Berlioz in Paris
58 rue de la Harpe
In its present form this street runs diagonally from the point where Boulevard
Saint-Michel meets Boulevard Saint-Germain towards Quai Saint-Michel. But the
Boulevard Saint-Michel and Boulevard Saint-Germain did not exist in the 1820s,
and the rue de la Harpe was longer than it now is.
Berlioz lived at no. 58 from 1826 to 1828 with Antoine
Charbonnel, a friend from
La Côte Saint-André. There is at present no no.58 in what is left of the rue
de la Harpe (photo below), and the street has probably been renumbered.
Berlioz’s no.58 may have been located where the Boulevard Saint-Michel now is,
facing the Thermes de Cluny (we thank M. Ludart for this information).
The present day rue de la Harpe
Demolition of part of rue de la Harpe in 1858
This engraving appeared at the time of
demolition in L’Illustration, a copy of which is in our collection.
The caption reads:
"Démolition, travaux de terrassement et de nivellement dans la rue de la Harpe,
pour percement du boulevard de Sébastopol (rive gauche)" [Demolition,
terracing and levelling in the rue de la Harpe, for the opening of the boulevard
de Sébastopol (left bank)]. The Boulevard Saint-Michel only received its
present name in 1867; opened in 1855, it was formerly called the Boulevard de
Sébastopol (rive gauche), to distinguish it from the present Boulevard de
Sébastopol on the right bank. The latter was also opened in 1855, at first
under the name Boulevard du Centre, which was quickly changed to Boulevard de
Sébastopol to commemorate the victory in the Crimean War.
© 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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