Description

Guided tour of a brothel entrance, prostitution past and present, Paris 2nd arrondissement tour. This 75-minute tour will immerse you in the history of prostitution in the Saint-Denis district, which for 1200 years has been a hotbed of debauchery and exploitation in Paris.<br><br> The unique aspect of this tour is that it revisits all these worlds and their protagonists, past and present: for since antiquity, a distinct classification of these "places of pleasure" has existed: a brothel is not a "brothel" or a "lullaby." Similarly, the legendary Cocottes, the rebellious women, and the Courtesans are not the "Girls of Joy" or "Gina the Whipping Woman" condemned to 60 clients a day for soldiers.<br><br> What was daily life like for these women in these enclosed spaces, the reputation of the big houses, who was the madam, the recruiter or the placement agent, the preferences of the clients... anonymous or known.<br><br> This vast theme was of great interest to our authors, critics or artists: Balzac, Flaubert, the Goncourt brothers, Maupassant or Jean Lorrain, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso...<br><br> You will first enter one of the most coveted and risqué Parisian establishments under Napoleon III, a place where legendary socialites and influential men mingled, a place where everything was "luxury, calm, and pleasure." Only its plush decor of silk, velvet, alcoves, and boudoirs reminds us of this past of fantasy and consumption, because the 1946 law led to the closure of all brothels, forcing these women to return to prostituting themselves on the streets.<br><br> We will not forget the Parisian press, before joining a more gregarious, expeditious, cruel universe, where these women are called "bedside rugs, omnibuses, white sausage boilers...".<br><br> You will situate today's laws.<br><br> Your walk will take you past erotic places classified as "Les Belles Poules", others opened in 2018 which cause a scandal in Paris when it comes to renting plastic dolls at 80 Euros per session.<br><br> This subject will be treated seriously, but humor will be welcome.<br><br> <b>Please note:</b><br> Please note: the visit may be cancelled if there are fewer than 8 participants.