Picture this: it’s the late 1800s, and Épernay is in full swing. The population is exploding-rising from just over 7,000 in 1851 to a bustling 18,000 by 1891. People are pouring into the southern quarters, conversations spilling out of cafés, and everyone is thirsty... not just for fizz, but for bigger spaces. Even the local church, Notre-Dame, can no longer handle the number of worshippers. Imagine the weekly shuffle, people squeezing for a spot at mass, the sound of shuffling feet mixing with whispered prayers.
A solution pops up in the form of Paul Chandon de Briailles-yes, of the Moët & Chandon family, the fizz behind the fame. In 1893, Paul steps up with all the generosity of a champagne cork popping-he donates nearly 5,000 square meters of land, an area known as the Marais de Grandpierre, to build a new church for Épernay’s swelling south side. But Paul didn’t stop there. He and his sons, Gaston and Jean, commit to covering every last franc for constructing this church. Talk about putting your money where your bubbles are!
Now here’s the twist: a church is no good if you can’t get to it. So, Paul Chandon donates another 100,000 francs-imagine that in today’s money-to build the avenue you’re standing on now. In 1895, the city council drew the first lines of this grand path and, in a fit of gratitude (and perhaps a hint of flattery), they named it after their benefactor-Avenue Paul-Chandon. But building wasn’t simple. Picture the workers setting up from 1898 to 1904, laboring to reroute and cover a section of the Cubry River. All this so churchgoers wouldn’t need to row their way to services!
The generosity doesn’t stop there-a family tradition, it seems. In 1905, Paul’s son Raoul includes a whopping 100,000-franc bequest in his will for the city. In 1909, this gift is transformed into a promenade, aptly named the Square Raoul-Chandon, that encircles the proud new church at the end of your walk: the Église Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul.
As you stroll, take in the charming houses and surprises that dot the avenue, like the gorgeous brick-and-stone former Courrier du Nord-Est printing house at No. 1, or the Tuscan-style villa with its impressive tower at No. 43-more Mediterranean than Marne, and impossible to miss.
So, as you walk down Avenue Paul-Chandon, you’re following in the footsteps-and perhaps the celebratory toasts-of Épernay’s most generous patrons, moving from the lively center city to the majestic church that Paul Chandon made possible. Kindness, ingenuity, and-let’s be honest-a good investment in real estate all come together here. Makes you wonder: if every street had this much character, would GPS navigation be a lot more fun?
