Few names have such different meanings as the name Bertillon, and both are associated with Paris.
The first famous Bertillon was the police investigator Alphonse Betillon (1853-1914). Until the 80s, the only way to identify criminals was through eyewitness testimony, which was often unreliable. Bertillon, who worked as a police officer Paris He was very interested in biometrics (the science of measuring various parts of the human body) and through it he developed a method of cataloging criminals according to their body structure (facial structure, limb length, etc.). Since each person has a unique body structure, the method made it possible to identify criminals with a very high level of certainty and led to the capture of thousands of criminals during Bertillon's service in the police ranks. This method was replaced during the 20th century by a method of identification based on fingerprints, but parts of it continue to be applied today (for example, photographing suspects from the front and in profile).
For those interested in learning more about Bertillon’s legacy, I would recommend going to the Police Museum located in the Latin Quarter (its exact address is: 4, rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève). The museum, located in an active police station, describes the history of the police in Paris starting from the 17th century, when La Reynie was appointed by Louis XIV to head the first official police force in Paris. The museum, which is completely free, has more than 14 items, including an 200th-century police uniform and the guillotine blade that beheaded Louis XVI, and you can definitely spend a pleasant hour there while strolling through the Latin Quarter. If after visiting the museum you are hungry for something sweet, all you have to do is walk towards the Ile Saint Louis and there you will come across the famous second Bertillon.
Raymond Berthillon, who will celebrate his 90th birthday in December, began his life as a baker and then a restaurateur, following his mother-in-law's request that he take over the management of the family café Le Bourgogne on the Île Saint-Louis. There, Berthillon began to mold and serve his ice creams, and in 1961, the place was discovered by a French journalist, and Berthillon became a celebrity almost overnight. Berthillon was and remains a family business and produces ice cream from only natural products. Over the years, Berthillon has created no less than 70 different flavors, and about 30 of them are sold every day (the decision on which to produce depends on the quality of the ingredients available during the season). Berthillon ice cream can be found in many places in Paris because he sells quite a bit of it to restaurants. However, there is no doubt that a visit to his original branch, located at 29-31 rue saint Louis en l'ile, is highly recommended.
Bertillon ice cream still holds the crown of the best ice cream in France and one of the best in the world, but in 2002 it had a competitor in the form of Amorino ice cream, which was created by two Italians, Cristiano Sereni and Paolo Benassi. Amorino, which brought the gospel of authentic Italian ice cream to France, was very successful and opened quite a few branches in France and abroad. My favorite branch is the one on Buci Street near Boulevard Saint-Germain, and in my opinion their ice cream even surpasses that of Bertillon.
And you, which ice cream do you prefer?
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