Audrey Hepburn A-Z: L is for...
L is for...La Paisible!
Audrey always believed in having a strong inner life, and wanted a home to settle down in that wasn't anywhere near Hollywood. She found that 'peaceful place' in Switzerland.
Audrey purchased La Paisible ('The Peaceful Place), a 17th century farmhouse, in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, in 1963, and lived there for the rest of her life.
In an essay for Medium, Pierluigi Christophe Orunesu, whose parents Giovanni and Rucchita worked at La Paisible, described the home as a typical movie star's house, with features like "an elegant salon with beautiful, tasteful furnishings; a grand piano; loads of framed photos of Hepburn in all her star glory, surrounded by other stars of the day like Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra. Paintings by famous artists like Balthus and Alejo Vidal-Quadras decorated the walls of the house, and it hosted famous people like Roger Moore, Robert Wagner and the pianist Michael Tilson Thomas, to name just a few."
Orunesu also described the home as reflective of the natural grace and beauty of its owner, Audrey. She had a large garden, both for flowers and for vegetables, and the dogs (Jack Russell Terriers, a Spaniel, and a Yorkie) roamed free and had run of the house. She loved to spend time outside.
At La Paisible, Audrey could be herself, unadorned of makeup and glamour (though she kept just about every beauty product on the market on her vanity). She spent time with her children, Sean and Luca, and delighted in hosting her family and friends. For Christmas, Orunesu said that she would put together large Christmas baskets brimming with nuts and fruits and sweets; and for Easter, she'd delight herself in hiding Easter eggs around the large gardens for family egg hunts.
Audrey passed away at La Paisible on January 20, 1993. She is buried nearby in the Tolochenaz Cemetery. Outside La Paisible, which is now owned by a different family, there is a plaque that reads "Ici vecut de 1963 Ã 1993 Audrey Hepburn" or "Here lived, 1963 to 1993, Audrey Hepburn."
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If you could visit any classic movie star's home, where would you go? I'd be on the plane to Tolochenaz. Or maybe head to the Prince's Palace in Monaco to see where Grace Kelly spent most of her life.
Come back soon for the letter I!
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