In 1939, while Paris was occupied by the German troops, this event took place in the city. At the time, Madame de Florian was 23 years old when she made the decision to go to the south of France from her flat near the Opera Garnier.
At the same time, several thousand other Parisians made the same decision. It was the start of World War II, and he desired to relocate outside of the area that was being affected by the fighting.
After the war was over, Madame de Florian did not go back to live in that apartment, but she remained responsible for all of the bills associated with it until the end of her life. Since the beginning of the 1970s, the apartment in the 9th District has been completely deserted.
The owner passed away in 2010, when she was 91 years old, and it wasn’t until after her death that her relatives learned about the existence of this flat. The next step was for the family’s staff to do an inventory of the goods.
Olivier Choppin-Janvry, an auctioneer, was the one who eventually unlocked the apartment’s doors after such a lengthy absence. He commented that he had the impression that he had traveled through time.
There was dust all over the carved furniture, pricey ornamental artifacts, and magnificent paintings, but they were all in perfect condition despite being covered in dust.
It was Madame de Florian’s grandmother, the Parisian actress Marthe de Florian, who had the house passed down to her.
Marthe de Florian became famous at the turn of the last century for her love affair with either the French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau or the Italian painter Giovanni Boldini. The house was inherited by Madame de Florian.
A portrait of the actress Marthe de Florian by Boldini was found in the flat, and it was one of the items that was found there. The image was put up for sale, and it brought in 2.1 million euros. It was the sole item that was placed up for sale; the other things in the flat were left in their original state.
The heirs have taken ownership of the mansion, which is now known as the “Time Capsule,” and it is closed off to the general public. Watch the video that we have embedded below to get an idea of how the deserted flat looks: