About this experience
Walking tour with the book 'The Three Musketeers' is a great way to discover Paris! Join me to not only remember the adventures of beloved characters but also imagine life in the city centuries ago. You will explore how the poor and the nobility lived back then, walk the 'path of death,' learn about getting imprisoned in the 17th century, and understand how Alexandre Dumas mixed real historical events in his fictional world of the book.
What to Expect
Visiting the Novel Heroes
Our walk will start at Place des Vosges, where near the equestrian statue of Louis XIII, you'll discover the lifestyle of the wealthy Parisians of the past, including Lady Winter and Cardinal Richelieu. In the Marais district, I'll tell you the story of Aramis. At the town hall, we'll recall the famous phrase about the marionette ballet. Then, we'll follow the 'road of death, Mr. Bonacieux,' a path leading past a sequence of shameful pillars, prisons, and gallows. You will learn how Constance Bonacieux infiltrated the Louvre, and in the streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, you'll remember the duel at the Desh monastery and visit the light at Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan.
Dumas' Fictional World and Real Paris
While reading excerpts from the novel, I'll draw historical parallels between details in the book and real past events. I'll explain which characters' prototypes were relatives and why the conflict between the cardinal and the king is more of an artistic convention. We'll compare location names with maps of Paris from that era, visit city spots where the novel's events took place – many districts have been reconstructed. You will understand what in 'The Three Musketeers' corresponds to the reality of that time and what is the product of the writer's imagination.
