La forme d’une ville change hélas plus vite que le coeur d’un mortel!
The construction of modern Paris went hand in hand with the destruction of the old one. Sometimes even, new things would soon be deemed obsolete, neglected, and demolished in favor of the next new thing. Such was the fate of the Paris arcades, sealed by the development of Paris’ department stores. In the early 19th century, Paris counted 50 to 150 arcades, while only around 20 remain today. Fortunately, most of them are publicly accessible.
Whether touristy or off the beaten track, they are never crowded; passing through an arcade's open portal always feels like entering a parallel universe of wonder that encloses the mysteries of times past. On a rainy day, they resonate with the sound of clouds falling liquid on the pellucid surface of an artificial sky; in the early evenings of winter, they are like lanterns in the midst of the dark sea.
When I used to work in the Sentier, I enjoyed walking back home through the Passages des Panoramas, Jouffroy, and Verdeau. If you are lucky, you might even find a rare version of Walter Benjamin’s Arcades Project at the Librairie du Passage or the Librairie Farfouille…
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