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1860s: The secrets buried in a Paris appartment’s walls
1860s: The secrets buried in a Paris appartment’s walls
1860’s Paris: Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history–but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.
Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. Soon, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years.
Boulevard Haussmann is one of the most famous streets in Paris. It is 2.53 kilometres or 1.57 miles long and stretches from the 8th to the 9th arrondissement.
The Boulevard Haussmann is mostly lined with apartment blocks, but two of the most famous department stores in the city, if not the world, Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps are located on this street.
There’s literary links too. The novelist Marcel Proust (1871–1922) lived at No. 102 from 1906 until 1922. You can see a model of his bedroom on display at the nearby Carnavalet museum which looks at the history of Paris and its streets.
Destination: Paris Author/guide: Tatiana de Rosnay Departure: 1860s
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