Probably more famous then the church I just mentioned, but certainly not better for me, is the Hôtel de Sens. The only thing I can say about it is that it looks 'different' with the little towers. But it didn't leave me in awe at all.
Hôtel de Sens is one of the 3 remaining medieval private residences in Paris and it was built between 1475 and 1507. Nowadays it houses Bibliothèque Forney, where you can admire decorative and fine arts, as well as industrial techniques. I haven't been inside, so I can't judge about that. I just can say that the outside is disappointing, and for me not worth making a detour for.
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Address: 1 Rue du Figuier
Phone: 01 42 78 14 60
On Sunday afternoon le Marais is absolutely mobbed with people. There are lots of kosher markets, boulangeries, bookstores, and restaurants and it is also an area where the young trendy designers have set up shop. You will also find lots of nonkosher bars and restaurants as well as museums and theatres.
I took my Parisian landlady there and she was amazed. Even though her brother-in-law lives in le Marais, she had no idea that on Sundays it was the liveliest place in Paris.
Check out the website below. It will tell you everything you want to know about le Marais.
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Address: 4th Arrondissement
This is a Hôtel in the old sense of the word, mean a stately and elaborate private residence. It is named after its most famous owner, the first Duke of Sully, who bought it in 1634 and fixed it up as his retirement residence.
This is now the head office of the Center of National Monuments, and also houses an exhibition hall and a library.
Second photo: People in the first courtyard of the Hôtel de Sully, coming in from Rue Saint-Antoine. From here you can walk through and come out the back end at Place des Vosges.
Third photo: Here's what it looks like from the street, Rue Saint-Antoine.
Fourth photo: Across the street there is a small pastry shop with the marvelous name Aux Désirs de Manon, referring to the heroine of the novel Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévost (1697-1763) -- a novel which was the inspiration for operas by Auber, Massenet, Puccini and Henze, among others.
Updated Apr 2, 2011
Address: 62 rue Saint-Antoine, 75004 Paris
Phone: 44 61 20 00
Website: http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Hotel.de.Sully/
After several visits to Paris always skipping this quarter, I spent there a week. It gave me a new image of this trendy area, where many recent investments didn't compromise its history and traditional look.
Updated Dec 11, 2010
Built in the middle of the 16th century, in a former graveyard, this fountain got its name from the church of Innocents, built in memory of the children killed by Herodes. Later on, in the 18th century the church was replaced by a market, but the church was moved to the centre of a new square, giving name to it.
Updated Dec 11, 2010
One of many hôtels particuliers in le Marais district, Hôtel Libéral Bruant carries the name of the architect who designed l'Hôtel des Invalides, among other structures in Paris. He built this mansion in 1685 as his own residence in a Louis XIV style, with arched windows and four niches containing the busts of Roman emperors. The façade's pediment contains elaborate bas-reliefs of cherubs and vegetal motifs. Over the course of history, the mansion changed hands several times until it was purchased in 1967 by the State and turned into a museum. Unfortunately, the museum shut down a couple of decades later and the Hôtel Libéral Bruant has since been closed.
Updated Dec 9, 2010
Address: Place de Thorigny, Paris 3e
Considered one of the most beautiful Renaissance-period palaces in Paris (of a Louis XIII style), Hôtel de Sully was completed in 1630. It was built for the compte financier Mesme-Gallet, but only four years later, a former royal financial minister, the Duke of Sully, purchased the property. It retained his name as it continued to be owned by his family for centuries before changing hands a number of times afterwards. When the mansion was partially destroyed in WWII, the government purchased it and restored it to its former glory. The façades of the first courtyard are beautifully decorated, and above the main entrance are two sculptures representing Spring and Summer. The second courtyard contains a separate pavilion, known as l'Orangerie, which gives access to Place des Vosges behind. Nowadays, Hôtel de Sully houses la Caisse nationale des monuments historiques et des sites, an institution responsible for historic sites in France, and the contains a photographic exhibition hall on its ground floor.
Updated Nov 25, 2010
Address: 62 rue Saint-Antoine, Paris 4e
Dedicated to the patron saint of the right bank of Paris, Église Saint-Merri is considered one of the city's most beautiful Gothic churches. Saint Merri was a 7th century abbot, originally known as Medericus, who died near the spot where this church was erected. Although it was first built in the 12th century AD, the existing church is from a 16th century reconstruction. Only parts of the lower façade, which is intricately decorated with Gothic sculptures and is facing rue Saint-Martin, are from the original structure. Its small Gothic bell tower, which possesses the oldest church bell in Paris (1331), was originally one floor higher, but the top floor was destroyed in a 19th century fire and was never rebuilt. Although Saint-Merri is a fairly typical French Gothic church, its interior is unusually well lit, especially when the sun shines through the upper Gothic windows. Église Saint-Merri is located in the heart of the Marais district of Paris.
Updated Nov 21, 2010
Address: rue Saint-Martin, le Marais, Paris 4e
Website: www.saintmerri.org
Initially named Hôtel d'Angoulême after its first resident, Diane de France la duchesse d'Angoulême, l'Hôtel de Lamoignon dates from 1589. It took on its current name in 1658 when the president of the French parliament, Chrétien-François de Lamoignon, bought it. Many of his famous contemporaries are known to have been entertained at his mansion, including Madame de Sévigné and Racine. A few additions were made to the mansion in the 17th century by the royal architect, Robert de Cotte, while the portal on rue de Pavée (pictured here) was a 1718 addition. It is said that this house contains one of the most beautiful painted ceilings in Paris. Since the 1960s, l'Hôtel de Lamoignon has housed la Bibliotèque historique de la Ville de Paris, the Historical Library of the City of Paris.
Updated Oct 29, 2010
Address: 24, rue de Pavée, Paris 4e
The marshes that gave le Marais its name were drained long ago in the 10th century. The reclaimed land allowed urban development to gradually develop north of île de la Cité, the heart of Paris. In the 17th to the 19th centuries, when large sections of Paris were torn down to allow for grander urban planning, particularly by Haussmann, le Marais remained neglected and was spared from destruction. Also saved were numerous sumptuous hôtels particuliers, or townhouse palaces, many of which have now been turned into interesting museums. Therefore, it is one of the more charming neighbourhoods in Paris where some of the older architecture and narrow streets have been preserved. In the 19th century, le Marais became home to a large number of eastern European Jews, and in more recent times, the gay community also moved to this area. These two communities still dominate le Marais and live side-by-side, often resulting in an interesting cultural diversity. Le Marais, with its art galleries, falafel sellers, cafés, small museums, bistros, and gay bars is well worth an afternoon in Paris.
Updated Oct 29, 2010
Address: le Marais - Paris 1er / 3e arrondissements
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The marshes that gave le Marais its name were drained long ago in the 10th century. The reclaimed land allowed urban development to gradually develop north of...
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