In the heart of Paris, nestled in the Rue de Montmorency in the capital's third arrondissement, lies a very special house. Its stone facade stands out from its neighbors, with motifs that are difficult to resist the ravages of time. Above the entrance, an enigmatic inscription beckons. Deciphering this medieval calligraphy, we can then read the following sentence:
"Nous homes et femes laboureurs demourans ou porche de ceste maison qui fu fte en lan de grace mil quatre cens et sept, somes tenus chacun en droit soy dire tous les jours une patrenostre et 1 ave maria en priant dieu que sa grace face pardon aux povres pescheurs trespassez. amen."
So here you have the oldest dated house in Paris. And as if that weren't enough, this listed building is also linked to a cult figure surrounded by myth and legend: Nicolas Flamel.
Contrary to popular belief, Nicolas Flamel was never an alchemist. However, his growing fortune gave rise to the legend that he had acquired the Philosopher's Stone, capable of turning metals into gold. But the story of this Parisian bourgeois is no ordinary one.
According to the inscription on its façade, the House of Nicolas Flamel was inaugurated in 1407, but its owner never lived there. After the death of his wife, Pernelle, he had the house built. The first floor housed a shop, while the upper floors offered shelter to the less fortunate. Shelter was offered in exchange for morning and evening prayers.
Today, the Maison de Nicolas Flamel is home to a well-known restaurant in the capital: theAuberge de Nicolas Flamel. Believed to beone of the capital's oldest inns, it servesbistronomic cuisine in keeping with French gastronomy.
Location
Nicolas Flamel Inn
51 Rue de Montmorency
75003 Paris 3
Access
M° Rambuteau
Official website
www.auberge-nicolas-flamel.fr
