| Hôtel de Beauvais | |
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 Interactive map of Hôtel de Beauvais | |
| General information | |
| Type | Hôtel particulier |
| Location | 68, rue François Miron, Paris, France |
| Completed | 1660 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Antoine Le Pautre |
TheHôtel de Beauvais (French pronunciation:[otɛldəbovɛ]) is ahôtel particulier, a kind of largetownhouse of France, at 68 rue Francois-Miron,4th arrondissement, Paris. Until 1865 rue Francois-Miron formed part of the historic rue Saint Antoine and as such was part of the ceremonial route into Paris from the east. The hotel was built by the royal architectAntoine Le Pautre for Catherine Beauvais in 1657. It is an example of eclecticFrench Baroque architecture.
Catherine Beauvais was the first lady toAnne of Austria, and was rumored to have providedLouis XIV with his first heterosexual experience.[1] Favoured by the Queen regent, Catherine Beauvais was given gifts of money and later expensive building materials that had been destined to be used in the extension of theCour Carrée of the Louvre Palace. The Hôtel Beauvais was built partly over land that had belonged toCistercian monks during the 13th century. All that is left of their town house is the vaulted cellar that has been preserved in the basement of the 17th-century building.
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On August 26, 1660, King Louis the XIV and his new wifeMaria-Theresa made a triumphal entry into Paris, stopping at the Hotel de Beauvais to salute Beauvais, who stood on the protruding balcony that overlooked the street. In 1763 the hotel came into possession of the Bavarian ambassador, who received a visit that year from Mr. Leopold Mozart, his wife, and children, includingWolfgang, age seven. During theFrench Revolution the building was requisitioned by the state and sold to a private individual. In 1800 the building was divided up into 40 apartments. The building was significantly changed and some parts became damaged or demolished. An extra floor is also added between the first and second floors in order to create extra rental space. In 1918, the building was damaged during shelling. Until 1987 the Hôtel was home to a variety of tenants including a school and, between 1941 and 1972, a private maternity clinic. During the Nazi occupation Jewish residents were moved out.
In 1926 the Hôtel de Beauvais was partly listed as a historical monument because of its main entrance, the grand staircase and the façade overlooking the central courtyard. The entirety of the building wasn't listed until 1966.In the early 20th century, the building was in danger of demolition as part of an effort to redevelop poor and insalubrious areas of the city. The Marais and the areas around what is now thePompidou Centre are particularly targeted. However, due to the efforts of the Minister of CultureAndré Malraux and heritage activists, much of the Marais was slowly restored during the late 20th century rather than demolished. Between 1967 and 1970 the medieval cellar was cleared and restored by the association Paris Historique.[2] The restoration of the building was completed in 2003, and today contains theadministrative court of appeal of Paris and is mostly inaccessible to the public except for the court public audiences. However, the historic parts of the building can be visited duringEuropean Heritage Days. The building can also be visited once a month under the auspices of Paris Historique. The courtyard has been used as a theatre, notably during theFestival du Marais.[3]
Hôtel de Beauvais’ façade is in theFrench Baroque style, common tohôtels particuliers. Strict symmetry is created using false walls and windows.[4] The façade uses vertical bands of rusticated stone and horizontal moldings instead of orders to define major lines.[5]
The building contains several unexpected elements for anhôtel particulier. Public shops were located along the ground level, which may have been a continuation of an ancient Roman tradition. The mezzanine windows, which were uncommon in Paris, may have been a throwback toHigh Renaissance in Rome.[6] In the plan, there are different paths for circulation for servants and noblemen. Many unusual details of the plan: thecorps de logis placed along the street with thecour d’honneur behind, the circular vestibule, the angled passage from the court to the rue de Jouy, the semicircular ending of the court, and the stair at the left rear of the court, were the result of Le Pautre's use of the foundations of the three medieval houses that originally occupied the lot.[7]
Le Pautre's major triumph was in his treatment of the irregular site and the creation of a symmetrical façade.[8] Architectural historians also laud the building for its influence on thefree plan; seen in the centralcour d’honneur, created by the articulation of pochè and an ambivalence towards solid space.[9]
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| Geographic | |
48°51′18.70″N2°21′30.00″E / 48.8551944°N 2.3583333°E /48.8551944; 2.3583333
