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FRENCH HISTORY

X-rays reveal hidden parts of Marie-Antoinette letters to suspected lover

New light has been shed on secret letters between Marie Antoinette and a man long rumored to be her lover, after scientists deciphered mysteriously redacted portions of their affectionate correspondence.

Published: 2 October 2021 13:09 CEST
X-rays reveal hidden parts of Marie-Antoinette letters to suspected lover
Marie-Antoinette holds a rose in this portrait by her court painter, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun. Source: Wikimedia Commons

The French queen’s missives were composed during the revolutionary upheaval of the early 1790s, the last just over a year before her execution by guillotine at the peak of republican fervour in Paris.

The royal family was under close guard at the Tuileries Palace after a failed attempt to flee France, but the wife of Louis XVI was still able to smuggle out letters to her friend Axel von Fersen, a Swedish count.

Fersen kept copies of the correspondence but some passages of text were blotted out, their contents a mystery until the redacted portions were uncovered by a team of researchers from the Sorbonne.

“Whether state secrets, escape plans, or evidence of a royal love affair, this presumably sensitive content has been puzzling historians for almost 150 years,” said a report on the project in the US-based Science Advances journal.

Researchers used a novel method of X-ray imaging that was able to differentiate between the different compositions of ink used in the original text and the redactions.

In all they were able to reveal obscured passages from eight of the 15 letters studied, coming to the surprising conclusion that the censor of the letters was Fersen himself.

“He decided to keep his letters instead of destroying them but redacting some sections, indicating that he wanted to protect the honor of the queen (or maybe also his own interests),” the study said.

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The project was first brought to public attention last year when the French National Archives said the hidden portions showed the pair expressing themselves “using the terminology of love.”

But while the letters were written in intimate language, the researchers said they were unable to determine whether the revealed passages lent credence to longstanding rumors of a royal romance between Marie Antoinette and the
nobleman.

“To read under the censorship does not make it possible to know the truth about the nature of their feelings as the interpretation of texts is always questionable,” the study said.

“However, the choice of vocabulary (beloved, tender friend, adore, madly) attests a particular relationship between (Marie Antoinette) and Fersen even if there is an influence of the revolutionary torment, which favors a certain emotional intensity.”

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PARIS

Paris’ Montmartre sets its sights on World Heritage bid

The Paris neighbourhood of Montmartre - famous for its bohemian and artistic history as well as Sacré-Coeur basilica - plans to apply for Unesco recognition, and has invited residents in the area to support the bid.

Published: 8 March 2024 18:08 CET
Paris' Montmartre sets its sights on World Heritage bid

The “Montmartre Patrimoine Mondial” association has given itself until September to submit an application to the French Ministry of Culture – the first step of gaining recognition as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The arrondissement’s Mayor’s office told Le Parisien the bid would have its “moral and financial support” for the bid, which aims to make the most of the area’s history, colourful nightlife and timeless charms.

To be listed as Unesco World Heritage site, one of the criteria is to show cultural interest. Montmartre’s application relies – among others – on the Villa Radet, the artistic heritage, the maquis, plants, and the Montmartre wine. Selection criteria have been discussed with connoisseurs and lovers of the Butte such as the Société du Vieux Montmartre.

The first stage of bid would be to get Montmartre included on a national heritage list. Then, it would have to wait to be proposed by France to Unesco – a process that could take many years, as countries can only propose one candidate for inclusion on the list in any given year.

Montmartre is a relatively recent addition to the city – it was annexed into Paris in January 1860, along with other communities (faubourgs) surrounding the capital, and became part of the 18th arrondissement.

In the 19th-century it was a mecca for artists, in part because its status outside the city made it cheaper and exempt from certain city bylaws.

These days, millions of tourists tramp up its slopes every year, usually to admire the white-stone Sacre Coeur basilica, the panoramic views of Paris, or to visit the most famous of the French capital’s vineyards.   

And critics have said that the Place du Tertre, a hugely popular village-like square at the top, is threatening to become some sort of “Disneyland”.

Once favoured by penniless artists for its cheap lodgings, Montmartre has seen property prices sky-rocket, with homes snapped up by the rich and famous. 

Montmartre won further acclaim when its picturesque streets hit the big screen in 1991 with the release of Amelie, a light-hearted romantic comedy which painted a rosy, idealised version of the neighbourhood. 

The possible effects of World Heritage status on already high tourist numbers has been raised numerous times in neighbourhood council meetings, but the association behind the bid believes Unesco listing would only enhance and protect the historic artists’ quarter of Paris.

“We’re applying for World Heritage status, not TripAdvisor,” mayor Éric Lejoindre told Le Parisien. He said that inclusion on the UN list would be “an additional tool to limit Airbnb”. 

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