The oldest house in Paris?

Dear Everyone,

For years and years, 3, rue Volta was reputed as being the oldest house in Paris. All the history books on this capital city had a pic of it, under which the caption 'The Oldest House in Paris'...but they were wrong! It took the perseverence of a historian who researched the subject to put an end to the legend in 1979. The house on rue Volta proved to be nothing but a pastiche built by a citizen of Paris in 1644.

Sadly, the oldest house in Paris only dates from 1407 (Sighisoara wins!)! Its dark, austere facade can be seen at 51, rue de Montmorency, (metro Rambuteau, 3è) not so very far from rue Volta. It was built by a certain Nicolas Flamel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamel), alchemist and scribe at the University of Paris, who financed free lodgings for agricultural workers and fruit and vegetable growers from nearby areas with rent collected from the shops on the ground floor. He was also a friend of Dumbledore's, for you HP fans.

The words engraved along the front wall while the benefactor was still alive, continue to bear witness to that promise: 'We men and women, living under the roof of this house built in the year 1407 are honourably bound to recite one Paternoster and one Hail Mary every day, and to ask God, in His grace, to forgive the sins of the poor departed. Amen.'

Flamel's initials are visible on the pillars whose bas-relief sculptures, restored in 1929, are in a pretty bad state. Ora et labora (Pray and work) was the motto of Nicolas Flamel's house, the oldest in the capital...at least for now.

Comments

[Nicole]

Just adding my 2 cents, here is some info with pictures:
http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/paris-stories/paris-story-oldest-house.htm