Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Marle is a private hotel built in 1572 in the Marais district of Paris, for Christophe Hector de Marle, a member of Parliament. It replaces an older building and initially consists of a simple house body between courtyard and garden. The hotel was acquired in 1609 by Charles I Duret de Chevry, president of the Chamber of Accounts, who undertook enlargements around 1639, particularly the wings on court, entrusted to the entrepreneur Jean Thiriot.

In the 18th century, major transformations were carried out around 1779, including the creation of an honour staircase and a redistribution of the ground floor, where Louis XVI style decorations remained. Sold in 1816, the hotel houses successively a house of education, workshops (tapissier, factory of envelopes), and welcomes figures like the painter Léonor Fini and the writer André Pieyre de Mandiargues. Its garden, covered with a hangar in the 20th century, serves as a garage.

In 1965, the Swedish State acquired the hotel to restore it and set up the Ticino Institute and the Swedish Cultural Centre. The works, begun in 1967, reveal hidden elements: French painted ceilings, frescoes, and a structure attributed to Philibert Delorme, restored in the same way. The facades, roofs, and staircase with its ramp have been listed as historical monuments since 1961. The restorations include the reconstruction of the garden arcades, stone balusters, and wooden skylights, with thick slate blankets.

Today, the Hotel de Marle combines architectural heritage (renaissance tracks, 18th century modifications) and cultural vocation, welcoming exhibitions, artist residences and events related to Sweden. Its staircase, cage and ramp, as well as its facades on street, courtyard and garden, remain protected for their historical value.

Future

It currently hosts the art collection of the Ticino Institute and the Swedish Cultural Centre.

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