Carmel de la Place Maubert

A tall, narrow limestone facade sits squeezed between two typical Parisian apartment buildings on the Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. This is the Carmes de la Place Maubert, a former Carmelite monastery that dates back to the thirteen hundreds. While the monks long ago vacated the premises, the site became infamous in the late eighteenth century when police discovered a hidden escape tunnel beneath the property. It served as a secret path for prisoners hoping to disappear into the dense city streets.