Tag Archives: mansions of the Marais

The History of Paris at the Musee Carnavalet

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Musee Carnavalet 9

The Musee Carnavalet chronicles the history of Paris from its founding in 250 B.C. to today’s 21st century center of business, art and culture. The collection is massive, and only a fraction is on display in the museum’s nearly 100 rooms. The museum houses 2,600 paintings, 20,000 drawings, 300,000 engravings, 150,000 photos, 2,000 sculptures and countless other items of historical significance. Continue Reading →

Saint Gilles Garden Offers Total Serenity

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St. Gilles Garden 4

One of my favorite green spaces in the Marais is the tranquil Jardin Saint Gilles Grand Veneur-Pauline Roland, a roughly 1,000-square-meter park that is among the most secluded spots in the City of Light, mostly because the park is nearly impossible to find. The garden, particularly enjoyable in late spring when the hundreds of pink, red and white rose bushes and covered trellises are in full bloom, is tucked into a hidden courtyard between several large stone buildings, including the Hotel Grand Veneur mansion built in 1637 for the captain of the king’s huntsmen. Continue Reading →

Hotel de Sully: A Mansion in the Heart of LGBT Paris

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Hotel de Sully 5

Paris’s Marais district, and in particular the areas around the Metro stations Hotel de Ville and Saint-Paul, is the heart of the City of Light’s thriving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. And while there are plenty of LGBT shops, bars, restaurants and sight-seeing destinations in this neighborhood, it’s also home to more than a dozen 17th and 18th century mansions, called Hotels de Particuliers, that once served as single-family homes to France’s wealthy aristocrats who wished to live near Continue Reading →

Marais Mansions: 18th Century Hotel de Rohan

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Hotel Rohan 6

Another of the gorgeous 300-year-old mansions in Paris’s Marais district is the massive Hotel de Rohan, officially named the Hotel de Rohan Strasbourg as it was built in 1705 for the bishop of Strasbourg, Francois-Armand-August de Rohan-Soubise. This 18th century mansion was designed by architect Pierre Alexis-Delamair as the sister to the nearby Hotel de Soubise estate, Today, both manors are owned by the French government, and serve as the location for France’s national archives and the Musee de l’Histoire de France. Continue Reading →

Musee Picasso Set to Re-Open in October

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Hotel de Sale (Musee Picasso) 4

After many delays and a cost overrun of nearly $30 million, renovations to Paris’s Musee Picasso are nearly complete and the museum is set to re-open in June. The museum closed in August 2009 for a planned two-year, $40 million renovation that more than doubled in length and nearly doubled in cost. But the renovations have greatly expanded exhibition space in the museum’s galleries and safety improvements will allow nearly twice as many visitors inside the museum at one time. Continue Reading →