Cremerie de Paris
Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon / VB.com
History & Timeline:
Unique Hotspot in the heart of Paris
glamorous since almost 900 years ..
Through a long period of time
Cremerie de Paris
has been a connection point
of many different stories
connecting a multitude of
historic people,
in the Kingdom of France
in the Second Empire
and in modern times:
writers, inventors, designers, musician
and major brand builders.
A Story that has left ... A Story that has returned ...
A Story that had left
and a Story that that returned
thanks to a descendant of the Postal Services
thanks to a
little jewel left by the Gabrielle Chanel
and thanks to many people that have given a little help ...
With evey new Brand expo
a new chapter is added to a long history book
that has stared 900 years ago.
Cremerie de Paris is the only expo location in the World
to have a Two Letter Domain,
an internet adress which stands out
on any western computer or phone keybord.
Look at your phone,
VB is right there ...
A lot of things have happened ...
12th century
1129 around erection of an old house in Paris
called "Hotel de la Chasse".
it is located near the church of Saint Opportune
facing rue de la Ferronnerie
200 m north of the river Seine
1129 First records of
Marquardus de Sulmese in the monastery of Schillenberg
located near Giessen, 493,55 km east of Cremerie de Paris.
1137 King Louis VI (1081 - 1137) transfers the Paris foodmarket
to the "Champeaux"
in between rue Saint Honore and rue Saint Denis
1163 Beginning of the construction of the cathedral Notre Dame
800 m south-east of Cremerie de Paris
under the Bishop Maurice de Sully.
1181 King Philippe Auguste (1165 - 1223)
creats the first market constructions build in wood.
1190 -1202 construction of the first version of the Louvre
13th century
1286 Philippe le Bel (1268 - 1314) becomes
the 11th Captetien King of France
1290 Omodeo Tasso (1245 est - 1309) organises
a postal service in the North of Italy.
a map of France drawn under the reign of Philippe le Bel
already shows VB,
located between rue des Déschargeurs and rue des Bourgonnais
as well as the Louvre and Nostre Dame enlarge the map of Paris
14th century 1345 Construction of the Cathedral Notre Dame completed
Arrival of the Villeroys
later VB
1370 The Neufville family, later called Neufville de Villeroy
settles at the "Hotel de la Chasse"
which will become the Hotel de Villeroy
Richard Neufville (1350 - 1401) is a food merchant at the market.
15th century
1483 birth of Nicolas I de Neufville (1483 - 1542),
grandson of Richard Neufville
He later enters the administration in the Kingdom of France.
1492 birth in Angouleme of Margueritte de Navarre (1492 - 1549)
later called "grandmother of the Bourbons".
1542 Nicolas II de Neufville inherits the House
16th century
1520s Marguerite de Navarre
comes the the Hotel de Villeroy
to meet for litterature meetings
with Nicolas II Neufville de Villeroy (?? - 1553)
and his son Nicolas III Neufville de Villeroy (1525 - 1598)
Marguerite
is the mother of Jeanne d'Albret,
the mother of Henri de Bourbon, futur King Henri IV
Marguerite is a renaissance writer
and a patron for many artists
like Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)
Marguerites younger brother King Francois I (1404 - 1547)
works with Nicolas II de Villeroy
who is one of his advisors (red circles)
Both Marguerite and Francois Ier
are the patrons of many artists,
among them Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)
The Mona Lisa aquired by Francois Ier
is one of the artworks whoes magic
os connected to the history of Cremerie de Paris.
Nobody knows if Leonardo da Vinci
has come by in person
but he
knew about Cremerie de Paris / VB.com
as the mansion was one of
the most glamorous houses during his time.
1549 death of Marguerite de Navarre
468 years later 2015 may 5 opens
the main Paris subway exit "Marguerite de Navarre"
named in her honor
and
located right in front of VB.
1542 birth of Nicolas IV de Villeroy
1546 birth of the writer Madeleine de l'Aubespine (1546 - 1596)
daughter of Claude II de l Aubespine (1510 - 1567),
secretary of King Francois I
1553 birth in Pau of Henri de Bourbon, later King Henri IV (1553 - 1610)
1559 Nicolas IV de Villeroy becomes
an advisor of Catherine de Medicis
1561 marriage of Nicolas IV de Villeroy and Madeleine de l'Aubépine.
The house gets enlarged in the direction of the
rue des Dechargeurs and becomes
one of the most glamorous places in Paris.
Madeleine de l'Aubespine, dame de Villeroy (1546 - 1596)
is a renaissance writer. She creates un "salon littéraire"
at her Paris home, the Hotel de Villeroy
and her countryside castle in Mennecy (south of Paris)
One day a Lady from the Louvre by
and told us about
With Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
and Queen Catherine de Medici (1519 - 1589)
Madeleine organise reunions with other Playade writers.
1589 Henri IV becomes the first Bourbon King of France.
1594 Nicolas IV de Villeroy becomes minister of foreign affairs.
A guestroom at the Hotel de Villeroy
is dedicated to the King
so that he can stay over at night.
1598 birth of Nicolas V de Villeroy, grandson of Nicolas IV
Nicolas V de Villeroy grows up at the court of the future King Louis XIII.
17th century 1610 King Henri IV killed by Ravaillac on rue de la Ferronnerie 1610 Louis XIII becomes the 2nd Bourbon King of France
1617 Nicolas IV de Villeroy dies
and leaves the Hotel de Villeroy to his grandson
Nicolas V de Villeroy
1638 birth of Louis XIV
1640 Nicolas V de Villeroy tears down the old Hotel de Villeroy mansion
inherited by his grandfather Nicolas IV de Villeroy and
builds the present mansion.
1643 child Louis XIV becomes the 3rd Bourbon King of France 1646 Nicolas V de Villeroy becomes the tutor of the seven year old Louis XIV
The Hotel de Villeroy, now called Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon, or just VB
his elementary school
where Louis XIV is educated with his brother Philippe d'Orleans
and the children of his teacher
Francois de Villeroy and Catherine de Villeroy.
1647 The drawing shows the gate of VB,
the Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon
with young Louis XIV, the photo the same gate
as it looks today.
There is a magical view from the street
through Cremerie de Paris N°1
right into the historic courtyard.
From time to time the view is open
and you have a view into centuries of history ...
1648 start of the construction of the Pavillon des Drapiers,
located next door at 11 rue des Dechargeurs.
Child Louis XIV, going to scholl next door,
watches the house beeing build.
1670 preparing the future Chateau de Versailles
Louis XIV invites the Villeroy children to live with him at the palace.
1671 january 21 sale of the Hotel de Villeroy de Bourbon
that had been in the family for 300 years
...
End of a story
the first VB story
Start of a Telecom Adventure
Leon Pajot (1625 - 1668) and Louis Rouille (1630 - 1694),
entrepreneurs in the transport business from Tours buy the house.
At the VB mansion they create a company tha transports mail,
They call it "La Poste"
The Royal French Postal Services is a private company
owned by the Pajot & Rouillé.
The Kingdom of France receives une "ferme"
a rental payment in exchange of the postal license.
The children of the two company founders marry
and continue the business in the next generation.
1678 birth of Louis Leon Pajot (1678 - 1754)
common grandson of the company founders.
1682 May 6 opening of the Versailles Palace
after years of construction.
18th century
1708 Louis Leon Pajot becomes
the president of La Poste.
Pajot is a brilliant scientist and turns
the Pajot & Rouille company into one
of Europe's most prosperous businesses
.
1710 When a letter was really important for Louis XIV
he did not trust his environment and he prefered to give it
to Louis Leon Pajot in person.
Either Louis Leon Pajot went to Versailles
or the Sunking came to VB at rue des Dechargeurs
he knew since he has a child.
1715 death of Louis XIV
In his will Louis XIV designates his childhood friend
Francois de Villeroy to become the tutor
of Louis XV, his great grandson anf the 4th Bourbon King of France.
1718 above painting shows young King Louis XV
with his tutor Francois de Villeroy and the regent Philippe II d'Orleans.
1720s Louis Leon Pajot controls 900 Post Relais
located all over France governed by the Bourbons.
When a letter needs to be send to another country
he needs a Mail exchange partner.
Anselm Franz, 2nd Prince of Thurn & Taxis (1681 - 1739)
is the main mail exchange partner.
He is the general Postmaster of the Thurn & Taxis post,
also a family owned company founded
by his ancestors
in the Italian Alps in 1290.
Thurn & Taxis is based in Brussels and Franfurt
and has a network of about 3.000 Post Relais
Annselm Franz will later be part of the logo
of the Italian Whitepages, invented at Cremerie de Paris.
La Poste located between rue des Déchargeurs
and rue des Bourdonnais
turns into a major communication hotspot.
Uncountable letters of historic value transit through VB.
Louis Leon enjoys recognition for his outstanding
collection of mesuring instruments.
Foreign visitors like
Tsar Peter the Grand
the sultans of Turkey,
Stanislas Leszczynski, King of Poland (1677 - 1766),
the sultans of Morocco
all come to VB to visit Louis Leon Pajot
and to see his collection.
Princess de Gallifet
Martigues,
the wife of Pajot organises parties
that are so glamorous that they outshine everybody else.
Growing up Louis XV gets more and more
irritated by the glamour of VB.
1738 may 21 he withdraws the postal license
The Prefet de Police is asked
to shut down the postal company.
As the King has absolute powers he can do what he wants
without even making a compensation payment.
End of a story,
the first Telecom Story
Over time the story of La Poste at VB is forgotten in Paris
but in remains in the memory of the Thurn & Taxis.
The story of La Poste at the VB mansion is transmitted
from one generation, so that the young Thurn & Taxis
watch out no King will take away their company.
The Thurn & Taxis can keep their company 129 longer until
1867 when the State of Prussia forces them to sell.
As times have changed Prussia needs to make
a compensation payment of
3 million
and one day a couple of thalers
will return to Paris, but you need to wait for another 119 years
....
Fashion
While the Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon falls asleep
and little is known about what happened after the end of la Post
the nex door building the Pavillon des Drapiers
is full of activity.
It is the corporation of the French people
working in the tissue industry
and representing their interests to the Kings of France.
The image represents the facade of ther Pavillon
just above the entrance of today's Cremerie de Paris N°1
1755 nov 2 is born in Vienna
a girl that
will soon bring
new life into to VB story,
The youngest daughter of
Maria Theresa of Austria
is called Marie Antoinette.
1770 may 14 year old Marie Antoinette
marries Louis Auguste Bourbon, the grandson of Louis XV
1774 may 10 dies at Versailles King Louis XV,
36 years after he had destroyed of our postal company.
Louis XIV (1754 - 1793) becomes the 5th Bourbon King of France,
Marie Antoinette the Queen of France.
1780s Marie Antoinette has a passion for fashion.
She loves to come to the Pavillon des Drapiers next to VB
to assist reunions
and to meet young fashion designers.
1793 French Revolution Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette
but also most of the descendants of the Villeroy familly
are killed.
Most of the documents related to
"La Poste"
dissapear.
The Pavillon continues to exist,
but it looses it's importance
End of the first Fashion Story
19th century
1826 may 5 Eugenie de Montijo is born in Granada, Spain
1834 Eugenie de Montijo, her mother and her sister Maria Francisca move to Paris.
Eugenie is educated at the Convent of Sacre Coeur (today Rodin Museum)
Through her Art teacher
Eugenie develops an interest in the Beaux Arts, fashion and design.
Her teacher tells her about the fascinating fashion history
of the Pavillon des Drapiers (today Cremerie de Paris)
1848 dec 20 Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (1808 - 1873),
a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I)
elected President the French Second Republic.
1852 Second Empire is born
President Napoleon becomes Emperor Napoleon III
1853 january 29 Napoleon III (1847 - 1922)
Two inventions prepare
an impact on the future
of VB / Cremerie de Paris
Invention of the Phone
1876 february 14 Alexander Bell (1847 - 1922)
a scientist from Boston, USA
invents the phone
soon creating a need for Phone Books.
Alexander Bell lived very long.
He had a secret
"to stay young, you need to have young friends"
Among his friends was a young woman
that would one day play a key role
in the history of Cremerie de Paris.
When the first phones arrive in Paris two years later
nobody can imagine that - over a century later -
VB, the abandoned former seat
of the Royal French Postal Services
will
one day become the center
of the Phone Book of the World
1878 August 27 Christopher Sholes (1819 - 1890)
a printer and newspaper editor
from Milwaukee, USA
invents the keybord for typewriters
Deciding to place the letters V and B
right to each other
he gives "VB" a magical communication
tool for the future.
Very vew "brand names"
can intstantly de read
when looking at a keybord
When the keybord for typewriters are invented
noboday can imagine that over a century later
the same keybord will be on
billions of phones and computers
giving even more importance to
spectacular web adresses.
Qwerty Keybord making the letters "V ans B" stand out.
Return of a Fashion Story
Coco Chanel
20th century
1883 august 19 birth of Gabrielle Chanel in Samur
the designer will play a key role in the history of VB / Cremerie de Paris
1895 Gabrielle Chanel's mother dies.
Her father is unable to handle the situation.
Young Gabrielle and her sisters are placed in
an convent orphanage,
the Abbaye de l Aubazine.
During these years Chanle develops a misterial relationship
with the number 5
Stones on the abbey to the cathedral were grouped in fives.
N°5 becomes her lucky number.
1908 Gabrielle Chanel arrives in Moulins.
She becomes a cafe singer which gets her the nickname Coco.
Etienne Balsan helps her to start a fashion business.
1910 Coco Chanel opens a Boutique on 21 rue Cambon,
15 minutes walking distance from Cremerie de Paris.
Soon Chanel opens another Boutique in Deauville followed by Biarritz
Over the years
Chanel turns into
the most influential fashion designer in France.
1921 January 22 Chanel meets Dmitri Romanov
Romanov has escaped from the Russian Revolution
and stranded in France.
With his siter Maria he lives near Paris
in a little house in Boulogne sur Seine.
All what is left for him
from the lost Romanov fortunes are some jewels
and his unique glamour and style.
Dmitri knew Cremerie de Paris and VB, the Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon
from childhood stories coming froom his aunt
Elisabeth Hessen, the last Tsarina of Russia.
Romanov shows the Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon to the designer
Chanel is fascinated to find her lucky number,
number 5 on the railings of and old staircase
build in 1640 by Nicolas V de Villeroy.
Chanel falls in Love with both Romanov
and Cremerie de Paris.
Gabrielle Chanel has a project.
The wants to have a Perfume
but she does not have the know-how
Dmitri finds out Ernest Beaux
a franco-russian
perfumer from Saint Petersburg
he knew through his cousins Olga and Tatiana Romanov
had settled in Grasse.
Dmitri Romanov organises a trip o Grasse with Chanel.
Beaux prepares 10 samples,
numbered from 1 to 5
and from 11 to 15.
When Coco Chanel arrives, she does not taste the samples,
she just picks the N°5
because it's her lucky number.
Dmitri designs the first bottle,
inspired by a Russian Vodka travel packaging.
Dmitri lives in Coco Chanel's house in Garches
What is left from their affair
is N°5 and a little jewel from Russia
that would one day play a key role
in the future of Cremerie de Paris.
A Secret Service agent comes to Paris
Aimee de Heeren
1938 World War 2 is on it's way
Getulio Vargas, the President of Brazil
is approached by Germany to join the Axis Alliance
with Italy and Japan.
Vargas wants to find out more about the
German regime.
He decides to send Aimée Lopes Sottomaior (later Aimee de Heeren)
to Europe to get information.
1938 May arrives in Paris
a beautiful young woman
She settles at the Hotel Plaza Athenée.
According to the memoires of Bettina Ballard,
editor in chief of Vogue
"Hung with diamonds,
Aimée was pushed from fittings to balls,
never allowed a moment for private conquest
because every hostess needed her
for her party
to prove that she could draw the lioness of the season."
All of Paris wants to know
this fascinating woman
that makes people beleive she is
a fashion girl and the daughter
of a major South American landowner.
Nobody imagins her father to be a school teacher.
Coco Chanel is fascinated and wants to be her friend.
She shows her Cremerie de Paris
and connects her with many people in Paris. Chanel does not realise that her new friend
is in reality a Secret Service agent.
Aimée also meets people travelling around.
One of them is Helmuth James von Moltke,
a German South African lawyer from Berlin.
He gives her secret documents about the German regime.
The documents
turn her into a resistant.
Aimée stops President Vargas from entering the Axis Alliance.
But she understand she needs to connect with the Roosevelt administration.
In London she captivates the attention of the sons
of the American Ambassador.
The boys are captivated by her
1939 February
The older brother Joe Kennedy Jr travels to Paris to meet Aimée
They fall in Love.
The image shows Cremerie de Paris around 1939
with small pictures of Aimee de Heeren, Coco Chanel
Joe Kennedy Jr
and German Reststant Helmuth James von Moltke
1939 Nov working in Paris
becomes to dangerous for Aimee.
She eclipses to New York
where she continues her rmission
with the help of Joe Kennedy Jr.
1970 Dec A few days before christmas
Coco Chanel and Aimee return to Cremerie de Paris
for the last time.
Aimee
leaves her the little Romanov jewel.
1971 January 10 Coco Chanel dies
End of a Story
Return of a Story
1986 June 3 Aimée de Heeren runs into a young student.
1987 opening of a small Sony Phone Boutique
1993 the little jewel left by Coco Chanel
makes it possible to aquire the legendary
Cremerie de Paris N°1
21th century
first Pop Up Stores
2012 Nike comes from the United States
to open the very first a Pop Up Store,
a Nike Barbershop.
The glamour of an Apollo 11 astraunaut
in the recent history of Cremerie de Paris
creates the connection.
Construcion of Marguerit de Navarre
Paris No1 subway exit
in front of Cremerie de Paris
2013 - 2018 the 3 years delayed
6 year long construcion
of the subway exit makes it difficult
for Cremerie de Paris to survive
2014 Pokemon comes from Tokyo, Japan
first Pokemon Store in Europe.
The store opens during the peak of the Subway construction
attracted by the links between Igor Stravinsky
main ispiration of the Pokemon music
2015 Renaulti comes from Boulogne Billancourt, France
Presentation of Twingo III
2015 Konami comes from Tokyo, Japan
Launch of Metal Gear Solid
2016 Final Fantasy from Tokyo, Japan
opening of Cremerie de Paris No6, No7 & No8
2017 Siemens comes from Munich, Germany
creates an Electronic Gallery
opening of the new Subway Exit
2018 Sodexo from France
creates an Electronic Gallery
opening of the new Subway Exit
2018 Amazon comes from the United States
opens 4 Pop Up Stores at all Cremeries de Paris
2020 Ali Express comes from China
to open their first Pop Up Store in Europe.
2021 Visa comes from the United States
to shoot one of it's Olympic Commercials
2022 Subway comes from the United States
to present a very first Subway Cookie Cafe
2023 Coca Cola comes from the United States
to launch Limited Editions Coca Cola
first collaporation with the singer Rosalia
2023 Chivas comes from Scotland
to celebrate the Limited Editions Chivas x Dolly Cohen
A beautiful golden whisky bottle is created
