{"id":84385,"date":"2017-12-05T09:38:55","date_gmt":"2017-12-04T22:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/?p=84385"},"modified":"2017-12-08T10:41:03","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T23:41:03","slug":"paris-brothels-walking-tour-itinerary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/2017\/12\/05\/paris-brothels-walking-tour-itinerary\/","title":{"rendered":"The lost brothels of Paris: a walking tour including itinerary"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MyFrenchLife\u2122<\/a>Until World War II, Paris was swarming with \u2018Maisons Closes<\/a>\u2019 (brothels) and men in power, artists, intellectuals, the European aristocracy, were regular clients of the most prestigious ones. As shocking as this statement may seem now, brothels were unquestionably an integral part of the Fin-de-Si\u00e8cle<\/a> society. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Paris: an endless source of inspiration<\/span><\/h3>\n

When I submitted my first article to MyFrenchLife\u2122 magazine, I expected it to be also the last one.<\/p>\n

Little did I know I would gradually become addicted to practising this kind of exercise. As diverse as my topics can be, what they all have in common is that they\u2019ve originated from the life of a French former-expat mature woman, who shares her time between Paris and the South of France.<\/p>\n

This quick biography is, in spite of appearances, long enough to explain that my sources of inspiration are endless. Most of the time, these ideas just come to me automatically.<\/p>\n

Paris brothels: there used to be 195!<\/span><\/h3>\n

Recently I found out that the first floor of The respectable Delaville<\/a> Caf\u00e9, where I had attended a meeting and sat comfortably in a Napoleon-III arm-chair, counted among the most famous brothels of \u2018La Belle Epoque<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"MyFrenchLife\u2122<\/p>\n

Today, I read an article<\/a> in the New York Times about another such place, \u2018Aux Belles Poules\u2019 (The Beautiful Hens), that had a preserved ceramic frieze and was being restored (see right) not to serve its original purpose of course!<\/p>\n

In fact, brothels had enjoyed their finest hours for over a hundred years before they were definitely closed in 1946. At the time there were up to 195 in Paris alone! Though they do not shelter the same activities any longer, the buildings are still erect and there is no denying they belong to the French heritage now.<\/p>\n

For all these reasons, I could not resist immersing myself more deeply into this unknown and intriguing territory.<\/p>\n

My own Paris brothels walking tour<\/span><\/h3>\n

Considering this figure, of 195 brothels and the enormous bulk of information one can gather on the subject comprising:-<\/p>\n