Galerie Veró-Dodat: An Antique Lover’s Haven in Paris
Last Updated on 7th May 2024 by Sophie Nadeau
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Situated in the 1st arrondissement of the city, Galerie Veró-Dodat is close to the Louvre and is an antique lover’s haven in the heart of Paris. All tile flooring, stained glass ceiling, and vintage stores, the covered passage offers refuge from the elements and would most certainly have been a welcome reprieve from the mud of the streets during the 19th-century when the passage was originally installed…
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A history of Galerie Veró-Dodat
Galerie Veró-Dodat is one of Paris’ many covered passages. Largely constructed during the 17th, 18th, and 19th-centuries, these walkways were the precursor to the shopping malls of today and housed a series of boutiques, hotels, and shops.
However, with the advent of department stores, the covered arcades fell out of favour and out of the 150 or so that originally graced the streets of Paris, now only a handful remain.
That of Galerie Vero Dodat in the 1st arrondissement of Paris was constructed by two charcutiers (butchers) in 1826. Entrances to the arcade can be found at 19 Rue de Jean-Jacques Rousseau and 2 Rue Bouloi. Vero-Dodat was built so as to serve as a walkway between Palais Royal and Les Halles and is the perfect spot to hide from the weather during a rainy day in Paris.
Styled in a Neo-Classical design, the passage was constructed at the very height of the passages couverts popularity, meaning that though this arcade is not the most famous, nor is it the most sumptuous, wander inside and you can expect to find mahogany façades and a vintage vibe.
Be sure to look up as the ceiling space that’s not lit by stained glass windows is covered in ornate carvings. Listed as a historic monument in 1965, the covered walkway Though the arcade is not particularly long, a greater depth of field is created by the diamond marble paving.
Highlights of Galerie Vero Dodat
Restaurant Veró-Dodat, 19 Galerie Véro-Dodat
Well reviewed and located in the heart of the gallery, Restaurant Veró-Dodat has been serving all kinds of traditional French fare for well over twenty years. If you’re lucky enough, you may even get a seat on the table in the covered passage (rather than inside the restaurant itself.) There, you can sip on your wine and watch the world go by…
Statues from Greek Mythology
Flanking either side of the entrance to the gallery on Rue du Bouloi, there are two statues representing figures from Greek mythology. Whereas one is of Hermes with his winged helmet, the other is of Hercules dressed in the skin of the Nemean lion.
How to visit Galerie Veró-Dodat
If you’re looking for the perfect rainy day activity in France, then you need to look no further than this covered walkway. Close to must-see Parisian attractions such as the Louvre and Rue Saint Honoré, once inside the long walkway you’ll soon discover a plethora of shops and eateries worth visiting. Free to visit, the Gallery is open from Monday to Saturday from 7 am to 10 pm.
Love this post!!! As a lover of culture, history, and all things out of the ordinary to experience those, this article really captured my attention. I fell in love with arcades and covered malls when I was in Cardiff and I didn’t realize there were so many in Paris (another reason why I need to return there).