The covered passages of Paris

An innovative architectural type in the 19th century, the covered passage was the result of a perfect correlation between the conception of the city, the rise of the luxury goods trade and a new type of social life. Multi-purpose, it was intended as much for circulation as for all manner of amusement. Among the forty-odd passages which enhanced the French capital from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, only seventeen still fulfil their initial function. All are situated on the right bank of the Seine. They can be explored district by district, following an itinerary based on a topographical and chronological sequence.

The « Itinéraires » series, designed as a guide for cultural tourism, invites the visitor to discover the highways and byways of France's national heritage.