Rue des Francs-Bourgeois
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Francs-Bourgeois's street is one of the longer and the most interesting of the le Marais district in Paris, France.
Starting near Centre Georges Pompidou (rue Rambuteau), it is today a trendy street extremely appreciated for all the fashion stores. France traditionally has Sunday as a day of rest but Rue des Francs-Bourgeois is one of the few streets that is open on a Sunday. As such a street many people come to brunch and walk there at the end of the week. It is impossible to miss it if you visit le Marais.There are still beautiful buildings, several hotels from past centuries in particular. Hôtel Carnavalet, Lamoignon, Sandreville, d'Albret, d'Alméras, Poussepin, de Coulanges, Hérouet, de Jaucourt, de Fontenay, de Breteuil are some of them.
Hotel Carnavalet houses the museum of the history of Paris.
[edit] History
Years ago, this street was called rue des Poulies. But, in 1415, a man called le Mazurier offered to the grand Prieur of France a huge private mansion with 24 bedrooms to receive 48 poor people. These people were so poor they didn't pay the taxes of the city and were called francs-bourgeois. That is the origin of the street's name.
In 1868 this street had been joined with rue neuve Saint-Catherine and rue du Paradis au Marais.
