The Bon Marché was the first French department store selling goods at clearly-labelled fixed prices. Its success led to the opening of the Hôtel Lutétia (1911) nearby to attract customers from out of town. With its superb art deco interior, it was home to many artists between the wars and was used to shelter returning deportees in 1945.

The Cherche-Midi military prison which had held Dreyfus was demolished in 1966. François Mauriac was a renowned author and Nobel Prize winner.

Sainte-Beuve the literary critic died at 11 rue du Montparnasse on October 11th 1869. General de Gaulle lived at 110 boulevard Raspail from 1932 to 1937.

see Artists' studios in Montparnasse

Novelist Pierre Benoit lived at n°207 and poet  Pierre Seghers at n°230 boulevard Raspail.

Like most bronze statues, that of Raspail was melted down during the Occupation. Ludovic Trarieux founder of the French Human Rights movement is commemorated in Square Ledoux at place Denfert Rochereau.

The twin toll gate houses by Ledoux are remnants of the 18^th century  wall and were the setting for the 3rd act of Puccini’s La Bohème.

St. Pierre de Montrouge was designed in 1870 by Vaudremer who was also the archtitect of ND d'Auteuil , lycées (high schools) Buffon and Molière, prison of La Santé, etc...