Rue Saint-Malo

The street Saint-Malo is a street of Brest being located in the small valley of Carpon, in against-low plate of the Capuchins in the district of Recouvrance. There remains only the low part of what is the oldest street of the city.

It is skirted by the wall of the ground of the Madeleine, where was drawn up formerly the convent sheltering the girls of loose living as well as the “huguenotes” after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. It is paved, bordered of houses of and dominated by gardens in terrace. After its fountain, the street butts against the lifting of Pontaniou and ends in the staircase of the Madeleine which leads to the plate of the Capuchins.

History

In the beginning Pontaniou is one of the many small valleys, dug by the sources and the brooks which goes down towards the Penfeld. In 1685 the royal judges decide to act vis-a-vis a clear growth of the Prostitution in Brest. The “girls of loose living”, transferred to the prison from Pontaniou, are locked up in a new building called “the Madeleine” or royal refuge, built in the small valley. Its direction is entrusted to the Saint-Thomas sisters of Villeneuve. It is not whereas a simple country lane, traversed by a brook bordering this ground of Madelaine (today military property, surrounded by high walls).

The street would not have been arranged before 1750.

February 10th, 1782, beautiful the Sieve maker, a woman interned there for her life of debauchery puts fire at the buildings. 31 women whose 4 nuns perished in the flames. From 1800 to 1810, the Maritime police chief Charles Ambroise de Caffarelli of Falga lance of work of restoration and enlarging of the port. The bottom of the small valley accommodates the dry dock n°3 and it is barred by the “lifting” of Pontaniou which encloses the arsenal. This closing on the Penfeld contributes to marginalize a little more Recouvrance and the street Saint-Malo.

Until the Second world war, it keeps a reputation of places to sailors, drink and prostitution. The bombardments of 1944 destroy most of the street, except for the last 100 meters which are what remains today. Surprisingly saved by the bulldozers of the Rebuilding, escaping the plan from the rebuilding from the architects Jean-Baptiste Mathon and Maurice Piquemal, this street will be an exception. From the years 1950, the last inhabitants are dislodged for a demolition programmed.

Without the determination that association “Food the Street” with put since 1989 in the safeguard of this vestige of the Brest-native inheritance, it is probable that it would have disappeared today. Thanks to this step, the street is today development, is recognized and visited like the oldest paved street of Brest. To live the Street is an association law 1901, whose seat is street Saint-Malo. Its ambition is to make of it a place of blooming for the projects and the individuals by supporting the artistic meetings as well as the operations aiming at reinforcing the social link and the citizen participation within the district.

See too

Street of Siam
Arsenal of Brest
Recouvrance

External bonds

To live the Street

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