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Origin and history

The Mission building, also known as the Mission's hotel or house, is a former Conventual located in Fontainebleau, adjacent to the Saint Louis Church. Built in the 17th century, it was originally designed to house the servants of the parish of Saint-Louis. In 1662 Louis XIV purchased the property of the former Martigues hotel and built it, which he offered to the Mission Congregation founded by Vincent de Paul. In return, the Lazarist community had to maintain ten priests, including a parish priest, to administer the sacraments and preach. The size of the building, disproportionate to a population of 700 fires, suggests that it served more as a convent than as a simple presbytery, meeting the needs of preaching in rural parishes without competent clergy.

In 1793, during the Revolution, the state confiscated the property of religious congregations, and the building was allocated to the municipality of Fontainebleau. It will house the town hall and the court as early as 1800, while remaining the object of tension between the church and the commune. A prefectural decree of 1830 finally imposed the division of the building between the cure and the municipality, ending decades of litigation. The facades and roofs were listed as historical monuments in 1949, recognizing its heritage value.

Today, the building still houses municipal services, including the tourist office since 2017, installed in the former election hall. Its history reflects the political and religious evolution of France, from its royal foundation to its contemporary civil vocation. The inner courtyard, in dialogue with the church of Saint-Louis, recalls its conventual origin and its central role in local life.

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