Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel Carnavalet, built between 1548 and 1560 for Jacques de Ligneris, President of the Paris Parliament, is attributed to the architect Pierre Lescot and decorated with sculptures by Jean Goujon. Located in an area marked by orchards, its quadrilateral plan "between courtyard and garden" became an architectural model. In 1578 he was acquired by Françoise de Kernevenoy, widow of a Breton gentleman, whose deformed name gave "Carnavalet". The hotel was enlarged by François Mansart in the 17th century, then occupied by the Marquise de Sévigné from 1677 to 1696. After the Revolution, it will house the School of Bridges and Roads before being bought by the City of Paris in 1866 on the initiative of Baron Haussmann, to set up a museum dedicated to the history of the capital.

The Carnival Museum - History of Paris, opened in 1880, extends to two hotels: the Hotel Carnavalet and the Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, connected by a gallery. Its collections, rich in more than 625,000 works (paintings, sculptures, archaeological objects, photographs, etc.), cover the history of Paris from prehistory to the present. The museum trail, entirely redesigned during its renovation (2016-2021), highlights emblematic rooms such as Marcel Proust's room, the ballroom of the Wendel hotel or Gallo-Roman remains. The museum is also distinguished by its period rooms, the interiors of Paris from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, built by Pierre Bullet in the late seventeenth century, has been home to revolutionary and modern collections since 1989. Its cast iron staircase, technical prowess, and decorated rooms (such as the Fouquet jewelery by Alfons Mucha) complete the cultural offer. Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1846, the ensemble benefited from major restorations, the last of which (58 million euros) modernized the spaces and digitized 610 000 objects. The museum, managed by Paris Museums, also offers temporary exhibitions and a resource centre for researchers.

The flagship works include paintings by Hubert Robert on the Revolution, objects related to Louis XVI or Robespierre, and decorative ensembles such as the Art Nouveau Salon at the Café de Paris. Archaeological collections, exhibited in orangery and basement since 2021, include Bercy's canoes and Roman surgical instruments. The museum also preserves autographs (Mme de Sévigné, Robespierre) and photographic archives (Marville, Atget).

The history of the museum is marked by events such as the fire of the Town Hall in 1871, which destroyed the first collections, or the controversial auction of 1881, where 951 objects were dispersed. In the 20th century, specialized departments (numismatics, photographs) were structured, while annexes such as the archaeological crypt of the island of la Cité (done in 1999) expanded its scope of action. Today, the museum combines heritage and innovation, with 150 multimedia content and enhanced accessibility (10% of children's works).

Future

The Musée Carnavalet is the Parisian municipal museum dedicated to the history of Paris from the origins of the city to the present day. It consists of the Hotel de Carnavalet and the Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau connected by a gallery located on the first floor. It has an area of 10,000 square meters and has about 100 rooms.

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