Are you ready to see a different Paris? There will be no architectural wonders or lavish façades during our walk, as they will give way to quaint old streets, secret gardens, and unbelievable stories from the past.
Our tour begins at the Censier Daubenton metro station. The first stop is the Saint-Médard church, a superb example of the Flamboyant Gothic style. Sitting in the 15-th century church, you will uncover the story of the ‘convulsionists’, where collective hypnosis, miraculous healings, and a mystical cult took place. Then, you will take a stroll along Rue Mouffetard and Rue Daubenton, admiring medieval houses and learning amazing facts from the history of signs that have been an integral part of Parisian streets since the 1200.
Passage des Patriarches will reveal its grim story before you, that involves meat pies made from human flesh and the events that lead to the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. You will also pass by a 600-year-old cabaret and a fountain built thanks to Marie de Médicis. Farther on the way, you will see the Seminary of the Spiritains on Rue Lhomond, and just a street away – the house built on the very site where a 4 mil euro treasure was found.
You will see a famous Chinese tea room and learn about the tragedy of a 15 century poet who was a patron of an old cabaret that we’ll also pass by. Our walk ends on Rue Thouin which offers a great opportunity to continue exploring the Mouffetard neighborhood in one of the many cafés located here.