Pierre Chanzy was born on July 18, 1860, in Paris, into a rather conservative and bourgeois family. Yet, he never stopped being a dreamer. His mother liked to say that this was partly because his birth coincided with a total solar eclipse.

Pierre grew up during a time marked by turmoil and war. At just 11 years old, he witnessed the defeat of France by the Prussian army, which bombarded Paris with more than 12,000 shells during the siege of 1870. This event shook the nation: the parade of Prussian troops down the Champs-Élysées imposed a new world order, but also forged in the French a common spirit of resistance and defiance. This feeling of independence and determination deeply inspired Pierre throughout his life.

During a workshop with the painter Gustave Levie, Pierre fell madly in love with a young model named Juliette. She embodied innocence with her dark blue eyes, like precious stones set against a pale complexion. Their love remained platonic and unconsummated, ending tragically when Juliette succumbed to tuberculosis three years after they met. Heartbroken, Pierre left Paris, his beloved city, to explore the world, driven by an insatiable curiosity.

His travels took him to the Orient, Indochina, Africa—including Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Mauritania—and even New Caledonia. “The world is my home,” he would say. He returned to Paris in 1900, just in time for the Universal Exposition, which opened the doors to the entire world.

This exposition celebrated the achievements of the past century and the possibilities of the next, with Art Nouveau at its core. This movement, inspired by natural forms and lines, renewed creativity across architecture, design, literature, musical theatre, and cinema. It was a golden age of artistic expression, a world in which Pierre fully blossomed.

He attended the first screening of the iconic silent film A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès at the Olympia Music Hall in September 1902—arguably the first science-fiction film and one of the most influential in cinema history.

Shortly after, architect Achille Champy built the Maison Chanzy, a private mansion for Pierre. Its architectural style stood out from contemporary Parisian Art Nouveau, combining a brick and stone façade inspired by Belgian architect Victor Horta, with a nod to the earlier works of the famous Catalan architect Gaudí.

It was also during this period that Pierre had a brief but passionate affair with Margarethe Zelle, an exotic Dutch dancer. This intense romance would soon take a dramatic turn.

Once again, war engulfed Europe. In August 1914, with memories of 1871 still fresh, France faced Germany in what became the First World War. This was a difficult time for Pierre, who withdrew to his home in Aix-en-Provence, La Bastide Chanzy.

Paris, serving as the French command center during the war, was rife with intrigue and espionage. Among the most famous spies was Mata Hari, a singular woman operating from the German embassy in Madrid. She was caught by French intelligence, arrested on February 13, 1917, at the Hôtel du Palais de l’Élysée, swiftly tried, and executed on February 24.

Pierre was devastated to learn that Mata Hari was none other than Margarethe Zelle, the exotic Dutch dancer he once loved.

Meanwhile, Pierre observed the war from La Bastide, cared for by his young red-haired nurse Jeanne, who officially lived with him.

The war officially ended on November 11, 1918. The bells of Saint-Marguerite Church, at the corner of Rue Chanzy, rang out to celebrate peace, while all of Europe rejoiced at the end of a harrowing conflict. However, Pierre chose not to join the celebrations on the Champs-Élysées.

Peace was formally sealed six months later, on June 28, 1919, at the Paris Peace Conference. On that very day, Pierre Chanzy peacefully passed away from pneumonia in Jeanne’s arms at La Bastide—the same day the treaty was signed.