| Hôtel de Sens | |
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 Front façade | |
 Interactive map of Hôtel de Sens | |
| General information | |
| Location | Paris,France |
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TheHôtel de Sens (French pronunciation:[otɛldəsɑ̃s]) orHôtel des archevêques de Sens is a 16th-centuryhôtel particulier, or private mansion, inthe Marais, in the4th arrondissement of Paris,France. It nowadays houses theForney art library.
Thehôtel was built to serve as a residence for thearchbishops ofSens. Before 1622, Paris was not anarchdiocese, but rather a diocese suffragan to theArchdiocese of Sens. The archbishop was a prominent figure of power, his residence reflecting his influence within the urban landscape.
A firsthôtel, at this location, was built for the archbishops of Sens in 1345, which was later used byCharles V, King of France, as a part of his royal residence, thehôtel Saint-Pol. When the Kings settled in the newly builtLouvre palace, the building was destroyed, only to be replaced by the currenthôtel, built between 1475 and 1519 byTristian de Salazar and reinstalled as the residence of the archbishops of Sens.[1] As such, it served as the house of many renowned prelates, such asAntoine Duprat,Louis de Bourbon de Vendôme,Louis de Lorraine,Nicolas de Pellevé (who died in thehôtel) orJacques Davy Duperron.Margaret of Valois also lived there in 1605 and 1606, and her decision to cut down a fig tree (figuier) in front of the building that was impeding her carriage, is said to have inspired the name of the street,rue du Figuier.[2]
In 1622, Paris became an archdiocese. The archbishops of Sens lost the major part of their power in the city, and their sojourns in Paris became progressively less frequent. Thehôtel, transferred during the 17th century to thearchdiocese of Paris, entered a lasting period of progressive decay. During theFrench Revolution it was confiscated as abien national, sold in 1797 and privately owned throughout the 19th century, housing, like manyhôtels particulier in the Marais at the time, shops, workshops or factories. During theTrois Glorieuses street fights of 1830, a cannonball hit the facade and lodged deep within the wall ; it is visible nowadays above the main entrance, the date engraved beneath.
Protected as aheritage site in 1862, the building was acquired by the city of Paris, and thoroughly restored in 1930. The Forney art library was installed in it in 1961.
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48°51′12″N2°21′33″E / 48.85333°N 2.35917°E /48.85333; 2.35917
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