Michele gave me a book, "Angels of Paris" by Rosemary Flannery, that showcases and tells the story of about fifty architectural angels in Paris. A few days before she gave it to me, Matt, Elissa, and I saw and photographed one of them, dubbed "The Executioner's Angel." The angel is clutching a handful of posies, posing next to a muse holding aloft the scales of justice on the vestiges of what was a mansion once owned by Louis XIII and Louis XIV's executioner, Isaac de Laffémas. The home is directly across the street from what I believe (notice the subtle disclaimers sprinkled throughout my facts) is the second oldest (second to Saint Germain des Prés where I went to Mass) church in Paris. In the churchyard stands (leans, really) the oldest tree in Paris.
Monsieur de Laffémas had a zealous work ethic. His reputation was such that centuries later, Victor Hugo wrote of him in his dramatic play,
Marion Delorme, "Devil, in my eyes I see the sinister flame of the ray of hell which illuminates your soul."
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