Salpetriere

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Discover the Salpetriere district - Paris 13

The Salpetriere district is the 49th administrative district of the city of Paris and is located in the 13th arrondissement. It is bordered to the north by Boulevard Saint-Marcel and Boulevard de l’Hôpital, to the south by Boulevard Vincent-Auriol, to the east by the Seine and to the west by Avenue des Gobelins.

History

This neighbourhood’s history mainly stems from the arrival of its hospital. Under the reign of Louis XIII, a gunpowder storehouse was built on this site. The saltpetre used in the explosives and which were present in the ground there led to the name “Salpetriere” being given to the entire hamlet. In 1656, Louis XIV created the General Hospital and decided to incorporate the Salpetriere buildings in to it.

Cultural sites

Austerlitz station: formerly called Orléans station, it is one of the six major Parisian stations. It has also been used as a set for films including “Those who love me can take the train”.
Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital: Louis XIV had the first and largest of the General Hospitals built on the foundations of the old gunpowder storehouse built under Louis XIII. This hospital in the Salpetriere district was home to some of the most famous doctors such as Sigmund Freud and Jean-Martin Charcot, a pioneer in neurology.

Local landmarks

Halfway between the Jardin des Plantes and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and on the banks of the Seine, the Salpetriere district is surrounded by lively districts and has many interesting historical, architectural or cultural landmarks.

Cité de la Mode et du Design: located on the site of the former general stores, the City of Fashion and Design was created by architects Dominique Jakob and Brendan MacFarlane and opened in 2009. It houses the French Fashion Institute, a rooftop café, restaurants and bars, in all stretching over 15,000 m².
Bridges and viaduct: the Salpetriere district has three bridges and a viaduct linking it to the 12th arrondissement on the other side of the Seine. The Austerlitz bridge, Bercy bridge, Charles De Gaulle bridge and Austerlitz viaduct are historic architectural works.

Parks

Square Gustave-Mesureur: this park is accessible by metro line 6 (National).

Schools

Saint Marcel Private School: 16 Rue Pirandello, 75013 Paris.
Access via metro lines 5 (Compo-Formio), 6 (Place d’Italie) and 7 (Les Gobelins) and bus lines 57 and 67 (Jenner – Jeanne d’Arc).