On the Île de la Cité, Rue de la Colombe takes its name from a touching love story between two birds dating back to the 13th century, commemorated by the sculptures and bas-reliefs at number 4 on the street.
At this spot, a Breton sculptor was working in the 13th century on the construction of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. He had tamed a pair of doves. One day, the house collapsed, trapping them in the rubble. Only the male managed to escape.
Every day, he flew to Paris to gather seeds to feed his companion and brought her water from the Seine using a blade of straw. Moved by this devotion, the local residents joined forces to free the female.
On the day of their reunion, the doves took flight into the sky, dancing as a thank-you to those who had saved them.
Legend or reality? This story, passed down from generation to generation throughout the Middle Ages, attracted Parisian newlyweds until the 16th century, who came here to swear fidelity. This tradition was later banned by the Church of Notre-Dame, which considered it a pagan act.
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