Rue de la Gaîté is a historic street located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, within the Montparnasse quarter. It is known for its theatres and other entertainment venues.
History
In 1730, Rue de la Gaîté was a country road in the commune of Montrouge, outside the walls of Paris.
In 1819, the street was still outside the Paris barriers and had a rural character. It was lined with acacia trees and had guinguettes where workers went to drink and dance on Sundays and Mondays in places of pleasure and gaiety that gave the street its name.
The area was annexed to Paris in 1860. The street was incorporated into the Paris road network on 23 May 1863.
By 1916, the street had numerous entertainment venues.An article in La Rampe in April 1916 described Rue de la Gaîté as a short but lively street offering a range of entertainments.:
The article described the street as having a show at every door—"theatre, concert, music hall, cinema"—and concluded that there was something for everyone.
Entertainment venues The street has been home to a number of entertainment venues, including:
At number 6, the café-concert Gangloff operated in the 19th century. The site later became the Gaîté-Palace cinema and is now occupied by the Théâtre Rive Gauche.
At number 19 is the Comédie-Italienne, a theatre founded in 1975 and moved to Rue de la Gaîté in 1980.
At number 20, the site became associated with Bobino. The Théâtre des Folies-Bobino was established there in 1873, and the venue subsequently became a music hall. The original building was demolished in 1985 and replaced by the Studio Bobino; in 2007, the venue was converted into a cabaret known as Bobin'o.
At number 20 bis, the operated from 1833 to 1991 as a café, restaurant, cinema and entertainment venue.
At number 26, the Théâtre Montparnasse opened in 1886.
References
See Also