The boulevard des Italiens is one of the four ‘grands boulevards’ in Paris, a chain running east west and also including boulevard de la Madeleine, Boulevard des Capucines and boulevard Montmartre. The origin of the name is the théâtre des Italiens built on it in 1783, shortly before the French Revolution (now replaced by the Opéra-Comique).
Boulevard des italiens, Paris 1936
Historical Pictures 