Flâneur par excellence, dandy inhabited by melancholy, Charles Baudelaire immortalized Paris like no other. Born in the heart of the capital in 1821, Baudelaire died a stone's throw from Montparnasse in 1867. A key figure in French poetry, his Fleurs du Mal (1857) was condemned for immorality, while his prose collection Le Spleen de Paris invented a new form, inspired by modern boulevards.
The capital still bears the scars and sparkles of his passage, as he saw Paris as the theater of passions and reveries, and spent almost his entire life there, with no fewer than forty homes. Whether you're a great lover of poetry or simply looking for a walk in the footsteps of this exceptional writer, take a stroll through the places that marked his life, in search of the spleen.
13 rue Hautefeuille - 6th arrondissement
Baudelaire was born here on April 9, 1821, in a house that no longer exists. A small, discreet commemorative plaque can be found here, not far from the church of Saint-Sulpice. He grew up in the Latin Quarter, before being sent to the nearby Collège Louis-le-Grand and lodging, as a teenager, not far from 22 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques (14ᵉ), in the Delorme brothers' boarding house.
17 quai d'Anjou - 4th district
Baudelaire took up residence in this fabulous mansion on theÎle Saint-Louis between 1843 and 1845. Here, he wrote some of his Fleurs du Mal, took part in the experiments of the " Club des Haschischins " alongside Gautier and Nerval, and dreamed of an art nouveau. The façade offers a glimpse into a Paris of velvet and opium, but today it's impossible to walk freely through the door, as the hotel houses the Institut d'études avancées de Paris.
6th district
In those bohemian years, Baudelaire strolled tirelessly through the Jardin du Luxembourg, observing the onlookers, dreaming, ruminating on his spleen. He loved this theater of domesticated nature in the heart of the 6ᵉ arrondissement: even today, reading Le Spleen de Paris in the shade of a chestnut tree is an unsettling experience.
The Jardin du Luxembourg, an exotic setting in the heart of Paris
The Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris is a popular park with Parisians, who call it "le luco", and tourists alike. A bucolic and lively garden, it's a delight for those who choose to stroll here, especially with the arrival of fine weather! [Read more]
14th district
It's here that Baudelaire is laid to rest, alongside his mother and his stepfather, General Aupick, whom he so castigated in his verse. Look for this sober but often-flowered tomb in division 6, often less visited than his cenotaph, which some mistake for his grave. This funerary monument, sculpted by José de Charmoy, is located between the 26th and 27th divisions.
The Montparnasse cemetery, located in the 14th arrondissement, is the final resting place of many famous personalities. Would you like to discover the celebrities buried there? Here's a list of famous people buried in this Parisian cemetery. [Read more]
To discover Baudelaire through objects, letters and portraits, head for the Musée Carnavalet (3ᵉ), where you'll find precious manuscripts, caricatures and some moving relics. Not far away, theInstitut de France (6ᵉ) also recalls his run-ins with the establishment: he failed to win election there, sealing his status as a cursed poet.
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The Jardin du Luxembourg, an exotic setting in the heart of Paris
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