Square des Deux-Nèthes

The Square des Deux-Nèthes sits on land that looks very different today than it did less than a century ago. During the interwar period, this exact spot was home to a notorious bal musette called the Petit Jardin. The dance hall drew a rough crowd of underworld figures, and it was a common haunt for pimps, sex workers, and legendary criminals like Henri Charrière, known as Papillon. In 1935, the venue hosted two performers who were still largely unknown to the public, Edith Piaf and Django Reinhardt.