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| 36 Quai des Orfèvres |
Location: Corner of Quai des Orfèvres and Rue de Harlay
English translation
"The headquarters of the criminal investigation department, made famous by Inspector Maigret in Georges Simenon's novels, the Quai des Orfèvres boasts a rich historical past, despite its 19th-century buildings and corner tower, a medieval pastiche from 1911. It owes its name to the goldsmiths established on the quay, built between 1580 and 1643. Rue Sainte-Anne and Rue de Jérusalem opened at numbers 12-14 and 24-26, linking it to Rue de Nazareth, its parallel. Boileau and Voltaire were born here, and the first President of the French Parliament resided in the former Hôtel du bailliage, which became the home of the Mayor of Paris during the French Revolution. Assigned in 1800 to the newly-created Prefecture de Police, it was destroyed by fire during the Commune in May 1871." (Translated with DeepL)
Background notes
- The Quai des Orfèvres (Orfévres = goldsmiths) was the jeweller’s centre of 17th and 18th century Paris.
- The headquarters of the criminal investigation department (the Police Judiciaire) is no longer located at 36 Quai des Orfèvres. In 2017, the Police Judiciaire moved to a new location in the Bastion complex in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. See article.
- The streets Sainte-Anne, Jérusalem, and Rue de Nazareth, once part of the Île de la Cité, disappeared during the significant urban transformations led by Baron Haussmann in the mid-19th century. This involved demolishing a significant portion of the island, particularly in the areas between the Palais de Justice and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
- Nicolas Boileau (1636–1711) was a French poet and critic, celebrated for his role in defining the principles of French classical literature and his contributions to literary theory through works like Art Poétique, which advocated clarity, order, and reason in writing
- Voltaire (1694–1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, and historian renowned for his wit and advocacy for civil liberties, whose influential works include Candide and numerous essays critiquing societal injustices
- The Bailiwick hôtel (Hôtel du Bailliage) was a significant administrative and judicial building in Paris during the Ancien Régime. It served as the residence of the bailli (bailiff), an official responsible for local governance, judicial matters, and tax collection within a bailiwick (a judicial district).
- The Commune of 1871 was a radical socialist and revolutionary government that briefly ruled Paris from March to May 1871, following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, and ended in violent suppression by the French Army during the "Bloody Week."
- Also see plaque #5 on Chapelle Saint-Éloi des Orfèvres.