Gaîté station

Gaîté is a station on Line 13 of the Paris Métro in the 14th arrondissement.

The station is named after the nearby rue de la Gaîté, which was a country road connecting Clamart with the Barrière du Montparnasse, a gate in the Wall of the Farmers-General at the intersection of the Boulevard Edgar-Quinet and the rue du Montparnasse. It was built between 1784 and 1791 by the Ferme générale, the corporation of tax farmers, to enforce the collection of taxes of goods, including wine, that were imported into Paris. Guinguettes, restaurants, and theatres were built outside the wall to avoid these taxes. "Gaîté" is an old French spelling of "gaiety", reflecting this trade.