The Boulevard Voltaire is a well-known boulevard in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. It was created by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann during the reign of French emperor Napoleon III. Originally named the Boulevard du Prince-Eugène, it was renamed the Boulevard Voltaire on 25 October 1870 in honour of the French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher Voltaire.
The boulevard is a great axis joining two historical squares associated with the French Revolution, the Place de la République and the Place de la Nation, and the boulevard is a main hub for left-wing demonstrations with the Republic and Nation squares as the focal points.
The boulevard is lined with platanus trees. Important establishments on the boulevard include the municipality of the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the Church of Saint-Ambroise and the Place Léon-Blum (formerly called the Place Voltaire). It includes a bust of the French politician and three-time prime minister after whom the square is named. The boulevard also has the Bataclan Theatre, built in 1864 by the architect Charles Duval. The boulevard, particularly between its cross-sections with the Boulevard Richard-Lenoir and the Place Léon-Blum is host to great textile firms. The odd side of the boulevard also has a great number of entertainment and video stores.
During the November 2015 Paris attacks, a suicide bomber blew himself up on the Boulevard Voltaire near the Bataclan.[1]
- ^ Randolph, Eric and Simon Valmary (13 November 2015). "More than 120 people killed in Paris 'terror' attacks". Yahoo! News. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2015.