Rue Saint-Benoist derives its name from the former community of English Benedictine monks who were authorised to establish themselves on the south side of this street from 1619 onwards.
However these foreign monks were constrained to sell their monastery to the Benedictine Congregation of Saint-Maur which established itself there in 1669.
The Maurists embellished the church by installing marble statues in it ordered from Genoa and which, since the French Revolution, have been transferred to the cathedral.
At No. 5 is the portal to the old church. The pediment is decorated with the emblem of the Maurists: the word “Pax” (peace) inside a crown of thorns. Above it is a commemorative plaque featuring its construction and completion dates.
The monastery was closed down during the French Revolution and the old church was converted into a tobacco warehouse, and its choir and bell-tower were removed.
The Court of First Instance took over the premises in 1957, occupying what remained of them after the destruction that occurred during World War II.
At No. 8 is a portal flanked by two columns where the young François-René de Chateaubriand (Saint-Malo 1768 - Paris 1848) attended classes when he was 7 to 9 years old.
The 17th-century façades of numbers 6 and 8 were rebuilt exactly the way they used to be by the Historic Monuments Commission.
No. 12 is the presbytery, which was also rebuilt. Above its portal is an alcove that contains a statue of Saint Malo in his boat.
