Occupation of the site goes back to the Middle Ages. Excavations undertaken in 2002 revealed that the cellars of the house were troglodyte dwellings dating to the late medieval period—the only ones discovered in Paris to date.
During the Ancien Regime, the slopes of Passy were terraced, allowing the planting of vineyards and vegetable gardens as well as residential construction of. During the 18th century, luxurious private establishments as well as more modest houses were built in Passy. Among these were this house, and the mansion to which it belonged, supposedly built thanks to Jean de Jullienne (1686-1766), a wealthy manufacturer, a patron of the arts, and a great collector.
After the Revolution, Passy’s splendid mansions were converted into rental properties and broken up into multiple apartments leased to one or more individuals. In the 19th century, Passy remained a small village largely inhabited by tenants of modest means.
‘Balzac had left the Rue des Batailles for Les Jardies; he then went to live at Passy. ‘The house where he lived, perched on a steep incline, offered a singular architectural arrangement. One entered much as wine into a bottle. It was necessary to climb down three floors in order to reach the first.’
Théophile Gautier, Honoré de Balzac, 1859
Troglodyte dwellings: dwellings carved into the rock.
