Brochant: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 13.
Why this name?
A line 13 station under avenue de Clichy, on the border between the Épinettes and Batignolles districts (17th arrondissement). It opened with the north-west branch of the former Nord-Sud line B and lies between Porte de Clichy and La Fourche, on the branch towards Les Courtilles. It takes its name from rue Brochant, which honours the geologist André Brochant de Villiers (1772-1840), director of the Saint-Gobain factory and member of the Académie des sciences.
Anecdote
In the 1960s the platforms were fitted with a metal advertising cladding. During the platform renovation of 2008-2009 it was removed and the original Nord-Sud decor restored identically: bevelled white tiles, brown ornaments with interlaced « NS » letters, and the station name in white faience on a blue background. Just after the station, towards the suburbs, the tracks split into two separate tunnels, and the two entrances stand at the end of rue Brochant.
Around Brochant
- Square des Batignolles, 450 m away — A 19th-century English-style garden, a peaceful green haven in the heart of the Batignolles district.
- Rue Legendre, 220 m away — A shopping street in the 17th arrondissement, lined with local boutiques and cafés.