Boulevard des Capucines

Boulevard des Capucines

Boulevard des Capucines is a street in Paris named after a Catholic convent and known far beyond the French capital for its rich history and bohemian atmosphere. Boulevard des Capucines runs from the Boulevard Italienne to Boulevard Madeleine and crosses the Place de l’Opéra. It is a four-lane street with rows of trees along the sidewalks and is 440 m long.

• Highlights
• Capuchin Boulevard and cinematic history
• Famous houses on Capuchin Boulevard
• Cafes and restaurants
• How to get there

Highlights

The Capuchin Women’s Convent existed here until the French Revolution, and in 1865 the city thoroughfare laid out by Baron Osman was named after the cloister. The Boulevard des Capucines, together with the surrounding streets, is part of the Grand Boulevards of Paris (Les Grands Boulevards). Their green arc creates the face of the city, giving it the features by which the French capital is easily recognized around the world.

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Many interesting events have taken place in this part of Paris. The first exhibition of works by artists who later came to call themselves “Impressionists” took place here. In one of the buildings of the Boulevard des Capucines, the Lumière brothers held the debut screening of their short films. The famous composer and conductor Jacques Offenbach (building No. 8) and the writer Stendhal (building No. 43) worked on the boulevard. And on the stage of the world-famous Olympia concert hall, the Beatles and Pink Floyd, Luciano Pavarotti and Yves Montand sang.

The popular Parisian street has been depicted by many artists in their paintings. Genre scenes and fragments of the Boulevard des Capucines can be seen on canvases by Claude Monet, Jean Berot and Konstantin Korovin. One of Monet’s paintings, painted in 1873, is now kept in Moscow’s Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. And another painting by the artist, which also depicts a Parisian boulevard, is on display at the Kansas City Art Museum.

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As it was many years ago, these days the Capuchin Boulevard remains a busy urban artery. Walking here, you can learn a lot about the history of French bohemia and see picturesque buildings built in the XIX – early XX century. Some of them have plaques with the names of celebrities who lived here. On Capuchin Boulevard you can come face to face with famous actors. Some enjoy shopping in local boutiques, while others prefer to spend time in elegant cafes.

Capuchin Boulevard and cinematic history

Many people remember Alla Surikova’s film The Man from Boulevard des Capucines, and realize that this part of Paris has something to do with cinema. However, not everyone knows that the name of the Parisian street in this movie was translated incorrectly. Boulevard des Capucines (not Capuchins!) is really at the origins of world cinema.

It all started when the tables in the cafes along the street began to face the passers-by. Thanks to this, visitors could not only enjoy aromatic coffee and fresh pastries, but also watch what was happening on the boulevard, as if in an auditorium. Later, the concept of “boulevard theater” even appeared.”

The history of the house number 14 on Capuchinok Boulevard is connected with the Lumière brothers. In this building, on December 28, 1895, the first public screening of short films took place. Among the 10 films seen by the astonished audience were the short films “Arrival of Delegates at the Congress of Lyon,” “The Exit of Workers from the Factory,” “The Watered Irrigator,” and “Voltigeering.”

Famous houses on the Boulevard des Capucines

At the beginning of Capuchinok Boulevard, a beautiful building with a rotunda and a picturesque facade (house No. 2) originally housed the fashionable Hotel Montmorency, built in the 18th century. In 1869, the four-storey building was given to the popular among Parisians movie theater “Vaudeville”. And now the historic house is home to the Gaumont Opéra movie theater, which since 1927 has been called the Paramount Theatre opera.”

House No. 28 houses the oldest concert hall in Paris, the Olympia, which has the official name “Olympia Bruno Cockatrix”. The concert hall was built in 1893, and today a giant red billboard is fixed at its entrance. The stage of the Olympia has hosted many famous musicians, singers, actors and circus performers. Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Joe Dassin, Mireille Mathieu, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong performed here. Russian performers – Muslim Magomaev, Alla Pugacheva, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Bytyr Zakirov, Zhanna Bichevskaya and others – also sang on the stage of the Olympia.

In the house number 35 on Boulevard Capuchinok is located famous far beyond the borders of France photo studio Nadar. It was there in the spring of 1874 that the first exhibition of Impressionist paintings in Paris took place, with the participation of Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas and other masters of painting. At that time, these were little-known young artists, whose art caused mixed reactions of Parisian lovers of painting. However, then the Impressionists were internationally recognized, and now their paintings are considered ornaments of art collections around the world.

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Cafes and restaurants

In the center of Capuchin Boulevard, at 5 Opera Square, stands the famous Cafe de la Paix, designed by 19th century French architect Charles Garnier. The same one who designed the nearby Paris Opera House. The history of the café began in 1862, and it was visited by many celebrities: Guy de Maupassant, Oscar Wilde, Jules Massenet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Émile Zola.

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At the very beginning of the Capuchin Boulevard you can see the Naples Café (house No. 1). It is also known as a meeting place for famous writers, musicians, and actors.

Many travelers like to visit the Café Naples.

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How to get there

Boulevard des Capucines is located in the II arrondissement of Paris, in the historic center of the city. It is easy to reach the boulevard on foot from the Paris metro stations “Opéra”, “Madeleine”, “Chaussée d’Antin” or “Havre-Caumartin”.

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