Villa Léandre
Ce point d’intérêt est disponible en audio dans le circuit: Visit Paris, The Bohemian Quarter
Notting Hill – I mean, Villa Léandre – is a charming dead-end street lined with beautiful Anglo-Norman houses. It even has its own version of 10 Downing Street, home to the British Prime Minister. It’s London’s most famous address! As you’d expect, real estate prices here are sky-high, and the very same families have been calling this street home for generations. It’s easy to see why! But here’s an interesting tidbit: Juliette Gréco, the iconic French singer, apparently turned down a house here. It was a gift from her husband, Michel Piccoli, a renowned French actor, filmmaker, and producer. Now, let’s take a closer look at number 8 bis. This seemingly ordinary house was the scene of some great moments in the French Resistance, involving double agents and high-profile arrests! It was the hiding place of Armand Broni, Polish spy and leader of the Inter-Allied Network. during World War II. He and Mathilde Carré, alias La Chatte, were arrested here by the Gestapo in 1941. Her life was one wild ride. Mathilde, a former teacher and nurse, set up an incredible communications network within the French Resistance. But her story took a shocking turn. When arrested here by the Gestapo, she cracked and agreed to become a double agent for the Germans. She betrayed her comrades and had many of them arrested and convicted. But the plot thickens. A few months later, again on German orders, she convinced secret agent Pierre de Vaumécourt, known as Lucas, that she was still loyal to the Resistance and could help him contact the British. In 1942, Lucas, who had become her lover, grew suspicious of her, and Mathilde switched sides again, this time becoming not a double but a triple agent for the British! At the end of the war, she was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death, but was pardoned by President Vincent Auriol and sentenced to 20 years’ hard labor. She died in 2007, leaving behind two different versions of her memoirs.
Découvrez d’autres circuits pour visiter Paris
Découvrez Paris avec l’application navaway®
An interactive guide through the most beautiful streets, squares, and districts
18 fun audioguides full of historical facts, anecdotes, and legends
Comments