Read the Signs: Rue de la Tombe-Issoire

Rue de la Tombe-Issoire, in Paris’s 14th arrondissement, sits on the edge of the Petit-Montrouge quarter and the beautiful Montsouris park.

The name translates to ‘street of the tomb of Issoire’ and is tied to the tale of a fearsome giant named Isoré who preyed on travellers and pilgrims along the ancient Gallo-Roman road connecting Lutetia (Paris) and Cenabum (Orléans). The giant would lurk in the forest, which in the Middle Ages extended to the gates of Paris, and ambush unsuspecting passers-by- especially those journeying to Santiago de Compostela. Warriors sent by the king to defeat the giant all failed, until finally William of Orange put paid to Isoré in a heroic battle. Because the giant was so huge he was buried where he fell, hence la Tombe-Issoire.

Adding another layer to the folklore, the quarry beneath the street became part of the city’s ossuary in the late 18th century. You can ‘meet’ the giant on the façade of a preschool on the corner with rue d’Alésia, and read all about the legend on a plaque in the Parc de Montsouris.

From France Today Magazine

Lead photo credit : rue de la tombe issoire cc Bruno Collinet via Flickr