The Cour du Commerce is in the 6th arr. in the St. Germaine district. This narrow, medieval passage has enormous and very uneven cobblestones. You must watch every step or stay on the very narrow walkway.
Halfway down the street, if you look closely, is the entrance to the Cour du Rohan.
The sign on the iron gate said it was a private passage; but the gate was unlocked and open so we decided to explore.
The series of connected courtyards date to the 1300's when the Bishops of Rouen made this their private residence. This small piece of ironwork is what I was hoping to find. It is a pas de mule and is supposedly the only one left in Paris. This little step was used for mounting horses or mules.
Also in this courtyard, at #9, is the residence where Dr. Guillotin experimented with his "humane instrument of decapitation" in the basement. Dr. Guillotin was against capital punishment which at the time included hanging, burning or being "drawn and quartered". He petitioned for a faster, less tortuous method of execution. The guillotine became synonymous with the "reign of terror" during the French Revolution.
I love finding a "secret" place in Paris. Searching for them is an adventure~sometimes a fruitless undertaking. But when you are successful and find a place like this, it is so satisfying.
If I hadn't read about the courtyard and known where to look, we never would have found it.
On our second visit to Paris we stayed in an apt. very close by and walked the Cour du Commerce many times never taking notice of that iron gate.
These little hidden places aren't mentioned in the guide books but they are so special~
a piece of history you can experience firsthand.
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