Despite the pandemic, the covered passages remain the soul of Paris

From a hundred in the 19th century to around twenty today, the passages, long in competition with department stores, are timeless. Guided tour.

That morning, near the Palais-Royal, passers-by, surprised by the pouring rain, rushed into the Véro-Dodat gallery (1st), one of the most chic covered passages in Paris. Listed as a historic monument, the place bears the name of its promoters, a butcher and a businessman, who joined forces in 1823 to build this thoroughfare, one of the very first to have public lighting. At nº 17, luthier Jérôme Casanova opens the doors to his shop, which also houses a restoration workshop.

Lined up behind the window, graceful gypsy guitars, a 1960 Fender, a 1959 Gibson and French banjos. According to him, the passage has experienced a real boost thanks to the arrival of the Louboutin shoemaker’s boutiques, but not only: “The entire district has undergone a transformation since the announcement of the upcoming opening of the Pinault collection at the Bourse de Commerce and that, scheduled for 2024, of the Cartier Foundation in the former premises of the Louvre des Antiquaires. »

A real revival of activity

The philosopher Walter Benjamin glimpsed in the invention of passages the bourgeois dreams of a Louis-Philippe society eager to consume away from bad weather and thugs. In the 19th century, the capital had more than a hundred of these covered streets, but the works of Prefect Haussmann and the success of the department stores led to their closure. There are only about 20 left, many of which have benefited from renovations and increased activity. This is the case of the Passage des Panoramas (2nd), where restaurants are multiplying: “They take the steps one after the other; this place is now more suited to young people ”, notes, without bitterness, Christian Labre, seller of stamps and other curiosities, including prehistoric cut stones.

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