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Newsletter The Month of Romanticism in Paris. Bonjour Parismarais Readers, What could be more appropriate than to name February the month of romanticism in Paris, the most romantic city in the world? And le Marais the most romantic area of all Paris – a district full of history and stories of romance, all from the golden age of the Marais. This month, we offer you a special treat with an excerpt from a book by Thirza Vallois, a top Paris expert. Everyone deserves a little romance in their life, no matter which language they speak, and that’s why the ParisMarais.com web site will soon offer many articles in French, English, Italian, German and Russian...
A ROMANTIC VISIT TO LE MARAIS Magnificence, arty stylishness, eccentricity, and a certain measure of cultural diversity combine to make the Marais one of the city’s most exciting areas. A glamorous, aristocratic past completes the picture with beautiful architecture, sprinkled along the way with spicy stories of passion and romance. A stroll past some of the neighbourhood’s shrines of love could be a stimulating starter for your Valentine’s celebrations now coming up.
Madeleine de Scudéry had none of the requisites of a courtesan, and her home on the dark, narrow rue de Beauce on the northern side of the Marais, had none of the lustre of the more palatial hotels; but she was one of the enlightened women of her century and her ‘salon’ was a draw to the intellectual upper crust. Among them the philosopher Leibnitz who liked to communicate with her parrot which shared her gem of a garden with a warbler and a wren (hence the corner rue des Oiseaux). Love was on everyone’s lips at her gatherings, though limited to its platonic expression, as reported by the amused Ninon, “They speak a lot about it but never make it.” Nor were the members of the circle particularly alluring. Mademoiselle de Scudéry was by then an ageing woman in her forties… whilst her favourite suitor, Pellisson, was short, with “a hump which he carried on his shoulders […] His two legs were of unequal length, he was blind in one eye, and could not see with the other”, according to writer Furetière. Molière was barely more sparing towards the women, those bas bleus (‘bluestockings’) he lampooned in his farce Les Précieuses ridicules. Poet Scarron’s house, at 56 rue de Turenne, was just as modest, yet the gatherings at his place were no less popular, “the meeting-place of the most polished members of the court and of all the great minds of Paris.” Molière, La Fontaine, Lully, the Duc d’Orléans (the future Regent), all climbed up the steps of his modest house, bringing their own food in recognition of their hosts’ slender means. 41-year-old Scarron was deformed and crippled, bed-ridden in excruciating pain. Impoverished 15-year-old Françoise d’Aubigné agreed to marry because the only other alternative offered to a girl in her condition was a nunnery. Ninon described the young woman as clumsy in matters of love, but she was already practical and clear-sighted. Once widowed, aged 23, she rose from the role of governess of Louis XIV’s children to that of his official mistress, Madame de Maintenon, then his wife (though never Queen of France) – the only such case in French history. In the court of France, mistresses provided pleasure, the role of queens was procreation. The fact that the King nicknamed her ‘ma solidité’ sums up the secret of her success. No less astonishing is the story of Cateau la Borgnesse (one-eyed Cateau). By all accounts she was hardly more attractive than Pellisson, who had the advantage over her of being a man, a brilliant academician, and the King’s historiographer. Cateau was Anne of Austria’s chambermaid and was married to an ordinary commoner Pierre Beauvais, a mercer by trade. It seems that the Queen had confided in her about her concern that her son Louis might take after his supposedly frigid father, Louis XIII. Thereupon, the chambermaid decided to take the matter in her own hands and promptly introduced the young King to the facts of life. In her gratitude, the Queen appointed her husband Councillor to the King and bestowed upon him the title of Baron. The couple was also granted a substantial sum of money to build the palatial mansion at 68 rue François Miron, in the southern part of the Marais. Her social betters did not fail to mock her for opening shops on the ground floor of her palace, but she wasn’t bothered by the gossip and led a dissolute life, attended by a long list of lovers, who were just as unbothered by her unprespossessing looks. The palace has been renovated recently and can be appreciated from the courtyard. As you step in, give a thought to 7-year-old Mozart who stayed at the Hôtel Beauvais with his father and sister Nannerl in 1763/4, the guests of the Ambassador of Bavaria who lived there at the time. On 1 January the boy was introduced to the court at Versailles and acclaimed as a prodigy, but he was upset when they left, because Madame de Pompadour had not kissed him.
What the press had to say: I think we can safely toss all other Paris guidebooks aside. Paris is made for walking and Thirza Vallois's guides are made for Paris. They should soon achieve legendary status. Here's to 'Around and About Paris.' On your next flight to Paris, don't leave home without it. A riveting tour history of Paris... an unpatronising, anecdotal, user-friendly walking guide to where, who and why of each building, park and street-name in Paris. Entertaining at all times, and full of erudition and historical anecdote, she out-Baedekers Baedeker even at his best! Treat yourself to this treasure. ROMANTIC HOTELS IN LE MARAIS
ROMANTIC SHOPS
WHERE TO START YOUR ROMANCE If you’re a single man looking for a single woman
The Auld Alliance Or use PARISMARAIS SMALL ADS TO MEET YOUR MATCH! If you're a single man looking for a single man Les Piétons (tapas bar)
Les Marronniers (café terrace) Or use PARISMARAIS SMALL ADS TO MEET YOUR MATCH! If you're a single woman looking for a single man
Or use PARISMARAIS SMALL ADS TO MEET YOUR MATCH! If you re a single woman looking for a single woman
Or use PARISMARAIS SMALL ADS TO MEET YOUR MATCH! ROMANTIC APARTMENTS IN LE MARAIS
Here are the most romantic apartments you can find in le Marais, most of them are run directly by private owners and we encourage you consider these criteria when you make your choice…first you are welcomed like a friend, second you often benefit from special deals, then when connecting through our site you are put directly in touch with the owners, who are very pleased to connect with you, rather than dealing through an anonymous agency. This is the new trend for upscale travel everywhere. You want to be treated personally when on your Parisian getaway, and apartment owners are more pleased to welcome individuals. Make your choice and connect with the best apartments you can find in le Marais – all are listed here and 10 new additions will be coming soon… ROMANTIC AND SMOKE-FREE PARIS... AT LAST! The sad news is that 66,000 French die each year of diseases related to smoking. The good news is that finally, the French government has decided they would save us more money by cutting hospital bills than by taking 80% of cigarette sales in taxes. The average price of cigarettes in France is about 5 euros for 20 cigarettes. If someone smokes one pack a day it means 365 x 5 = 1825 euros, or 1500 euros lining French government pockets. This is the equivalent of the cost of a one week stay in hospital, paid at 100% by our generous social security health system! Starting February 1, smoking is forbidden in France in all public places, offices, shops metro trains and every place that is open to the public. Only in bars and restaurants will smoking be allowed for one more year, with smoking and non-smoking sections still in effect. But in 2008 smoking will be banned in all bars and restaurants everywhere in France, just like in Ireland and Italy who are successfully following this new European trend. Very good news for all of us, especially our American visitors. By the way, do you know which hotel is the most successful in le Marais, getting the most bookings with us? It is Villa Mazarin, the first completely non-smoking hotel in le Marais. Mr. Perkins, the manager, made a very good choice when opening it two years ago… Book online http://www.parismarais.com/4-star-hotels-in-le-marais-paris.htmROMANTIC VIEW FROM A NON-ROMANTIC BUILDING The Pompidou Center is celebrating it’s 30th birthday this year. Opened in 1977, it was then called the oil factory in the heart of le Marais. What most people forget is that it greatly contributed in making this area the most tourist one in Paris, as well improving its gentrification.
But the Pompidou Center is worth a visit, even if you don’t like modern art. You can at least go for a drink, high tea or dinner at Georges, run by the Costes Family, who also own many of the top locations in Paris, such as Café Beaubourg and Hotel du Bourg Tibourg. To avoid paying the museum entrance fee, access the top floor by entering via the lift on the north side of the plaza and say you’re going to “Georges” – the door man will let you go up, direct for free. YOUR ROMANTIC PARIS EXPERIENCE? Parismarais
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Your Subscription: To receive more news about Paris, subscribe to Parler Paris Newsletter and twice a week you will receive the latest information, events, tips, and details about what’s new in the French capital, written by Adrian Leeds, our real estate specialist and a long time resident of Le Marais. Visit www.parlerparis.com Copyright 2007, parismarais.com
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The crème de la crème lived on Place Royale (renamed place des Vosges, in 1800, after the first department to have paid its taxes to the young Republic). “The most beautiful quarter in the town of stylishness is the big square which can verily be said to be royal”, as reported by the abbé d’Aubignac who lived in the 17th century, the golden age of the Marais. Among the residents of the square was Henri IV’s former minister Maximilien de Béthune, Marquis de Rosny and Duc de Sully, who bought the palace at no. 7, now home to the Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques et des Sites. By then Sully was a fulfilled old man of 75, laden with titles and pensions. He liked to strut under the arcades or dance the pavan with young women of doubtful reputation, unaware of the outdated figure he cut in his Renaissance garb. Apparently he was open-minded enough not to mind being cuckolded by his young wife and went so far as to provide generously for the upkeep of her lovers. But he did not wish to bump into them on the main staircase, and had a separate one installed to his wife’s apartments. His granddaughter, the Duchess of Rohan, lived across the square when she became widowed in 1655, upon which she rented the present no. 26, but wouldn’t pay her rent. Despite her social position, she ended by being evicted, while her furniture was seized and piled into the square to await removal, in view of all. Not that anyone was particularly shocked. Living beyond one’s means and getting into debt was an accepted way of life among the nobility no less than leading a loose or debauched life. 
Marion Delorme, residing at no. 11, had no such pedigree, but gained access to the upper strata of society thanks to her charms. Cardinal Richelieu is said to have been one of her lovers, whom she visited twice, once dressed as a man. The second time the Cardinal gave her as a present a basket of sixty pistols, we are told by Talleyrand des Réaux, a notorious gossip. The somewhat younger Ninon de Lenclos also chose a life of gallantry, – “The triumph of vice conducted with wit”, as the famous Duc de Saint Simon put it. Her wit and musical talent, allied with her sexual appeal, made her irresistible to the greats of France — the Maréchal d’Estrées, Gondi, Condé, Richelieu, the Sévigné (both father and son) – no one disdained her company and she welcomed them all into her generous bed, at 36 rue des Tournelles, north of Place Royale. The puritanical Anne of Austria, the wife of Louis XIII and mother of Louis XIV, was impervious to her charms and had her locked up at the Madelonnettes, a convent turned prison for repentant whores, despite her protestations that she was “neither a whore nor repentant!” As her sexual appetite waned with the passing of years, she presided over one of the city’s literary salons and frequented the likes of Queen Christina of Sweden, Madame de Sevigné, Madame de Maintenon…
Thirza Vallois is the author of the internationally acclaimed 'Around and About Paris' series of books and 'Romantic Paris', not to mention the Paris entry to the Encarta Encyclopaedia. She has lived in Paris for more than 40 years and is an expert on all things Parisian. She lectures worldwide on Paris and France and contributes her comments to television, radio and the printed press. She has appeared on BBC, PBS, the Travel Channel, CNN, Discovery, the French Cultural Channel, has talked to scores of radio stations in the US and Britain, and has contributed articles to the Financial Times, United Airlines' Hemispheres, Condé Nast Traveller, and more. Her 'Three Perfect Days in Paris', commissioned for United Airlines' Hemispheres, won her the North American Travel Journalists' Association award and was aired as a film on United Airlines international flights and on television around the world. At present, she is completing a new book on the last hidden corner of France, the Aveyron, home to the recently opened Millau Viaduct, Roquefort cheese and other delights...
Hotel Saint Paul 
Hotel Beaubourg
Hotel Jacques de Molay
The Marais Guesthouse
Les Comptoirs de Carthage
Cosy Cocoon
Le Boudoir et sa Philosophie
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I can remember when I was a kid, my parents said “Don’t go to Les Halles – it’s dangerous, and full of prostitutes, the streets are dirty….” That was true. At that time nobody wanted to live there, rue Saint Martin and rue Saint Denis were the most unwanted streets in central Paris. Today, the purchase price is no less than 7000 euros a square meter to buy. Now people are fighting to live there even if building prices are over estimated considering their condition.
