There are a few cursed places in Paris. You could mention the terrible Rue Erlanger in the 16th, which has seen a cannibal, a fire, and even the suicide of a star over a few decades. Or how about the haunted house on Rue Frochot in the 18th? But today, we’re taking you to discover the square La Bruyère in the 9th. At first glance, it’s a lovely dead-end street, but it actually hides a number of secrets.
I love the people living in square La Bruyère, they are real. #Paris
— Paris Liebe (@liebe_paris) March 29, 2019
Well, to start off, we could tell you that the square has seen a few Parisian personalities, like the actress Régina Badet and the playwright Félix Galipaux. Or even that it hosted the Chilean Embassy. But honestly, we don't really care about that, and we're not here for that. What we want is strange, mysterious, and even bloody experiences!
A Bewitched Apartment
For that, we first head to number 3, which was the theater in the 1920s famous for the Bassarabo affair. In August 1920, the body of a Romanian-born commission agent is found in a trunk at the Nancy train station. The investigation progresses quite quickly, and it turns out that the culprit is none other than his wife, Louise Grouès. A
Un appartement du square La Bruyère (Paris 9) est libre si vous le voulez !
— Le Traqueur (@_letraqueur_) April 25, 2019
Seul problème : Ce lieux aurait été le lieux de drames très violents.
1ere victime de cette maison : un jeune locataire dont le cadavre coupé à la scie aurait été retrouvé dans une malle à gare de Lyon. pic.twitter.com/pnje5P6vpy
Since then, this apartment has had quite a tragic fate, as the next tenant took her own life under circumstances that still remain quite mysterious today. The following occupant, an antique dealer, quickly had to move out after noticing that all of his furniture and decorative items suddenly started rotting, without any explanation. A few years later, finally, a tenant threw himself out of the window. So, as of the latest news, the apartment is still available, if your heart desires it…
A Leap in Time
To add to the mystery, let’s just head next door, to number 2. In this seemingly ordinary building lies an apartment with an extraordinary history. In 2010, while Solange Beaugiron, an elderly lady with no family living in the south of France, died…
Now, the notaries discover with astonishment that she is the owner of a property in the 9th district, which she hasn’t set foot in for 70 years. A visit is organized, and there, it’s a true treasure that unfolds.Portrait de Madame de Florian, by Italian painter Giovanni Boldini (1900-10). In private collection. pic.twitter.com/7OGqP6bQ0x
— WikiVictorian (@wikivictorian) December 10, 2022
We then discover that Solange, who fled the capital during the occupation and vowed never to return, is actually the granddaughter of Marthe de Florian, a famous actress and socialite from the Belle Époque. In the rooms, where no one had set foot since 1940, we find letters from Georges Clemenceau (her lover), as well as from Aristide Briand and from Ernest Cognacq. And wow, as the cherry on top, there’s a stunning portrait of the young woman created by the famous Italian painter Boldini, which would sell a few years later for nearly 2 million euros. Quite a story if you ask us…
