Galerie Vivienne

Galerie Vivienne

Galerie Vivienne is a covered arcade in Paris, France, located in the 2nd arrondissement. It stretches from Boulevard Montmartre in the north to Rue Saint-Marc in the south and is one of Paris’s premier philatelic markets.

Constructed between 1799 and 1800 on the site of the former Hôtel de Luxembourg-Montmorency, Galerie Vivienne gets its name from the panoramic view of a representative Parisian landscape that was once installed above the entrance but was destroyed in 1831. In the 1830s, architect Jean-Louis Victor Grisart renovated the arcade, adding three interior passageways: the Passage Saint-Marc, which runs parallel to the arcade; the Passage des Variétés, leading to the Théâtre des Variétés; and the Passage Feydeau.

In the 19th century, sculptor Jean-Pierre Dantan set up a room known as the "Musée Dantan" in Galerie Vivienne, displaying small plaster busts, bronzes, caricatures, and portraits—including those of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Louis-Philippe I, Beethoven, Paganini, Liszt, Victor Hugo, and Balzac. In 1834, the printing and engraving company Stern moved into the arcade, followed by postcard and stamp merchants as well as several restaurants.

Today, the section of Galerie Vivienne near Boulevard Montmartre is richly decorated, while the more distant parts and corridors have a more understated design. On July 7, 1974, Galerie Vivienne was listed as a French historical monument.

Passage des Panoramas

Must-visit reason: One of Paris’s premier philatelic markets

Continent: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region: France[France]

Province/State: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City: Paris [Paris]