Galerie Véro-Dodat, covered arcade near the Palais-Royal since 1826

The Galerie Véro-Dodat, a covered arcade off rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau, opened in 1826 in the 1st arrondissement. It bears the names of its two developers, Benoît Véro and François Dodat, two prosperous pork butchers who had it built between rue du Bouloi and the former rue de Grenelle-Saint-Honoré.

A shortcut between the Palais-Royal and Les Halles, the arcade owed its success to the neighbouring Messageries Laffitte et Caillard: travellers waiting for their stagecoach strolled past the shops. The print dealer Aubert, publisher of Le Charivari and La Caricature, showed the caricaturists of his day here. The tragedian Rachel lived at number 23 from 1838 to 1842.

The Second Empire and the end of the coaching office began its decline. Listed as a historic monument in 1965 and fully restored in 1997, it remains in joint ownership. The antique dealer Robert Capia sold old dolls here from 1966 to 2004.

The arcade keeps its diagonal black and white tiles, its ceilings painted with landscapes and, on the rue du Bouloi side, statues of Hermes and a satyr. Art galleries and interiors and furniture shops line the glass roof, a short walk from the Palais-Royal and the Louvre.