The Parisian Romeo and Juliette
9-11, quai aux fleurs
Have you ever heard about the tragic love of Héloise and Abelard? The young girl was 18 years old when she was sent to Paris to live with her uncle Fulbert, the canon of Notre Dame, whose house was located in this building. In 1115, Abelard was hired as the tutor of Heloise and soon they fell in love. When Fulbert discovered their affair, he tried to separate them, but it seems it was already too late. A pregnant Héloise found refuge in the house of Abelard’s sister and when their son Astrolabe was born, the couple was married in secret. Furious with anger, Fulbert attacked and castrated Abelard. The young man became a monk and Héloise went to a nunnery. Their tragic love story is unfolded in the letters that the two lovers exchanged throughout their life. They were reunited in 1871, when their bodies were buried in a double coffin in a tomb located in Père Lachaise cemetery. A spectacular monument was erected to remind us of their deep absolute love.
As seen on
Paris City Tour: City of Light & Revolution