A shopping mall classified as a historical monument

The Pommeraye passage is the pride of the people of Nantes, and rightly so!

It was inaugurated in 1843, under Louis-Philippe. It is due to the will of a notary of the time Louis Bray who wanted to turn a district worthy of Les Misérables into a passage of luxurious shops in the spirit of the Parisian passages, very chic, which appeared then. A drop of nearly 10 m on a hillside of sand and mixed rocks did not make the company very easy. And all the less so since, of course, the novelty leading to the protest, he had to face the hostility of the local residents and a hail of lawsuits.

 

The Pommeraye Passage, Nantes' timeless success

Nevertheless, success was achieved as soon as this 19th century architectural masterpiece opened. But here it is... seven years later the crisis of 1846 (already!) transforms the operation into a financial rout, its promoter rendering the soul completely ruined

Nevertheless, he left a very avant-garde work for the period, when we only knew about the small dark shops without windows. There, on three levels of a monumental staircase, very beautiful shops display their displays in a window. It's the invention of the... window shopping!

Even today, having managed to get through crises and bombardments, this covered passage, one of the most beautiful in Europe, remains a superb and surprising place where it is pleasant to stroll peacefully.

 


To go further....

Nantes, Tome 3 : De Jules Verne au grand éléphant : De 1789 à nos jours

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Suivant la trace d'un mystérieux dessin de dragon, parcourez l'histoire épique de la ville de Nantes. Des heures sombres de la Révolution jusqu'à nos jours, en passant par l'inauguration du passage Pommeraye, les débuts du surréalisme ou l'incroyable saut dans la Loire d'un funambule, découvrez des siècles bercés par l'innovation et l'industrialisation, mais aussi bouleversés par les deux guerres mondiales, des grèves sanglantes ou encore la fin des chantiers navals.
Nantes, en quête d'histoires : 500 anecdotes insolites

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Also to be seen in the department

La Cigale

In Nantes, La Cigale, perhaps the most beautiful brewery in the world!

placeNantes - Loire -tlantique  
label Hotels, restaurants, bars Gastronomy[to eat] Remarkable buildings  
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Musée compagnonnique

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label Museums & Collections Festivities & festivals, brotherhoods Tourism, sports and cultural activities  
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label Coffee shops, Bars, Bistros Small trades  

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