Cultural impact of a mysterious
number "5"
located on the iron staircase of the "escalier d'honneur"
of the
Hotel de Villeroy
![Nicolas V de Villeroy Nicolas V de Villeroy](../../nicolasvdevilleroy/nicolas-v-de-villeroy-m.jpg)
In 1640 Nicolas "5" de Villeroy requests a mysterious double number "5"
to be forged into the central staircase of his "hôtel particulier".
Centuries later this place fascinates
fashion icons
and designers ...
![The 5 symbol of the escalier d'honneur, built in 1640 for Nicolas V de Villeroy, photo in 1908 by Eugene Atget symbol 5 by Eugene Atget](../../eugeneatget/escalier-d-honneur-photo-en-1908-by-eugene-atget.jpg)
Picture taken by Eugène Atget in the year 1908.
The first know picture of the "5" symbol
goes back to 1908 ... taken Eugène Atget,
sometimes calles "father of photography".
![symbol 5 Hotel de Villeroy, photographie en 1908 par Eugene Atget symbol 5](../../eugeneatget/escalier-hotel-de-villeroy.jpg)
![Coco Chanel, around 1920, client of the first Cremerie, admiror of the staircase in the Hotel de Villeroy Coco Chanel](../../cocochanel/coco-chanel.jpg)
![Chanel Numero 5 perfume Chanel Numero 5](../../cocochanel/bouteille-numero-5.jpg)
![Coco Chanel around 1960, times when she returned to the Hotel de Villeroy with Aimee de Heeren Coco Chanel dans les années 1960 devant le Ritz](../../cocochanel/coco-chanel-hotel-ritz.jpg)
![ad for N° 5 by Chanel ad for N° 5 de Chanel](../../cocochanel/chiffre-5-chanel.jpg)
The escalier d´honneur of the Hôtel de Villeroy and Coco Chanel ...
![history of Chanel by VB.com history of Chanel by VB.com](../../cocochanel/cc-logo.jpg)
In 1919 Coco Chanel discovered the "5" symbol
on the staircase.
Chanel was a client of the first Cremerie de Paris.
Cremerie de Paris opened in 1870,
from
1924 to 1970 the name changed to "Emmental SA"
and the place specialized in Emmental cheese.
Known for the quality of it's cheese
many famous people from the 19th century came there as clients.
From time to time the owner of the shop (in French Cremier)
enjoyed to show the beautiful staircase to special clients.
The editor of this article has done a lot of research to find out more
of the Cremerie's lost history ...
Many stories are still unknown
exept ...
![Aimee de Heeren, fashion icon, socialite, Internet Student at the Cremerie de Paris ... photo taken in the 1930s in Brazil Aimee de Heeren](../../aimeedeheeren/aimee-de-heeren.jpg)
![Aimée de Heeren with the editor of this website in 2004 during her internet lessons at the Cremerie Aimée de Heeren](../../aimeedeheeren/aimee-de-heeren-cours-internet.jpg)
![Aimee de Heeren in 2000 with the Moon Astronaute Buzz Aldin and the editor of this website Aimee de Heeren and Buzz Aldrin](../../aimeedeheeren/aimee-de-heeren-buzz-aldrin.jpg)
![Buzz Aldrin, Moontraveller Buzz Aldrin](../../buzzaldrin/buzz-aldrin.jpg)
Aimee de Heeren came to the Cremerie de Paris during the last years of her life.
She is a legend in the history of Brazil and she fascinated many personalities of the 20th century,
like Bendor, the Duke of Westminster who was also the boyfriend of Coco Chanel,
the inventor Thomas Edison, the four Kennedybrothers and the first man on the moon.
... at the end of the 1990s
the Cremerie was the home of one the first Internetcafe in Paris.
A friend of Coco Chanel,
a Lady that was almost a hunderd years old,
but still full of life,
had the unusual idea (for people of her generation)
to come to the cafe to get some
Internet Lessons ...
Thanks to these lessons
she was able to transmit many of her unusual souvenirs,
among them long evening walks
with Coco Chanel through the center of Paris,
and sometimes through the courtyard of the
Hotel de Villeroy.
Souvenirs ...
She had a lot of them ...
Aimée de Heeren was exceptionally beautiful.
Destiny and her beauty had made her become
in the late 1930s the "Secret First Lady" of Brazil
and in the early 1940s the girlfriend of Joseph Kennedy Jr,
JFK's older brother
....
![Aimee de Heeren in 2004 in front of the Cremerie de Paris Aimee de Heeren in front of the Cremerie de Paris](../../aimeedeheeren/aimee-de-heeren-cybercafe.jpg)
According to Aimée de Heeren
the "5" symbol on the staircase of the Hôtel de Villeroy
had fascinated her friend Coco Chanel
but nobody knew the meaning ...
The history of the Hôtel de Villeroy
was hardly known.
Coco Chanel n'a pas apelle son fameux parfum n°5
d'après cet escalier.
Non
le chiffre 5 était déja un chiffre "porte bonheur"
dans l'enfance de Coco Chanel.
C'est ainsi qu'elle a été très intriguée
de le retrouvé dans un endroit aussi mysterieux.
The two Ladies went there to speak
"about everything and nothing"
but also about
Bendor, the second Duke of Westminster,
a boy friend they have had in common.
Coco Chanel was very lonely and the Cremerie de Paris
remined her about her youth
and her early years in perfumes.
According to Coco Chanel
all important Paris fashion people of that time
knew the Halles Centrales
and the Cremeries located on rue des Halles.
![Princess Soraya, Queen of Iran and Internet student at the Cremerie de Paris Princess Soraya](../../soraya/princess-soraya.jpg)
![Soraya et Winston Churchill Soraya et Winston Churchill](../../soraya/soraya-winston-churchill.jpg)
![The Cybercafe de Paris Cybercafe de Paris](../../soraya/cybercafe-soraya.jpg)
![La Princess Soraya à during the years she came to the Cremerie de Paris Princess Soraya](../../soraya/soraya-esfandiary-2000.jpg)
![Princess Soraya's engagement ring Princess Soraya's engagement ring](../../soraya/bague-de-fiancailles.jpg)
La Princesse Soraya, ex Reine d'Iran
Princess Soraya, in the 1950s Queen of Iran,
has also taken internet lessons at the Cremerie.
In 2000 and 2001 she went there every thursday afternoon.
Soraya was alwasy sitting next to the large window
with it's view into the courtyard
of the Hôtel de Villeroy.
She was wearing her legendary engagement ring
which is now located at an unknown place ...
Soraya also liked the historic staircase ...
but at this time her internet teacher
and
editor of this website
did not know the fascinating history of the house.
The lessons with the Princess
resulted in the registration of a multitude
of Grand Hotel domain names
and the creation of the website
![discover the iconic Palace Hotels of the World Palace Hotels of the World.com](../../grandhotels/grandhotelsoftheworld.com.gif)
The "Grand Hotels of the World" logo is full of history...
the original meaning of the n°5
is neither 5 Star Grand Hotel
neither Chanel °5
It's Nicolas 5 de Villeroy
![Number 5 on the staircase of the Hotel de Villeroy, built in 1640 for Nicolas V de Villeroy, photo in 1908 by Eugene Atget Le chiffre 5 de l'escalier d'honneur photographie par Eugene Atget](../../eugeneatget/escalier-hotel-de-villeroy.jpg)
The 5 symbol was designed in 1640
for Nicolas V de Villeroy by an unknown artist.
Louis XIV and Francois de Villeroy played around the symbol from 1646 to 1650
It was photographed by Eugene Atget in 1908
The symbol fascinated Coco Chanel from 1919 to 1969
The little bird (with a Walkman headphone) was designed by the editor
of this website
in 1986 inspired by Electrica for Sony
In 2001 the matching domain name,
"Palace Hotels of the World.com"
was a present of one of the World's most beautiful woman
Princess Soraya of Iran.
![logo engraved to the facade of n° 11 rue des Halles logo](../../petit/facade-electrica-m.jpg)
![Princess Soraya and Johannes Thurn & Taxis decembre 1962 Princess Soray and Johannes von Thurn und Taxis](../../soraya/soraya-johannes-taxis-soiree.jpg)
2014 the Palace Hotel Logo was designed on rue des Halles
by the editor of this website with the help of
the Video artist
Scott Stevenson and a friend of the Cremerie, Daymoon.
Grand Hotels of the World.com
is a Grand Hotel information site.
![Madame Michiko Ozawa and the Vskin designer Akiko Sakamoto in front of the escalier d'honneur of the Hotel de Villeroy Madame Ozawa et la styliste de Vskin devant l'escalier d'honneur de l'Hotel de Villeroy](../../vskin/vskin-pop-up-store-paris-31.jpg)
![Madame Michiko Ozawa et la styliste Akiko Sakamoto Madame Ozawa and the stylist Akiko Sakamoto](../../vskin/vskin-pop-up-store-paris-32.jpg)
The stylist Akiko Sakamoto came from Tokyo, she is the designer for Vskin
![visite of the Hotel de Villeroy with Mr Monsieur Takayoshi Hamabe President of Vskin, groupe Footmark Tokyo and Mme Michiko Ozawa - at the occasion of the Vskin expo in Paris escalier d'honneur Hotel de Villeroy](../visite-footmark-escalier-haut.jpg)
![The Vskin / Footmark Tokyo crew and the editor of this article](../visite-footmark-escalier-bas.jpg)
![Vskin à la Cremerie de Paris Vskin à la Cremerie de Paris](../../vskin/vskin-logo.jpg)
![The stylist Elodie Badohoun with one of her Keve shirts and a picture of King Louis XIV La styliste Elodie Badohoun avec une de ses chemises et la photo de Louis XIV qui a passe une partie de son enfance dans la cour de la Cremerie](../../supafrik/supafrik-at-cremerie-de-paris-29-l.jpg)
The designer Elodie Badohoun, founder of the young fashion brand Keve
and the view from the Cremerie de Paris
into the historic courtyard of the l'Hôtel de Villeroy ... the courtyard hasn't changed much since .. 1640.
if the borders of time would not exist
one could from the Cremerie de Paris
see the "children" play ...