Vaugirard: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 12.
Why this name?
The station takes its name from rue de Vaugirard, the longest street in Paris, which led to the village of Vaugirard, and from the former place de Vaugirard. The name derives from « val Gérard », in tribute to Gérard de Moret, abbot of Saint-Germain, who contributed to the hamlet's growth in the 13th century. Its subtitle « Adolphe Chérioux » dates from the renaming of the square in 1935, in honour of the elected official and urban planner Adolphe Chérioux (1857-1934). The town hall of the 15th arrondissement, the square Adolphe-et-Jean-Chérioux and the church of Saint-Lambert de Vaugirard are nearby.
Anecdote
It opened with the first section of Nord-Sud line A, between Porte de Versailles and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, of which line 12 is the heir. Another station, on line 4, opened the same year under the name Rue de Vaugirard, was renamed Saint-Placide to avoid any confusion. Its semi-elliptical vault is specific to the former Nord-Sud stations.
Around Vaugirard
- Parc Georges-Brassens, 950 m away — A park laid out on the site of the former Vaugirard slaughterhouses, with a vineyard, climbing rocks and a book market.
- Rue de Vaugirard, 170 m away — The longest street in Paris, crossing several arrondissements in the southwest of the capital.
- Institut Pasteur, 850 m away — A scientific foundation created by Louis Pasteur, still at the forefront of global biomedical research.