Street of the Chats - Troyes

This alley was rebuilt after the great fire of 1524 and is now romantically called “medieval” because the paving and the facades meet at the top.

The paving with a central gutter is reminiscent of the streets of Troyes in the 13th century. Timber-framed houses with corbels are becoming increasingly higher. These are constructions that protrude from the vertical plane of a wall, in line with the beams of the internal floor or the wind chests. Corbels are also a way of protecting the lower levels of the facade from rainwater , which is the main cause of the deterioration of wood and clay.

With its unique architecture, the alley owes its name to the fact that a cat can walk from one side of the street to the other, through the roofs. The facades meet at the top and are held together by props.

At the entrance to the avenue on the rue Champeaux side stood the bailiff of the priory of Saint-Jean-en-Châtel, which belonged to the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Montiéramey. At numbers 32 and 36 of what is now the ruelle des Chats, there was a hotel for travellers and passers-by of the Lesguisé family. It was called the ruelle Maillé. The ruelle Maillard was already mentioned in the 15th century. After the fire of 1524, all the houses in the ruelle Maillard were rebuilt. In 1783, it became known as “rue des Chats”.

In 1789, a decree by François-Nicolas Sourdat, lieutenant general of police, ordered the alley to be closed at both ends because of the promiscuity that was taking place there. Here is the text of the order: “At each end of the alley, 2 iron gates must be installed, open during the day and closed at night. The alley will be closed at night and open during the day. It is forbidden to bring in or take out loot, debris, carrion, such as dead dogs, cats and poultry, in this alley, under penalty of a fine. Be careful, this passage gives rise to rendezvous and libertine disorders”.

Willem Vandenameele