The Court of Miracles (Settlement)

A slum district of Paris, France where the unemployed and migrants reside, sombre, dirty, muddy, and tortuous, with pretended infirmities and a criminal pollution. In Paris a large portion of the population rely on begging for its survival. Since those with a clear handicap could expect more alms, a number of beggars faked terrible injuries and diseases. By the time they came back to their homes in the slum, they dropped their characters. A beggar who had pretended to be blind or crippled the whole day could see or walk again once back in the slum. This phenomenon gave the generic name to these areas where so many “miracles” occurred every day: courts of miracles.

Culture

The people of the Court of Miracles have organized a counter-society devoted to crime and thievery with its own hierarchy and institutions, ruled by Clopin Trouillefou the King of Truands. The archissupots are former students in charge of teaching the local slang to the new recruits. The relationship between outlaws and the student world in a time of crisis – has however commonly been observed. The area is stinking, muddy, irregular and unpaved. It has a culture of crime and promiscuity,  no one had faith or law, marriage.