Quai Voltaire


The Quai Voltaire is a street located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. 308 meters long, it lies between the Quai Malaquais and Quai Anatole-France. The Quai Voltaire begins at the Rue des Saints-Pères and ends at the Rue de Bac and the Pont Royal.

History

Originally the Quai Voltaire was the western portion of the Quai Malaquais. In 1644 it was renamed Quai des Théatins after some Theatines built a monastery on the quai. In 1791, the wharf became known as the Quai Voltaire in homage to the writer who died in 1778 in the home of Charles, marquis de Villette. After Honoré de Balzac set his novel La Peau de chagrin in the Quai Voltaire, antique shops became common in the quai. In the early nineteenth century the area became a well-known place for booksellers to peddle their wares.

Buildings of note