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Ancien Cloitre Quartier Review

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Ancien Cloître Quartier

Address: Rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame north to quai des Fleurs, Ile de la Cité, Paris | Map It

Category: Neighborhoods/Streets
Location: Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis

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Fodor's Review:

Hidden in the shadows of Notre-Dame is this magical, often-overlooked tangle of medieval streets. Through the years lucky folk, including Ludwig Bemelmans (who created the beloved Madeleine books) and the Aga Khan have called this area home, but back in the Middle Ages this was the domain of cathedral seminary students. One of them was the celebrated Peter Abélard (1079-1142)—philosopher, questioner of the faith, and renowned declaimer of love poems. Abélard boarded with Notre-Dame's clergyman, Fulbert, whose 17-year-old niece, Héloïse, was seduced by the compelling Abélard, 39 years her senior. She became pregnant and the vengeful clergyman had Abélard castrated; amazingly, he survived and fled to a monastery, while Héloïse took refuge in a nunnery. The poetic, passionate letters between the two cemented their fame as thwarted lovers, and their story inspired a devoted following during the romantic 19th century. They still draw admirers to the Père Lachaise Cemetery, where they're interred ensemble. The clergyman's house at 10 rue Chanoinesse was redone in the 1800s, but a plaque commemorates the lovers; the Ancien Cloître just might have you reciting love poems.