailFrançois-Vincent Raspail
François-Vincent Raspail was a French chemist, naturalist, physiologist, and socialist politician.-Biography:...
(1794–1878), French chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and politician.
History
The section between a point approximately 80 m beyond the rue de Varenne and rue de Sèvres was dug in 1869. The 90 m section from rue Stanislas was opened up by MM. Bernard frères.The section between boulevard Edgar-Quinet and place Denfert-Rochereau had incorporated the old boulevard d'Enfer and the external boulevard (part of boulevard de Montrouge) into a single road by the law of 16 June 1859. Its width was 70 m before the decree of 14 September 1892.
Boulevard Raspail was heavily criticized by Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
in Toward an Architecture
Toward an Architecture
Vers une architecture, translated into English as Toward an Architecture and commonly known as Towards a New Architecture is a collection of essays written by Le Corbusier , advocating for and exploring the concept of modern architecture...
.
In 1933, the enlarged part of boulevard Raspail surrounding n° 51, where it meets the rue du Cherche-Midi, was named place Alphonse-Deville. The chemin de ronde d'Enfer was annexed from boulevard Raspail and boulevard Edgar-Quinet.
Sites of interest
- At n° 48 is an annexe of the Banque de FranceBanque de FranceThe Banque de France is the central bank of France; it is linked to the European Central Bank . Its main charge is to implement the interest rate policy of the European System of Central Banks...
at the junction of rue de Babylone - l'hôtel LutetiaHôtel LutetiaThe Hôtel Lutetia, located at 45 Boulevard Raspail, in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of the 6th Arrondissement of Paris, is one of the best-known hotels on the Left Bank...
(48°51′04.93"N 2°19′37.84"E), un grand hotel, à l'angle de la rue de Babylone, qui accueilli les déportés en 1945, à leur retour des camps nazis. - At n° 54 is the École des hautes études en sciences socialesÉcole des Hautes Études en Sciences SocialesThe École des hautes études en sciences sociales is a leading French institution for research and higher education, a Grand Établissement. Its mission is research and research training in the social sciences, including the relationship these latter maintain with the natural and life sciences...
(EHESS) (former site of the prison du Cherche-Midi) and at n° 105. - At the crossroads of boulevard Raspail and boulevard du MontparnasseBoulevard du MontparnasseThe Boulevard du Montparnasse is a two-way boulevard in Montparnasse, in the 6th, 14th et 15th arrondissements in Paris.-Situation:The boulevard joins the place Léon Paul Fargue and place Camille Jullian. The Tour Montparnasse and place du 18 juin 1940 also found along it.- See also :*Cimetière du...
, also known as carrefour Vavin is home of the statue of Honoré de BalzacHonoré de BalzacHonoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright. His magnum opus was a sequence of short stories and novels collectively entitled La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of French life in the years after the 1815 fall of Napoleon....
by Auguste RodinAuguste RodinFrançois-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
since 1939 - At n° 101, is the headquarters of the Alliance françaiseAlliance françaiseThe Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
, state-funded organisation whose mission is to spread French language and culture internationally; it houses a school targeted at students on linguistic exchanges or foreigners who have moved to Paris. - At n°116–118, at the exit of the Notre-Dame-des-Champs metro station, is the statue of Alfred DreyfusAlfred DreyfusAlfred Dreyfus was a French artillery officer of Jewish background whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most tense political dramas in modern French and European history...
The statue was commissioned by Jack LangJack Lang (French politician)Jack Mathieu Émile Lang is a French politician. A member of the Socialist Party, he served as France's Minister of Culture from 1981 to 1986 and 1988 to 1992, and as Minister of Education from 1992 to 1993 and 2000 to 2002. He was also the Mayor of Blois from 1989 to 2000...
of French artist "TimTIMTim may refer to:Names*Timothy or Tim, for short*Tim , the Australian moviePeople*Tim, the Oldenburg Baby, abortion survivor*Tim , popular K-pop solo singer*Tiny Tim , American singer, ukulele player, and musical archivist...
" in 1985, originally meant for the courtyard of the École militaireÉcole MilitaireThe École Militaire is a vast complex of buildings housing various military training facilities located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, southeast of the Champ de Mars....
where Dreyfus was court martialled in 1895, but was placed instead on the boulevard following the speech of Jacques ChiracJacques ChiracJacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
in July 2006, to pacify the military. - At n° 261 (14th arddt), is home of the Cartier Foundation since 1994. It is housed in an avant garde building by Jean NouvelJean NouvelJean Nouvel is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of Mars 1976 and Syndicat de l'Architecture...
made of glass steel and concrete. (Photo) - At n° 291, is the head office of Aéroports de ParisAéroports de ParisAéroports de Paris or ADP is the airport authority that owns and manages the fourteen civil airports and airfields in the Île-de-France area. Among its notable airports are Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Orly Airport and Le Bourget Airport...
.