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Surrounded by tourists and government institutions, the Île de la Cité still holds, if you look closely, amazing testimonies of its past.
© DR
Francois-Guillaume Lorrain
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IHe tells me that he is a remnant. Remains of the Île de la Cité. I was walking down the rue Chantre, the narrowest street on the island and the best way to get an idea of the old medieval weaving of streets, at the turn of the rue Ursin, when I saw a lady, an open window, vacuuming. I call Master G…, a former notary who has lived there for over 40 years. He welcomes me to his apartment at the crossroads that runs from Quai Fleur to Rue Chanuanes. He tells me of times when the place was filled with nothing but dead old ladies, replaced by rich foreigners who rarely go there. Result: He is often alone in his 19th century building.e century. Already that Ile de la Cité, seized by the police, justice …