Rue Mouffetard, One of the Oldest Streets in Paris, Has More Than a Few Tales to Tell

Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter in Paris is steeped in history. On my last trip to Paris to celebrate the New Year, I stayed at Hotel Monte Cristo, just across from rue Mouffetard, and couldn’t believe how much history this one street hidden away. 

This 605-meter street climbs gently uphill from the St. Médard church toward the Panthéon, and it’s one of the few medieval streets Baron Haussmann didn’t bulldoze in the 1860s. Locals call it “la Mouffe,” and it’s been a market street since the Middle Ages.

Cheese shops, bakeries, and cafes line both sides. Buildings here date back nine centuries, and if you know where to look, they’ll tell you stories about revolutionary committees, hidden treasure, and the pestilent smells that gave the street its name.

The Story of Rue Mouffetard

Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter started as part of a Roman road connecting Lutetia (ancient Paris) to Rome via Lyon. The Romans built it sometime between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. It ran along the flank of Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, which they called Mont Cétarius or Mont Cetardus.

Most historians think “Mouffetard” comes from that original Roman name. The street evolved through dozens of variations over the centuries: Montfétard, Maufetard, Mostard, rue Saint-Marcel, rue du Faubourg Saint-Marceau. It finally settled on Mouffetard.

The street’s location on the hillside saved it when Baron Haussmann tore through Paris in the 1850s, creating wide boulevards. Luckily, its narrow width and slope made redevelopment impractical. The Panthéon sat at the top of the hill, so the area already had architectural significance. Haussmann left it alone.

Today, only about 600 meters of the original road remain. The rest was shortened in the 19th century to make way for Avenue des Gobelins.

Why It Smelled So Bad

The street name might come from Mont Cétarius, but there’s another theory. “Mouffet” means skunk in French, and “mofettes” refers to pestilent odors. Both terms fit rue Mouffetard’s history perfectly.

In the 14th century, Flemish dyer Jean Gobelin set up his famous Gobelins workshops along the Bièvre River near the street. Related trades followed: butchers, animal skinners, and tanners. They all dumped their waste into the river and the streets.

As you can imagine, the smell was horrific. The Bièvre became a noxious sewer, and the bridge crossing it near St. Médard church was called Pont aux Tripes (offal bridge). For centuries, this quartier was considered deeply unhealthy because of the foul air from these businesses.

The street was even called rue des Moffettes for a while. As industries gradually disappeared, the name evolved, but the association with stench persisted in local memory for generations.

The Shops and Buildings That Have Stories to Tell

The real treasures on rue Mouffetard are the buildings themselves. Walk the length of this street, and you’ll pass shops that have been here for centuries, facades covered in painted animals, and a bar where revolutionaries once plotted to overthrow the monarchy. 

The Butcher Shop That’s Been Here Since the 1700s

Number 6 rue Mouffetard has a striking red facade decorated with bas-relief sculptures of oxen. This 18th-century butcher shop has stood here for over 300 years. The carvings make it unmistakable, and locals have used it as a landmark for generations.

The building is one of several on the street that are officially listed as historic monuments. The detailed work on those oxen sculptures shows the level of craftsmanship butchers put into their shopfronts back then.

The Gold Coin Mystery at Number 53

In 1938, workers were demolishing the building at number 53. Among the debris, they found rolls of canvas. Inside the canvas: more than 3,300 gold coins from the reign of Louis XV.

The treasure had been hidden there by Louis Nivelle, the King’s secretary. He apparently stashed it to secure his daughter’s future. The coins stayed hidden for nearly 200 years.

After World War II, the discovery became a legal matter. The treasure was eventually divided three ways: between the City of Paris, 82 descendants of Louis Nivelle, and the workers who found it. Most of the hoard was sold at auction.

The Fountain Built for Marie de Medicis

At number 60, on the corner of rue du Pot au Fer, sits the Fontaine du Pot au Fer, also called Fontaine Mouffetard, which dates to 1624.

Marie de Medicis commissioned it as part of a larger project. She needed water for her Luxembourg Palace and gardens, so she ordered the construction of the Aqueduc Médicis. This aqueduct captured water from springs in Rungis, south of Paris, and brought it north.

The original plan called for 14 new fountains across Paris to use this water supply. Architect Augustin Guillain suggested thirteen strategic locations. The plan changed as construction progressed, and eventually only fifteen fountains were fed by the Médicis aqueduct.

The Fontaine du Pot au Fer was one of them. When the village of Bourg St-Médard was annexed to Paris in 1724, the fountain became a crucial water source for the neighborhood. The fountain was restored in 1671, possibly by architect Michel Noblet.

Despite its simplicity, the fountain has a double facade with a rounded corner. A copper pipe once released water into a small basin at street level. The top features a cornice decorated with shells, waves, and scrolls, all water-related motifs appropriate for a fountain.

It was inscribed as a historic monument in 1925 and classified in 1975. Today it no longer functions, but it remains the only public water source from this period still standing in the district.

Le Vieux Chêne: The Revolutionary’s Bar

Halfway up the street at number 69 sits Le Vieux Chêne (The Old Oak). This bar dates to the early 18th century, making it one of the oldest in Paris. Look up at the first floor, and you’ll see a carved wooden emblem of an oak tree.

The bar has had quite a history. In 1848, it became the headquarters for a revolutionary committee with a goal to finally overthrow the French monarchy, and they succeeded. After the revolution, the building was converted into a ballroom.

In the 1920s, it operated as a cabaret, and the singer Fréhel performed there. She was a chanteuse réaliste whose life had been destroyed by alcohol, drugs, and disastrous love affairs. By the time she performed at Le Vieux Chêne, she was making a comeback after years of decline.

One darker note: in 1863, the owner of the ball was killed by a client who kicked him in the head during a dispute. Today it’s a pub, and the historic oak tree carving still hangs above, a reminder of centuries of Parisian nightlife.

La Bonne Source: The Wine Merchant’s Sign

At number 122, look up at the facade. You’ll see an old painted sign that reads “A la bonne source.” This dates to an 18th-century wine merchant who operated here.

Painted shop signs like this were common before most people could read. They advertised what was sold inside, and wine merchants, bakers, butchers, and pubs all had distinctive signs so customers could find them easily.

This one survived because the quartier escaped Haussmann’s renovations. Most Paris shop signs from this era were destroyed when buildings were torn down and rebuilt.

The Painted Butcher Shop

Number 134 sits directly opposite St. Médard church, and the entire facade is covered with painted animal scenes: pigs, deer, goats, game birds, and poultry.

An Italian mason created these paintings in 1930 using a sgraffito technique. This Renaissance method involves applying layers of plaster in different colors, then scratching through the top layers to reveal the colors underneath. The result creates detailed images that last for decades.

The ground floor has always housed a charcuterie, and the painted animals are a nod to the butcher’s trade. You can find similar sgraffito work in Art Nouveau cities like Brussels and Prague, but this is the only example quite like it in Paris.

Today, the building houses more than the charcuterie; it also includes the famous Androuet cheese shop, which also operates here.

Androuet: The Cheese Shop That Changed Paris

Androuet opened at 134 rue Mouffetard in 1909. Founder Henri Androuët was dissatisfied with the cheese selection available in Paris at the time. Most shops only carried local varieties.

He traveled throughout France, visiting producers. He brought back cheeses from regions most Parisians had never heard of. Soon, Androuet had the best variety of cheese in the city, and Henri developed deep knowledge about each one: where it was made, who produced it, and how to serve it.

In the mid-1920s, he created “cheese calendars” listing over 100 types of cheese with their names and maturity periods. It was a marketing tool, but it also educated Parisians about French terroirs. The shop became so popular that Henri opened a tasting cellar to accompany the cheese selection.

Everyone wanted to visit Androuet, Colette, Maria Callas, and Ernest Hemingway, who lived nearby in the 1920s, and was a regular customer. In 1934, Henri’s son Pierre added a gourmet restaurant above the shop. He continued his father’s work, traveling around France to meet producers and expanding the aging cellars.

Today, Androuet stocks over 200 varieties of cheese. The family still runs the business after four generations. In 2020, they received the EPV (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) label, recognizing exceptional artisanal expertise. They’re the only cheese maker in France with this designation. Other companies holding this honor include Pierre Hermé, Petrossian, Hermès, and Baccarat.

The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 7:30 pm. Saturday hours are 9:30 am to 7:30 pm. Sunday morning from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Closed Mondays.

Staff will vacuum-seal your selections for travel if you’re heading home with cheese in your suitcase.

The Daily Market

The daily market runs at the southern end of rue Mouffetard near St. Médard church. Vendors set up Tuesday through Sunday, displaying fresh produce, cheese wedges, oysters, and seafood.

This has been a market street since medieval times, when farmers from the countryside came to sell their goods. The street’s position as a main route into Paris from the south made it a natural gathering point for commerce.

Walking up the gentle slope, you’ll pass shops with tables spilling onto the cobblestones. Fruit, vegetables, cheeses, and fresh bread are displayed as they have been for centuries. The mix of traditional food shops, cafes, and bistros creates an authentic market atmosphere that’s drawn people here for over a thousand years.

The upper section near Place de la Contrescarpe has more restaurants, cafes, and bars. These come alive in the evenings and on weekends. The lower section maintains its character as a hub for everyday shopping.