The Place du Cygne, and Sainte Même Street, which comes up behind it, would most likely be considered the western border of town before the 12th century. Up until the 19th century, the central strip was occupied by a block of houses boxed in by For-Boyau and Cul-Salé Streets.
One could find the Lemoine pâtisserie there. Its specialty was “le Pâté de Chartres,” which at the time was made with a game bird, the dotterel, that nowadays is extinct. Around 1780, Lemoine and his competitor, Philippe, competed for the publicity offered through the voices of two well-known poets of the time: Collin d’Harleville and Nicolas Guillard. Another caterer, Guillaume Brissot, lived there; one of his sons, Jacques Pierre Brissot, would go on to found, in 1789, Le Patriote français, the first political daily, before becoming one of the leaders of the Girondist party. Today, this shady spot offers coffee terraces and is home to the flower market.
Mairie de Chartres
Place des Halles
28000 Chartres
Standard tous services :
Tel. :+33 (0)2 37 23 40 00
Fax : +33 (0)2 37 23 41 99
Heures d'ouverture
Du lundi au vendredi : 9 h 00-17 h 00
Le samedi : 9 h 00-12 h 30
