It is not easy to think that they were bathrooms. How rich, valuable, unique they are. They are the most beautiful toilets in the world and needless to say, they are located in Paris: they are the «Lavatory» in place Madeleine, a jewel of Art Nouveau and the Belle Epoque. Finally, after 12 years, the museum baths have been reopened to the public. They were inaugurated in 1905 and were among the first public toilets in Europe.
The Madeleine baths are located next to the church of the same name built on the model of an ancient Greek temple, between Place de la Concorde and Boulevard Haussmann, in the heart of the capital. And they represent an authentic journey through time, among Art Nouveau mosaics, mahogany boiseries, colored glass windows and majolica tiles with soft green motifs.
Inaugurated on February 14 – on Valentine’s Day – the Madeleine baths are now open again to the public for a fee of 2 euros. A “jewel of Parisian heritage”, writes the councilor for culture, Karen Taieb, on Twitter, evoking a place that embodies luxury, beauty, and practicality.
The “2theloo” company that manages this great little underground jewel has carried out the internal restorations, while the mosaics of the external staircase are still waiting to be cleaned up by the Municipality.
Paris is also looking for a “sciuscià” who can occupy the space dedicated to cleaning and polishing shoes: a large raised chair on a small ad hoc stage, also restored for the occasion.
With 750 public toilets and urinals, Paris claims to be the first city in the world “in terms of sanitary facilities in the public space”. Most are free, with the exception of a few «Lavatory» entrusted to private companies in particularly touristic areas such as Notre-Dame, the Louvre Museum, the avenue des Champs-Elysées. In the capital of France twinned with Rome, one last example of a “Vespasiano” from the early 20th century is still perfectly functional. The circular-shaped cabin is located along the Boulevard Arago on the left bank of the Seine.