Berlioz in Paris
4 rue de Calais
After a few month’s stay in the nearby rue de
Vintimille (no. 17), Berlioz
finally moved to 4 rue de Calais, where he finished Les Troyens.
The building had recently been completed (it bears a plaque with
the date 1856 and the name of the architect Lamy). The flat on the fourth floor was Berlioz’s home for most of the last 12 years of his
life, from October 1856 to his death on 8th March 1869. For over a year, from
March 1861 to September 1862, Berlioz was forced to move down to the second
floor (the floor with the balcony), because of enforced repairs to the
building, which had been hastily constructed. The house bears a
commemorative plaque.
Main entrance
Façade
Courtyard
The commemorative plaque on the first floor
The rue de Calais from the top end
No. 4 is at the lower end, on the left, not far from rue Blanche, on the right.
No. 4 rue de Calais, from an old photograph
This photo is taken from Ernest Reyer, ‘Hector Berlioz: Biographical notes and personal reminiscences’, in The International Library of Music, 1925. New York: The University Society (in our collection). See also this site an earlier publication of the same article in 1893.
© 2000-2006 (unless otherwise stated) Michel Austin and Monir Tayeb for all the photos, engravings and information on this and other Berlioz in Paris pages
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