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Villa Landru

Villa Landru

Recommended by 14 road cyclists out of 15

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Parc naturel régional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse

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Location: Gambais, Mantes-La-Jolie, Ile-de-France, France

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Best Road Cycling Rides to Villa Landru

3.5

(4)

riders

1. Villa Landru – Château de la Mormaire loop from Garancières - La Queue

38.0km

01:41

250m

Easy road ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Easy

5.0

(1)

riders

2. Château de la Mormaire – Étang de Hollande loop from Bazainville

53.9km

02:17

380m

Intermediate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Intermediate

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3. Chateau de Behoust – Château de la Mormaire loop from Orvilliers

58.2km

02:32

450m

Intermediate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Intermediate

Tips

Fabrice Rigalleau

December 27, 2022

Here at 36 rue de l'église, an old house different from the neighboring buildings. This is the "Tric" villa acquired in 1915 by Henri Désiré Landru to commit his macabre crimes. Within these walls, 7 women were murdered between 1915 and 1919 among the 11 officially recorded victims.

The choice of the Gambais villa was motivated by its isolation, as it was 300 m from the nearest house (this is obviously no longer the case now), and by its outbuildings and the basement. Here were found supposedly human remains in a heap of ashes discovered in a shed, in the fireplace, and in the stove; one will also find clasps, pins, pieces of corset, partly burnt buttons. In all, the police found 4.176 kg of charred bone debris, including 1.5 kg undoubtedly coming from human bodies, as well as 47 teeth or tooth fragments. The medical examiner will announce to the press that these bones correspond to three heads, five feet and six hands.

Having become a famous place on the occasion of the resounding trial, Villa Tric de Gambais was looted by the crowd, then sold to a restorer who renamed it "Au Grillon du Foyer" and converted part of the building into a museum. It even seems that the "Landru" rib steak was served there, grilled over a wood fire... The restaurant closed its doors in 1940 and the house was then sold to private individuals. The famous villa also gave rise to a series of postcards. Somewhat forgotten after several decades, the house came back into the news in 2018 when it was put up for sale with an announcement very discreetly stating "very beautiful house steeped in history"...

The cook of the villa after a succession of transactions ended up being bought by Laurent Ruquier. Passionate about the character, he wrote a play on the subject, in 2005, with Régis Laspalès in the main role.

No sign, no sign comes to announce the history of this house which undoubtedly wishes to fall back into oblivion.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 140 m

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Sunday 12 October

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Max wind speed: 8.0 km/h

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Location: Gambais, Mantes-La-Jolie, Ile-de-France, France

Villa Landru

1. Villa Landru – Château de la Mormaire loop from Garancières - La Queue

2. Château de la Mormaire – Étang de Hollande loop from Bazainville

3. Chateau de Behoust – Château de la Mormaire loop from Orvilliers

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