Masséna

Boulevard Masséna runs through Paris's 13th arrondissement and forms one section of the famous Boulevards of the Marshals. Named after Marshal of the Empire André Masséna, the street follows the course of the former Thiers Wall, which was built in the 19th century. It begins at the Porte de Vitry, passes the Porte d'Ivry and the Porte de Choisy, and finally merges into Boulevard Kellermann at the Porte d'Italie. Originally part of a military road, the land was handed over to the city after the military released it and was laid out as a boulevard in 1861. In the 1960s and 1970s, the surrounding area was completely transformed as part of the "Italie 13" urban development project, which led to the construction of modern high-rises and the emergence of an Asian quarter.

For visitors, the boulevard offers a fascinating mix of historic architecture and modern urban development. One particular highlight is the Maison Planeix, one of the few urban residential buildings that Le Corbusier designed in Paris. The painter Auguste Herbin had his studio in this building in the 1930s, and it was also the headquarters of the "Abstraction-Création" movement. Also worth seeing is the Masséna fire station, built in 1971 to plans by Jean Willerval, which today houses the technology section of the Paris Fire Brigade Museum. Another architectural gem is the elementary school built between 1933 and 1937 at the corner of Avenue de la Porte-d'Ivry. This reinforced-concrete building in the style of the 1930s is decorated with expressive concrete reliefs by the sculptor René Letourneur, depicting the City of Paris caring for the children of what was then a poor neighborhood.

Today, Boulevard Masséna is also a place for urban art, where you'll find numerous street art works. The infrastructure was modernized with the construction of tram line T3a, which eases traffic along this axis. Farther along, you'll come across the Georges-Carpentier Hall, a major sports facility in the arrondissement, as well as the site of the former Panhard et Levassor works, now used by various companies. This variety of cultural sites, sports facilities, and architectural testimonies to past eras makes the boulevard an interesting walk through the history and present of Paris's 13th district.