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Among the world's most iconic cities, Paris is celebrated for its perfection, idealism, artistry, and romance. Renowned for its masterful art, legendary artists, exquisite cuisine, and exceptional wines, Paris also harbors a shadowy past filled with bizarre and chilling mysteries.
10. The Mysterious Death of Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh, one of history's most celebrated artists, was as troubled as he was talented. In 1890, while residing in Auvers, a suburb of Paris, he frequently ventured into nearby wheat fields to paint. On July 27, he was discovered with a gunshot wound to his stomach. Given his well-documented mental struggles, his death was quickly deemed a suicide.
However, Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith argue that the suicide theory doesn't hold up under scrutiny. No firearm was ever recovered, and it remains unclear how van Gogh could have acquired one. He left no suicide note and exhibited signs of planning for the future, such as ordering new paints and writing a hopeful letter to his brother. Naifeh and Smith also question why someone would choose such a prolonged and painful method of suicide, as the injury took 29 hours to prove fatal.
The historians highlight the unreliable sources behind claims of van Gogh's suicidal tendencies. Emile Bernard, an artist known for exaggerating stories about van Gogh's ear incident, and Adeline Ravoux, a 13-year-old girl whose account varied with each retelling, both contributed to the narrative. Additionally, Paul Gachet Jr., a 17-year-old who boasted of his friendship with van Gogh, was later found in possession of paintings that vanished from van Gogh's studio after his death.
What, then, is the alternative to suicide? Rene Secretan, the 16-year-old son of a wealthy local family, was an aspiring Wild Bill Cody who owned an old gun. Known for bullying van Gogh, Secretan was seen near the artist shortly before the shooting. Naifeh and Smith uncovered testimony placing van Gogh on the road to the Secretan family home, not in the wheat fields, prior to the incident.
9. The Venus De Milo
The Venus de Milo, one of the world's most iconic artworks, was unearthed in 1820 and now graces the Louvre. Often overlooked is the fact that the statue is incomplete, missing its arms. These absent limbs could potentially redefine the statue's significance.
A professor from Occidental College collaborated with a San Diego designer to scan the statue and generate a 3-D model, enabling precise analysis of the missing arms' positions. Their research indicates that the statue might have originally held a distaff and thread, suggesting a connection to themes of ill repute—spinning women in Greek art were frequently associated with prostitution.
Other theories propose that the statue could have been holding a shield, symbolizing victory, or a baby, representing motherhood. Alternatively, she might have held an apple, a mirror, or even worn jewelry, as evidenced by holes in the statue that could have served as attachment points. The interpretations are virtually limitless.
Not only is it unclear what she held, but her identity also remains a mystery. While the statue is commonly associated with the goddess of love, some scholars propose she could represent Amphitrite, a sea goddess, Artemis, or even one of the many nymphs.
8. The Rosicrucian Panic of 1623
The Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross is a legendary secret society that has long fascinated the public. Though some claim its roots stretch back to Ancient Egypt, the truth remains uncertain. What we do know is that in 1623, strange events began unfolding in Paris.
In that particular year, mysterious signs began to emerge throughout the city, hinting at the imminent arrival of the Rosicrucians. These signs proclaimed: “As representatives of the primary College of the Brothers of the Rose Cross, we are present in this city, both visibly and invisibly, by the grace of the Almighty, to whom the hearts of the righteous are drawn. Without the need for books or symbols, we demonstrate and instruct how to speak every language of the lands we choose to inhabit, guiding humanity away from error and mortality.”
Tales soon spread of 36 operatives working for this enigmatic group, who had allegedly renounced Christianity in return for powers such as teleportation, limitless riches, and the ability to seamlessly integrate into any environment at any moment.
That’s essentially the extent of our knowledge. Whispers about this highly secretive organization had recently surfaced in Germany, but the situation in France remains unclear. Some speculate that the signs were the work of an individual who, inspired by the German rumors, aimed to unsettle the residents of Paris. During this period, Parisians were increasingly obsessed with witchcraft, and the signs likely exacerbated the tension, creating a dangerous climate for scientists. The origin of the signs remains a mystery, but if their goal was to instill fear in Paris, they succeeded.
7. The Missing Tribute To John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones, a celebrated figure of the American Revolution and an unapologetic charmer, found Paris to be the perfect setting for his exploits. Almost immediately after his arrival, he captivated the hearts of numerous women, who sent him scented letters and, in one instance, even painted his likeness.
The Comtesse de Lowendahl, a woman of honor and married status, viewed her connection with Jones as purely platonic, aiming to leverage their bond to advance her husband’s professional aspirations. As Jones prepared to depart Paris, she gifted him a small painted portrait she had created in his image.
Jones misinterpreted her gesture as romantic and reciprocated by sending her a lock of his hair and a cipher for their correspondence. Confused, she tactfully rejected his advances through a series of amusingly awkward letters, leading both to briefly suspect they were communicating with the wrong person. To preserve his dignity, Jones later claimed he never saw the portrait as a romantic token.
As for the portrait that sparked the confusion, its fate remains uncertain. While the Smithsonian obtained a potential match in 1973, numerous other candidates exist, some only documented in photographs. The true identity of the portrait may forever remain a mystery.
6. Hemingway’s Stolen Works
Losing even a few hours of effort is devastating, whether it’s your masterpiece or an academic project. However, the loss of Ernest Hemingway’s years of work on a Paris train is a tale shrouded in legend and intrigue.
In 1922, Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley, resided in Paris while Ernest roamed Europe as a journalist. After connecting with a publisher in Switzerland, he requested her to bring some of his unpublished writings to Geneva. Hadley gathered four years of Hemingway’s work into her suitcase and boarded a Paris train. She placed the suitcase, containing both originals and carbon copies, in the luggage compartment and stepped away briefly to fetch water.
Upon her return, the suitcase had vanished.
Despite enlisting the assistance of the train staff, the suitcase was never found. Hadley spent the entire journey to Geneva agonizing over how to break the news to her husband. The lost works were never recovered, and Hemingway’s autobiography reveals the profound emotional toll the incident took on him and their marriage.
At that time, Hemingway was earning a modest income as a journalist, far from the literary legend he would later become. It’s intriguing to imagine the thief’s reaction upon discovering the suitcase contained only the writings of an unknown American writer.
5. The Mummy’s Head And The Bloody Gourd
Following the execution of Louis XVI in 1793, onlookers were not satisfied with merely commemorating or lamenting the king’s death. They sought keepsakes, often using whatever fabric they had to collect his blood. Regardless of their feelings toward him, Louis was still royalty, and royal blood was considered extraordinary—and potentially valuable.
A tale passed down through generations tells of Maximilien Bourdaloue, an ancestor of one family, who dipped his handkerchief in the king’s blood. To preserve it, he placed the cloth inside an intricately decorated gourd. The gourd remains today, but the identity of the blood it contains is hotly contested.
One researcher from Barcelona’s Institut de Biologia Evolutiva analyzed the blood in the gourd and compared it to DNA from the mummified head of Henri IV, another unfortunate member of Louis’s family. While the embalming process degraded much of the DNA, scientists extracted six alleles, five of which matched the blood sample—a significant finding given their rarity.
While this evidence seems convincing, experts like geneticists from Belgium’s Catholic University of Leuven argue that such a small sample size makes certainty impossible. Even with rare markers, coincidence cannot be ruled out. To address this, the Belgian team included three living descendants of the Bourbon dynasty in their analysis.
The results didn’t align. However, this doesn’t provide definitive answers, as the three living Bourbons all descend from Philippe I, who was likely gay and probably not a biological father. Despite extensive research, the true identity of the blood on this cherished family artifact remains a mystery.
4. Ivar Kreuger
Sweden’s Ivar Kreuger, often dubbed the patron saint of sinners, was a master con artist on an international scale during the early 20th century. He built his vast fortune on an unlikely product—the humble safety match—and by today’s standards, his wealth would amount to billions.
The true scale of Kreuger’s financial deception only came to light after his death, resulting in the resignation of Sweden’s prime minister and a spike in the nation’s suicide rates. His vast network of around 400 companies was buried in debt surpassing that of many countries, leaving countless investors financially ruined.
While safety matches are often overlooked today, Kreuger recognized their enduring value as a reliable investment. He acquired match factories, merged them, and created a system of monopolies-for-loans, ostensibly aiding postwar European economies. In truth, he was orchestrating an enormous Ponzi scheme.
However, his strategy of defrauding one nation to repay another couldn’t last forever, even with Sweden’s attempts to rescue him to avoid economic collapse. The widely accepted story is that he took his own life when creditors closed in, but doubts surrounding this theory make it all the more fascinating.
Kreuger’s brother believed he was murdered, and some evidence supports this claim, such as the absence of a spent cartridge. Forensic analysis suggested the fatal injury might have been inflicted by a sharp instrument rather than a gun, but Kreuger’s body was cremated before further examination could occur. While many had motives to kill him, no one has ever been definitively linked to his potential murder.
3. Dinorah Galou
In the 1920s, Frenchwoman Dinorah Galou was apprehended for pickpocketing, claiming financial struggles to support her children due to her husband’s insufficient income. Police grew suspicious upon meeting her twins, who were clearly of different ages. Further investigation revealed a revolving door of children, with four appearing within two years. Dinorah initially claimed to have adopted them, telling her husband they were from a prior relationship—though doctors confirmed she had never given birth. Before their marriage, she also spun tales of her grandfather being an Indian maharajah who would attend their wedding with lavish gifts, only to be intercepted by the British. She even had a backup maharajah, who met the same fate.
He, too, was intercepted by the British.
Despite this, they married and reportedly cared for around 20 children over the years. In custody, Dinorah frequently altered her story but often returned to her claim of needing a large family due to her noble Indian lineage.
Some of the children were eventually traced to farms or homes where they had been sent as servants. It became clear that Dinorah had arranged adoptions for unwanted babies without her husband’s knowledge. However, the fate of all the children who passed through her care remains uncertain. One newspaper recounted a courtroom scene where a young woman, raised believing Galou was her mother, faced the devastating realization that her true origins were unknown.
2. The Affair Of The Poisons
Shortly after the Marquise de Brinvilliers uttered her enigmatic statement, Paris was gripped by fear of a rumored network of poisoners and alchemists. One of the most infamous figures was Catherine Monvoisin, nicknamed “La Voisin,” who was arrested in 1679. Accusations swirled that she was continuing her mother’s alleged legacy of witchcraft. Deeply dissatisfied in her marriage, she openly engaged in affairs with known poisoners and alchemists—one of whom eventually betrayed her.
La Voisin operated her illicit business from the garden behind her home in northern Paris. During her trial, she admitted that women facing unwanted pregnancies visited her to “resolve” their situations. In the 17th century, this alone was scandalous, but the situation worsened when she began implicating high-profile clients, including a maid serving the king’s mistress.
The extent of her influence within the monarchy remains unclear. While she insisted her work primarily involved creating powders and lotions for skincare, she admitted to knowing many members of the royal court who sought far more than just beauty treatments. She declined to name names or specify their desires but remarked, “Paris is teeming with such activities, and countless individuals are involved in this dark trade.”
The true meaning of her words remains a mystery. She was executed by burning at the stake in 1680.
1. The Fallout From The Trial Of The Marquise De Brinvilliers
With a single statement, Marie-Madeleine Marguerite d’Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers, cast a veil of intrigue and doubt over all of Paris.
In 1659, the noblewoman married the Marquis de Brinvilliers, a man of equal status but described as “as unpredictable as shifting sand.” It wasn’t long before she began an affair with Gaudin de Sainte-Croix. Despite her parents’ pleas to end the relationship, she continued and even sought a formal separation from her husband, a scandalous move at the time. Her lover was swiftly arrested by royal decree. During his imprisonment, he absorbed knowledge from an Italian poisoner who shared his cell.
After his release, Marie de Brinvilliers joined him in studying poison. She began visiting Parisian hospitals, leaving behind pastries and sweets that led to the mysterious deaths of patients. Her father, two brothers, and eventually Gaudin de Sainte-Croix himself also died, the latter possibly due to a failed experiment.
Following Gaudin’s death, investigators uncovered evidence implicating Marie in the murders of her family, allegedly in retaliation for their refusal to support her separation. Tried for their deaths, she claimed innocence, accusing Gaudin of framing her. Under torture, she confessed to the poisonings and was sentenced to beheading and burning at the stake.
Before her execution, Marie declared, “Must I alone face death when so many are guilty? Half the city is involved in such acts, and I could destroy them if I spoke.”
Despite the court’s efforts to extract more information, she never revealed additional names—likely those who had sought her and Gaudin’s services. Her statement cast new light on previously unexplained deaths, offering a glimpse into the widespread use of poison in late-17th-century Paris.
