Cour de l'Industrie

The Cour de l'Industrie holds a jagged, iron-studded gate that opens onto a narrow, paved alleyway hidden from the bustle of the street. In the mid-nineteenth century, this space functioned as a concentrated hub for cabinetmakers and artisans who crammed their workshops into the small studios lining the courtyard. When the French authorities tightened regulations on workshop noise and fire hazards, these craftsmen stayed put, turning the court into a defiant, tightly knit enclave of traditional manufacturing that persisted long after industrialization moved elsewhere.