[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

Histoire de Paris

La Nouvelle Athènes
Ici meurt en 1857 le poète Dureau de la Malle, inventeur du nom du quartier "la Nouvelle. Athènes", situé à l’emplacement de l’ancien quartier des Porcherons. Un château y fut bâti au XIIIème siècle. Louis XI s’y arrêta en 1461. Ce nom de "Nouvelle Athènes", du à la grécomanie de l’opinion publique, était un gage du succès de cette opération de lotissement de l’ancienne propriétéi du duc de Valentinois, menée depuis 1820 par M.Lapeyrière et l’architecte Constantin afin de créer un quartier résidentiel. De style néoclassique fort à la mode, plusieurs petits hôtels sont édifiés rue de la Tour des Dames et rue La Rochefoucauld, œuvres d’élèves de Percier, tels Visconti, Biet, Lelong ou Haudebourt. De nombreuses célébrités s’y installent dès 1822, artistes, actrices, peintres, écrivains, mais aussi demi-mondaines. Le nom "Nouvelle Athènes" ne tarde pas à désigner un périmètre plus vaste qui recouvre entre autres tout le quartier Saint-Georges. Paris capitale des Arts, a alors son centre dans le 9ème arrondissement.

One of the series of signs describing historical places in Paris. The signs were placed starting in 1992 and are also called sucettes Starck (Starck’s Lollipops) after Philippe Starck who designed them.

The sign depicts the district known as "New Athens", an area where artists, writers, painters and other cultural figures lived. The name was given to the area both because of the ancient construction style of the houses, and because of the resemblance to Athens which was the cradle of human culture.

The place was photographed on the same day Click for a larger image


Translation of the text on the sign:

[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

History of Paris

New Athens
Here in 1857 the poet Dureau de la Malle died here, inventor of the name of the district "New Athens", located on the site of the old Porcherons district. A castle was built there in the 13th century. Louis XI stopped there in 1461. This name of "New Athens", due to the Greek mania of public opinion, was a guarantee of the success of this operation of subdivision of the former property of the Duke of Valentinois, carried out since 1820 by M.Lapeyrière and the architect Constantin in order to create a residential neighborhood. In a very fashionable neoclassical style, several small hotels were built on rue de la Tour des Dames and rue La Rochefoucauld, works of students of Percier, such as Visconti, Biet, Lelong or Haudebourt. Many celebrities settled there from 1822, artists, actresses, painters, writers, but also demi-socialites. The name "New Athens" soon came to designate a larger area which covered, among other things, the entire Saint-Georges district. Paris, capital of the Arts, then has its center in the 9th arrondissement.