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Gabrielle d’Estrées, a woman known more for her risque painting than of her life itself. Gabrielle was born around 1573, and daughter of Antoine d’Estrées, Baron de Boulonnois and Françoise de la Bourdaisieres. She was one of eleven children, seven of which were girls and gave them the moniker “seven deadly sins” by the Marquis de Sevigné.

Gabrielle mingled in the court of Henri III and where she met Roger de Bellegarde who was close with Henri III and Henri IV. On the occasion that Roger was meeting with Henri IV, Gabrielle was spotted at court, and Henri was instantly obsessed. For six months he chased her and she resisted until she finally gave in. 

Henri IV did not hide his relationship or the love he had for Gabrielle, even in the midst of trying to get his marriage to Marguerite de Valois annulled. To keep her close at court he orchestrated a marriage between Gabrielle and Nicolas d’Amerval on June 8, 1592. To thank him for his role, Nicolas was given the title of Baron de Benais. 

Henri was eager to end the marriage with Marguerite and to marry Gabrielle and asked Pope Clement VIII to dissolve his marriage. Clement had his own ideas and wanted Henri to marry his niece, Marie de Medici, and was slow-moving on giving Henri what he wanted. 

Always by his side, Gabrielle was instrumental in helping to end the many religious conflicts and converting Henri to Catholicism in 1593. However, she wasn’t loved by the people who called her the “duchess of garbage” and attacked her spending. Nonetheless, she sat next to Henri on his triumphant return to Paris later that same year. Henri had every intention to marry her and presented her with his coronation ring in front of the court. 

A painting that is sure to always catch the visitor’s eye is the presumed portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées and her sister the Duchess of Villars. Listen to the newest episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway on La Vie Creative podcast for her whole story and all about the eye-catching painting. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

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Yanique Francis is a Paris-based businesswoman. An expert event planner, travel writer, and industry consultant. Francis was born in Jamaica and lived in the USA. She earned her Master's Degree in International Communications and Marketing at Emerson College.

Francis founded MyParisianLife, a French Food and lifestyle blog in 2008, which went on to be named one of "best Paris blogs" by Spotted by Locals in 2019. In 2016, she founded the first elopement planning wedding agency in France, ElopeinParis.  She is passionate about radical self-care and creating your own joie de vivre. 

 In 2020, Francis founded Avance/Bien, a company that creates rituals of self-care for a female audience.

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The life of Juliette Drouet is closely tied to Victor Hugo, but she wasn’t always his mistress. 

Juliette’s beautiful head turning looks was garnering the attention of Paris, especially the men. In a way to help fund her shopping sprees, a life as a courtesan and on the stage fit the bill. Not exactly a natural actor, but her looks got the attention of the producers and audience and repeatedly got her roles onstage at the Theatre du Parc de Bruxelle in Paris. In 1833 a small role in Victor Hugo’s Lucretius Borgia would instantly catch the famed writer's attention. Mrs. Hugo, Adele even sent her a note that her husband would love to meet her. 

The first six months after they met it stayed very friendly until he couldn’t resist the fiery Juliette who had a reputation as a dominatrix. Toto, as she called Hugo in no time, paid off her debts and rented an apartment for her near his Place des Vosges home on the Rue Sainte-Anastase, but came with a very high cost. Her old ways on stage or as a courtesan had to stop and wasn’t allowed to leave her home without Victor Hugo. 

For fifty years, the two stayed together and she served as his secretary and copied each of his books and articles he wrote. Adele was aware of their relationship and even left in her will that her sons look after her in case Victor died before her. Adele had her own relationship with a former close friend of her husband Sainte-Beauve resulting in their  somewhat open marriage. 

Shortly after, Hugo was forced to exile to Brussels and out of the clutches of all the other women. Juliette set up his papers and a place to stay and traveled with him and stayed nearby allowing them to have a somewhat normal relationship. During his exile, Adele died back in Paris in 1868 and upon his return in 1870 Juliette was finally allowed into the doors of the Place des Vosges home and home on the now Avenue Victor Hugo. 

After 50 years together, on May 11, 1883 Juliette died of stomach cancer, she was 77 years old. Hugo was destroyed and would die two years later. 

Listen to the episode to learn more about her life that inspired art. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

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Heather Stimmler is an American-born journalist and author living in France since 1995. She started the Secrets of Paris newsletter in 1999 as a hobby while working as an editor at ELLE.com in Paris.

Over the next 20 years, Secrets of Paris grew into a private tour company and a guidebook publisher. In 2016 Heather became the Global Media Director for the international marine conservation group Sea Shepherd but still writes for Secrets of Paris in her free time, focusing as always on "fluff-free" news and insider tips on Paris for visitors and residents.

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Marie- Caroline de Bourbon-Siciles, aka the Duchesse de Berry was born in Naples the daughter of the Crown Prince Francis Duke of Calabria and Marie Clementine of Austria, niece of Marie Antoinette. At the time of her birth in 1798 Napoleon was charging his way through Italy forcing the family to flee to Palermo and later pushing them into Sisily. 

Marie-Caroline found her way to France after her marriage to Charles Ferdinand, Duc de Berry son of Charles X. Louis XVIII was in power and without an heir Sixty years old and a widow he declared his nephew his rightful heir to the throne. Charles Ferdinand needed a wife, although he had many mistresses and children in France and England.  The two were married in Notre Dame de Paris on June 17, 1816. 

In 1830 after the Three Glorious Day in July the family was forced to exile as Charles X was ousted. De Berry believed her son Henri who now took on the self-appointed title Henri V should be the king of France. Trying to gather enough support from other legitimate royal family members that she was trying to boost as she exiled to Italy. 

As word spread that she had returned to France she was a wanted woman. In Nantes, she hid in the home of Madame Duguigny across from the chateau of the Duke of Brittany. De Berry met her match in Simon Deutz who had learned of her hiding place and reported to the police who arrived to arrest her. Needing a place to hide she crawled up into the chimney, a great place to hide until one of the men lit a fire. Forcing her out she was arrested on November 7, 1832, and placed into jail. 

The plot thickens when she announces she is pregnant. The exiled royal family got word and turned their back on her. While she said she had secretly wed Hector-Lucichese-Palli, the dates weren’t adding up and was exiled from France to Palermo, and her children were left with Madame Royale, daughter of Marie Antoinette in Goritz. 

Her final years were spent between the Chateau in Brunnsee, Austria, and in Venice. On April 16, 1810, she died in Austria at 71 years old. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

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Jay Swanson is an author and vlogger over on YouTube where he shares his daily life as an American in Paris, including tips and tricks on visiting and living in the City of Light.

His latest book, Sea of the Unknown: Monsters and Mishaps on my Journey to Paris tells the story of how he wound up in Paris, got torn away from it, and managed to fight his way back. It's recently available on Audible.

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It’s a big day today for Paris History Avec A Hemingway podcast! It’s the 50th episode! It also happens to be my birthday and the same number. When trying to decide who we would talk about for this epic episode it was almost impossible. Then it came to me, it had to be about something in my favorite place to spend a day, the Musée du Louvre. 

The Louvre is filled with thousands of pieces of art, however, most people only visit a few when they spend a few hours inside the historic walls. The three most popular ladies of the Louvre, may hang and stand there waiting for the thousands to take a selfie with but they each also have a story. 

The Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world, her image is recreated onto everything but few people know she was a real person. Lisa Giocondo was a Florentine woman married to Francesco who had commissioned Leonardo to paint his wife. They had five children, sadly only two made it to adulthood. When she sat for Leonardo it was just after one of her children died, he captures her in her morning attire. Francesco would die before he could ever pay for the painting and the painting would travel to France with the artist and later bought by Francois I. 

My favorite of the three is the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The majestic headless lady stands high above the steps looking like she is about to take flight. Discovered in 1863 and dating back to the 2nd century BC. When she arrived at the Louvre in 1864 she was in 118 pieces. Her torso left-wing and lower body were first displayed without any plans to restore her. In 1871 a new restorer took on the task of putting her back together to the beautiful lady we see today. 

The Venus de Milo, may not even be Venus after all. The famous armless figure of beauty could be Amphitrite, goddess of the sea. Discovered by a Greek farmer on April 8, 1820, while looking for some rocks. Purchased for 1000 francs by the Marquis de Riviere on behalf of the French and after much negotiation, she was finally sent to Paris as a gift for Louis-Philippe. He gave it to the Louvre, where she has been since 1821. 

Learn even more about these three Ladies of the Louvre on today’s episode. Link in bio. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

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Brandi Sea is an award-winning Creative Director, Design & Brand Strategist, and passionate observer with a Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design. In addition to her design talents, she uses her 20 years of experience to help fellow creatives map out a plan to "discover uncommon inspiration" and produce more meaningful work. Brandi believes that every designer deserves to have a process that will get them past creative block. Through her podcast, Design Speaks, her online courses, YouTube channel, and blog, she works to empower designers with the tools they need to stay inspired and create work that gets noticed.

Brandi has been awarded for her poster design work including Judge’s Choice at the 2016 Adobe Creative Jam. In 2017, she was also awarded three Addys and the prestigious “Albuquerque 30" award from the American Advertising Federation, which celebrates the 30 greatest ideas of the year and has also taught Advanced Design Concepts at her alma matter, Southwest University of Visual Arts.

In her free time, you will likely find Brandi traveling, reading classic literature, discovering new music, rock climbing, or spending time with her husband and two kiddos. 

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Heloise, the name that may ring more of a bell as Heloise and Abelard. A couple is known as the French Romeo & Juliette long before Shakespeare would write the story. 

Heloise was born around 1092, it is unsure of her actual birthday and can swing into the 1070s depending on what you read. Heloise would spend most of her childhood raised by her brother and at 11 would be sent to Paris to live with her uncle Fulbert. 

Uncle Fulbert served as a canon at the Hotel Dieu de Paris on the Ile de la Cité where he also lived. His house on the Quai des Fleurs was large and had room for a few renters so he offered a room to Abelard. Abelard was a schoolmaster for the Cloister Catholic School and was known all over Paris for his handsome looks and charismatic personality. 

Abelard and Heloise were taken with each other immediately and to spend more time together he took her on as his personal student. The two began a very hot and steamy affair that they kept from Fulbert. That is until she became pregnant. Abelard took her to Brittany to stay with his sister Dionysis. In the fall of 1116 Astrolab was born. 

Heloise left Paris for the convent of Saint Marie d’Argenteuil where she would become a nun. Abelard would eventually leave Paris to set up his own convent and chapel and the two would keep in touch through their letters. 

In the 16th century, their first four letters were discovered and published and brought the story of the lovers to life. Over time more letters were found drawing a long list of fans including Josephine. 

In 1817, a new cemetery opened in Paris, today’s  Pere Lachaise. Far outside the city at the time, it was having a hard time drawing people who would want to be buried there. The idea was to move some famous residents that would draw others that would want to spend the rest of their lives next to the famous. Josephine led the charge to have Heloise and Abelard moved to Paris to lay together for eternity.

Alexandre Lenoir, the man who saved the monuments of France during the Revolution designed the Castrum Doloris, “castle of grief” a gothic revival structure with the two lying on top of a bed looking towards the sky. Lenoir used stones for the Oratoire du Paraclete that Abelard loved and built at the end of his life. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

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My name is Camille Roux dit Buisson, I was born and I live in Paris. I grew up surrounded by art, with my parents who were passionate, and especially because my father is an art dealer who started collecting Jacqueline Marval (1866 – 1932)’s work from the 1980s. He took me to Drouot and the Louvre des Antiquaires (where he had a gallery until the 2010s) all the time, which started to build the passion and admiration I have for art.

I used to work in fashion PR, communication, and marketing while keeping a foot in the arts; I would organize fashion events and shows but also art-related ones. After 3 years, I decided to join my father and to start working as an art dealer at the occasion of the 2018 Paris Biennale at the Grand Palais. Seeing his passion for Jacqueline Marval, and as I grew up surrounded by her art, I got more and more interested in her work and life.

 We just opened the Comité Jacqueline Marval with my father (Raphaël Roux dit Buisson) and my brothers (Lucien and Arthur, who have their own life but work with us & help us as well). The committee aims to allow the re-discovery of Jacqueline Marval’s work, from a contemporary viewpoint, as she arrived in a world that did not expect her, and in which she took a prominent role. It’s a beautiful space quite close to Berthe Weill’s Gallery, Ambroise Vollard’s, and also not very far from Le Bateau Lavoir.

From the exhibition of her works to the redaction of the Catalogue Raisonné, by compiling and making her archives accessible - crossed with the ones from museums and worldwide institutions (musée d’Orsay, Metropolitan Museum, universities, libraries, and so on), the Committee tells the story of this great artist.

My role is to bring her back to the light she was in and deserves.

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