History of the Hotel
The Hotel Cluny Sorbonne was originally, in the 18th century, a mansion whose owners were a noble family. It was decapitated during the French Revolution of 1789, and the hotel became a popular pension, in this district of the 5th district which was poor and even a little “cut-throat”.
This pension was initially for workers by the week. Then the neighborhood became more of an artists district, over time. That’s why, for example, Arthur Rimbaud lived there. Verlaine lived in the rue Saint-Jacques or rue Gay Lussac, before the Rue de Vaugirard. They met around a table at one of the first cafés in the Place de la Sorbonne, often for a glass of absinthe, or at Montparnasse, like so many other artists of the 1890s. Or at the Brasserie Flanders and the Ardennes.
Arthur Rimbaud stayed at this hotel
Arthur Rimbaud stayed at the Cluny Sorbonne hotel, 8 rue Victor Cousin, in June 1872. His tiny room still exists! It can be remembered by reserving well in advance. Arthur Rimbaud is one of the greatest French poets, inspirer of the surrealist current. He was a poet of the teenage revolt. He wrote a collection of poems during his stay at the hotel. “But, at this moment I have a pretty room (room 62) on a bottomless court. The street Victor Cousin is corner on the Place de la Sorbonne by the cafe of Bas-Rhin, and overlooks rue Soufflot. “
In fact the Latin Quarter, with its picturesque streets, its cafes and restaurants, its stones steeped in history is the center of Parisian intellectual life past and present. This was the 19th arrondissement of artists with Montparnasse, the Parnassian and Symbolists. This subtle blend of entertainment, celebration, art and culture, quiet village and vibrant cosmopolitan city, grand monuments and small shops will make your stay at the Cluny Hotel a magical moment.