Rue de Richelieu is a long street of Paris, starting in the south of the Ier arrondissement

Ier arrondissement

The 1st arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France.Situated principally on the right bank of the River Seine, it also includes the west end of the Île de la Cité...

, ending in the IIe arrondissement

IIe arrondissement

The 2nd arrondissement is one of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, the capital city of France. Located on the right bank of the River Seine, the 2nd arrondissement, together with the adjacent 8th and 9th arrondissements, hosts an important business district, centred on the Paris Opéra, which houses...

. For the first half of the nineteenth century, before Baron Hausmann redefined Paris with grand boulevards, it was one of the most fashionable streets of Paris:

The Rue de Richelieu is called the Bond-street of Paris. Parallel with it, is the Rue Vivienne. They are both pleasant streets; especially the former, which is much longer, and is rendered more striking by containing some of the finest hotels in Paris. Hosiers, artificial flower makers, clock-makers, and jewellers, are the principal tradesmen in the Rue de Richelieu; but it has no similarity with Bond-street. The houses are of stone, and generally very lofty—while the Academie de Musique and the Bibliotheque du Roi are public buildings of such consequence and capacity (especially the former) that it is absurd to name the street in which they are situated with our own. The Rue Vivienne is comparatively short; but it is pleasing, from the number of flowers, shrubs, and fruits, brought thither from the public markets for sale. No doubt the Place Vendome and the Rue de la Paix claim precedence, on the score of magnificence and comfort, to either of these, or to any other streets; but to my taste there is nothing (next to the Boulevards) which is so thoroughly gratifying as the Rue de Richelieu. Is it because some few hundred thousand printed volumes are deposited therein?
.

Today it is most notable for scattered coin dealers and currency changers, being near the stock market (the Bourse).

Origin of the name

The name comes from Cardinal de Richelieu, Prime minister of King Louis XIII

Louis XIII of France

Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...

.

The street was originally called Rue Royale, then rue de Richelieu soon after. The name was changed to Rue de la Loi during the French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

; its name was given back in 1806.

Buildings of note

• Palais Royal
  Palais Royal
  The Palais-Royal, originally called the Palais-Cardinal, is a palace and an associated garden located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris...
  
  , a Richelieu's residence (Monument historique
  Monument historique
  A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
  
  )
• Bibliothèque nationale de France
  Bibliothèque nationale de France
  The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
  
  , a historical building (site Richelieu) (Monument historique)
• Comédie-Française
  Comédie-Française
  The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
  
  , main hall (salle Richelieu)
• The old Fauré Le Page
  Fauré Le Page
  Fauré Le Page is a French firearms manufacturer established in Paris in 1717.This renowned house, founded by Louis Pigny remained in the same family until 1913...
  
   store located 8 rue de Richelieu at the corner of the rue de Richelieu and the rue de Montpensier. The famous firearms played an active role to the French Revolution by distributing arms to the people in 1789 and in 1830.

• The former Royal Palace hôtel which opened in 1909 was located in the same building as the Fauré Le Page
  Fauré Le Page
  Fauré Le Page is a French firearms manufacturer established in Paris in 1717.This renowned house, founded by Louis Pigny remained in the same family until 1913...
  
  store.

External links

• http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=RETROUVER&FIELD_1=cmer1&VALUE_1=paris&FIELD_2=cmer4&VALUE_2=&FIELD_3=cmer5&VALUE_3=&FIELD_4=AUTR&VALUE_4=&FIELD_5=cmer2&VALUE_5=&FIELD_6=titre&VALUE_6=Domaine%20national%20du%20Palais%2dRoyal&FIELD_7=PROT&VALUE_7=&FIELD_8=DOSURLP&VALUE_8=%20&NUMBER=1&GRP=0&REQ=%28%28paris%29%20%3aLOCA%2cPLOC%2cINSEE%20%20ET%20%20%28%28Domaine%20national%20du%20Palais%2dRoyal%29%20%3aTICO%20%29%29&USRNAME=nobody&USRPWD=4%24%2534P&SPEC=9&SYN=1&IMLY=&MAX1=1&MAX2=100&MAX3=100&DOM=TousPalais Royal] - Ministry of Culture database
• http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=RETROUVER&FIELD_1=cmer1&VALUE_1=Paris&FIELD_2=cmer4&VALUE_2=&FIELD_3=cmer5&VALUE_3=&FIELD_4=AUTR&VALUE_4=&FIELD_5=cmer2&VALUE_5=&FIELD_6=titre&VALUE_6=Biblioth%e8que%20Nationale%20de%20France%20&FIELD_7=PROT&VALUE_7=&FIELD_8=DOSURLP&VALUE_8=%20&NUMBER=1&GRP=0&REQ=%28%28Paris%29%20%3aLOCA%2cPLOC%2cINSEE%20%20ET%20%20%28%28Biblioth%e8que%20Nationale%20de%20France%29%20%3aTICO%20%29%29&USRNAME=nobody&USRPWD=4%24%2534P&SPEC=9&SYN=1&IMLY=&MAX1=1&MAX2=100&MAX3=100&DOM=TousBibliothèque nationale] - Ministry of Culture database