Just before the rumblings of WW2 echoed throughout Europe in the 1940s, one woman, granddaughter of Parisian socialite Marthe de Florian, would abandon her beautiful home located near the Pigalle Red Light District, (also where Moulin Rouge is located) and flee for the the South of France, never to set foot in her opulent abode again. Deeming it the ‘Time Capsule Apartment.’
My Modern Met
As Marthe fled from a Nazi raid in Paris over 70 years ago, everything in her home has remained untouched. The apartment has been paid for and safe guarded by the woman’s estate and heirs.
My Modern Met
There is very little confirmed evidence of who or what Marthe did during her time in Paris. Some say she was an actress, some a seamstress, and there have been whispers of her involvement in Pigalle’s Red Light District. Information pertaining to the woman’s life remains documented but untouched, stowed away in the time capsule apartment.
My Modern Met
Heirs of the mysterious Parisian woman have since inventoried her belongings, and have made some interesting discoveries. Including a stack of love letters written between the woman and her lover, 19th-century Italian painter, Giovanni Boldini.
My Modern Met
Also discovered in the enigmatic woman’s lavish abode was a painting by Boldini, depicting a woman who is rumoured to be Marthe de Florian at 24 years of age.
My Modern Met
As it stands, the stunning ‘time capsule’ apartment is closed off to the public, maintaining as much charm as it does secret…
Feature Image: My Modern Met
