First come, first parked

Major partners of the Paris Opera’s 350th anniversary

Major partners of
the Paris Opera’s 350th anniversary

A suivre:

Abbé Perrin (Director of...

Under the Ancien Régime, horse-drawn carriages enjoyed priority rights when parking in front of the Opera. This privilege meant that on their arrival, the carriages would have to park according to a particular order that respected protocol: Princes, ministers and ambassadors came first, the conveyances of the bourgeoisie came second, and the hired hackney carriages came last. In accordance with the same protocols, no carriage could leave prior to the departure of the ones belonging to the Princes. This privilege, which caused considerable traffic congestion, was abrogated by a decree issued by King Louis XVI in 1780.