Jacques Bonsergent: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 5.
Why this name?
The station was first called Lancry, after rue de Lancry, cut through in 1777 on land belonging to a sieur Lancry. It took the name of Jacques Bonsergent, an Arts et Métiers engineer, the first person shot in Paris during the Second World War, at the age of 28, after the neighbouring junction was named place Jacques-Bonsergent. It is one of the eight stations on the network renamed after the war in tribute to Resistance fighters. It lies under boulevard de Magenta, between Gare de l'Est and République.
Anecdote
It opened as the northern terminus of line 5, from Place d'Italie, replacing the temporary terminus at Place Mazas. On the wall of the platform towards Bobigny - Pablo Picasso, near the south exit, a ventilation shaft grille draws an imprisoned France and rifles raised upwards.
Audio guide
The Canal Saint-Martin: an inspiring place for the 7th art
With a length of 4.55 km, the Canal Saint-Martin connects the Villette basin to the Port de l 'Arsenal, which communicates with the Seine. This small canal, originally intended for the supply of drinking water in the capital, has nine locks and two swing bridges.
Everything starts from a decision of Napoleon, then First Consul, in 1802: to improve the water supply of Paris to avoid epidemics. The canal was created by a law of 29 floreal year X, at the same time as the Saint-Denis and Ourcq canals. In 1821, the concession of the works was awarded to the Compagnie des Canaux de Paris, then the Compagnie du Canal Saint-Martin was formed to carry out the project. The first stone was laid on May 3, 1822, and Charles X inaugurated the canal on November 4, 1825.
Fully located in the 10th and 11th arrondissements, it has a total elevation gain of 25 m.
The canal is also a movie set. Hôtel du Nord, by Marcel Carné (1938), is associated with it, but the film was shot at the studios of Billancourt, where Alexandre Trauner reconstructed the scenery of the canal. Le Fabuleux Destin d 'Amélie Poulain (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) also shot scenes there.
Around Jacques Bonsergent
- Canal Saint-Martin, 450 m away — A 19th-century canal lined with shaded quays and cast-iron footbridges, popular for strolls and picnics.
- Hôtel du Nord, 350 m away — Hotel on the Canal Saint-Martin, made famous by Marcel Carné's 1938 film. The hotel and canal were rebuilt in a studio at Billancourt, and Arletty's line "Atmosphère ! Atmosphère !" became a classic.
- Marché Saint-Martin, 260 m away — A small covered neighbourhood market, valued for its fresh produce and friendly atmosphere.