It was the courtesan, Marie Duplessis, who provided Alexandre Dumas fils with inspiration for the character of Marguerite Gautier. He saw her for the first time in 1844 and she became his mistress until 1845. "She was tall, very slim, with black hair and pink and white skin. She had a small head, long enamel eyes like a Japanese, but lively and delicate, lips as red as cherries, the most beautiful teeth in the world", he wrote after her death at the age of 23. When alive, she was never referred to as the Lady of the Camellias, because this nickname given to Marguerite was of pure invention. But, if you go to the nearby Montmartre cemetery and ask to see the tomb of the Lady of the Camellias, you will be directed to the square tombstone of Alphonsine Plessis (her real name), an eternal legend.
According to the history books, Marie Duplessis stayed in the place where you may even decide to spend a night… the Hotel Camélia International.