Le Caveau des Oubliettes...

Definition of Oubliette:  a secret dungeon with a trapdoor in the ceiling where persons are condemned to perpetual imprisonment, to perish secretly

On the corner of rue Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre and the narrow, historic Rue Galande, there sits a curious little bar, Le Caveau des Oubliettes, Le Guillotine Bar. In another lifetime, this dimly lit bar served as a  holding place for the unfortunate prisoners during the time of The Revolution (1793).  Those who were  thrown down into Le Caveau (The Cave) were awaiting their meeting with the newly developed trademark of the Revolution, Le Guillotine.  The thick walls of the stairwell and heavy trap door covering Le Caveau helped obscure the wails and howling of the prisoners.

Coming in off the street,  you will find a darkly lit, atmospheric bar and beyond the bar lies the staircase where you will descend into "Le Caveau des Oubliettes"...the cave of the forgotten.  The walls are decorated  with heavy chains, handcuffs, and a barred window...reminders of the room's past.

The space below is cramped with only twelve wooden tables.  Here a jazz or blues band performs into the night. When the doors open at 10 pm. there is always a  mad dash of people heading for the stairwell leading downstairs to the entertainment.  It is a one of the more unique ways to experience music and a piece of history at once.

It is nice to know that this historic relic in history has survived!

A bientôt,
Henri