The Paris boarding school refers to the "Old house that is covered in vines" in Madeline. It is home to the twelve little girls including Madeline. It's located in a relatively quiet and charming neighborhood of Paris near the Eiffel Tower on a street with several other old estates of similar size and age.
History[]
The school was originally built as an observatory in the early 18th Century by Felix De LaMorte, a young French astronomer. Felix was tragically killed one night when he accidentally fell off the roof while observing a passing comet. He haunted the house's attic for nearly a quarter of a millennia before Madeline, the Girls and Pepito assisted his ghost in recovering his telescope.
At some point the house came to be owned by the Cucuface Family. They refurbished it and donated it to a private school network of which they headed the board of trustees. The house became a Girls boarding school and would eventually serve the class in the mid-twentieth century.
Role in the Series[]
The House is an instrumental catalyst of the Madeline Series, evolving into something as a character in its own right. It serves as a home and place of learning for Madeline and her friends. Consequently they've grown quite attached to the old house. Whenever they're away, even in places arguably nicer, they still get a sense of homesickness.
Layout[]
The school building is large enough to easily accommodate a class size of twelve and their minder.
Basement[]
The school's basement is unfurnished and unremarkable. The furnace and laundry machines are down there as well as additional storage. Genevieve has a secondary bed there for when a guest who is uncomfortable with dogs visits the house.
First Floor[]
The entrance hall is located here with a set of double front doors that lead outside. The Girls hang their coats and hats here. There is one straight stairwell with banisters that goes upstairs. The house's main telephone line is in an alcove next to the stairs. Down the hallway is the dining room where the Girls eat their meals. There is also a fully stocked kitchen where Mrs. Murphy works. On the other side of the entrance hall is a large sitting room with a fireplace. The Girls often play here when the weather is bad. There is also a door which leads to the backyard.
Second Floor[]
There's at least one other spiral staircase in the house which leads up to the second floor. The straight staircase arrives at a balcony type landing where the doors to the Girls' bedroom are. The Girls sleep in a large bedroom with twelve beds that may have once been a ballroom. Ms. Clavel sleeps in a smaller bedroom some distance away from the Girls. There is a bathroom with a line of twelve sinks and one small bathtub. The school's classroom is located on the second floor. It also serves as a library.
Attic[]
The attic is rarely visited as Ms. Clavel believes it to be haunted. Like the basement it's largely unfurnished and is musty. There's mostly old storage up there as well as winter clothing.
Front Yard[]
The front yard is seen most often. The Girls sometimes play here. They always walk through it to start their morning walks. There's a patch of grass in the middle, surrounded by two dirt footpaths. On the sides near the dividing walls to the neighbors' properties, there are tall trees.
Backyard[]
The backyard is relatively big for an urban environment. There's a garden where Ms. Clavel (tries) to grow fruits and vegetables for the class. There's also a gardening shed. Like the front yard there's trees and flowers. The Girls spend most of their free time playing here.
Condition[]
Although the old house has good bones, it's largely starting to show its age. Throughout the series, a number of repairs have been needed to keep the house in good working order. In Madeline at the Hotel Riche, a plumber needed to subject the entire pipe network to an extensive overhaul as the bathroom main had blown out. The school needed an entirely new roof in Madeline and the White Lie. In Madeline and the New House, the Old House became a Parisian historical landmark both before and after undergoing a major restoration.
Affiliation[]
The boarding school is apparently part of a larger private school network in Paris under the board of trustees. It serves as an all-girls, primary education school. In the books, a Cross is seen on the roof of the school and above the doorway of the Girls' bedroom, heavily implying the school is associated with the Catholic Church (the largest faith in France). In the television series, the Girls say grace at every meal, and it is mentioned they strongly pray whenever a member of their community is in distress. They were also mentioned to have a mass on religious holidays such as Easter. In the live action movie, Ms. Clavel is depicted as a nun rather than a nurse, although not all teachers at religious schools are members of the clergy.
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