John von Sothen
Voting with Your Gut
The straw vote at Harry’s Bar, in Paris, has predicted the results of the American presidential election as accurately—if more drunkenly—than many more scientific polls
L’Affaire Negresco
In her final years, Hotel Negresco owner Jeanne Augier was surrounded by all sorts of interlopers. What’s to become of her $500 million fortune—and one of the crown jewels of the French Riviera?
The View from Here
France loves a student protest almost as much as a one-euro baguette. So why isn’t Paris burning?
Burn After Watching
How a flamboyant Frenchman who rose to fame for restoring lost film classics—and burning old film onstage to impress audiences—ended up on trial for manslaughter
Where the Wildensteins Are
For more than a century, France’s Wildensteins reigned over their colossal art dynasty in near-total secrecy. Now the third court case in two decades threatens a precipitous fall for the family
The Château That Ate Provence, Part III
Despite a slew of court judgments and the looming threat of demolition, Château Diter and its eccentric owner are not only standing, they’re open for business. Has Patrick Diter become “the Tiger King of Provence”?
When Family Secrets Turn Deadly
A pedophilia-fueled murder in an idyllic town shocks France
Born in the Cradle of Couture
Officine Générale, Pierre Mahéo’s easy-elegance line, has become a hot brand for the sophisticated man
The Château That Ate Provence, Part II
In Provence, France’s highest court orders a showman to destroy his opulent $69 million faux Italianate palazzo
Toulouse-Lautrec’s Family Is Shortchanged
The artist’s 91-year-old great-grandniece gets grifted out of the château
Off with Their Perks
How “Penelopegate” sentenced a leading French pol to prison and shook the country’s ruling elite
In Cold Blue Blood
The mystery of the missing French aristocrat who vanished after murdering his wife, children, and dogs
The Château That Ate Provence, Part I
The gaudy villa that has French countrysiders in a tizzy
Is Paris Fuming? Oui!
Our expat in France reports on life during nationwide strikes, now in their third month
In Cold Blue Blood
The mystery of the missing French aristocrat who vanished after murdering his wife, children, and dogs
Viva Zapata
The inventor of the Flyboard channels his inner Tony Stark
The Château That Ate Provence, Part I
The gaudy villa that has French countrysiders in a tizzy
