Juiverie street

Rue de la Juiverie, a medieval memory

The Nantes audio-guided tour has you enter Rue de la Juiverie which, as its name indicates, was in the Middle Ages the district where the Jewish community of the city lived. This street, laden with a painful history, deserves to be walked with gravity and respect.

A community protected then persecuted

A Jewish presence is attested in Nantes from Roman times. In the Middle Ages, the community lived under the protection of the Count of Brittany and could, for a fee, have its own justice and its magistrates. But it had to observe set hours, and the street was closed each evening by heavy chains. At the beginning of the thirteenth century, nobles fell into debt with Jewish lenders to go on crusade. In 1235, several Jews were murdered, and the following year, Duke Peter I had all the Jews of Brittany expelled, thereby cancelling the debts contracted.

What there is to see

The street, narrow and old, is today listed as a historic monument and was restored using old techniques. Its façades, with carefully chosen colours, evoke medieval Nantes. Beyond its charm, it invites remembrance of a community and a history marked by protection then persecution, in a stop steeped in contemplation.

Practical information

Rue de la Juiverie is in the historic district of Nantes, near the château and the Bouffay district. It can be walked freely at all hours and on the level. Listed as a historic monument, it can be discovered along the walk in old Nantes.

Why is it called Rue de la Juiverie?

Because it was in the Middle Ages the district of residence of the Jewish community of Nantes, whose presence is attested from Roman times.

What does the history of this street recall?

A painful history: a community first protected, subject to restrictions, then struck by violence in 1235 and the expulsion from Brittany the following year.