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Origin and history

The Charles-Testu Hotel is a private hotel built in the middle of the seventeenth century for Charles Testu, knight of the watch. Originally located at No. 17 of Rue Neuve Saint-Lambert (present-day Rue de Condé), he was facing the Hotel de Condé, destroyed in 1764. When he died, the hotel passed to his widow, Louise Coutelle, and his sister, Charlotte Coutelle, until 1700. Between 1710 and 1713, he was acquired by Antoine Auger, then by Joseph Le Gendre d'Armény, secretary of finance of the Duke of Orleans, who housed his protégé, Marie Angélique Maxime de la Motte d'Aulnay.

In 1713, a painted ceiling, attributed to Claude III Audran and partially realized by Antoine Watteau and Nicolas Lancret, was installed. The hotel then changed hands several times: the Marquis du Perrier owned it until 1762, before it was purchased by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais between 1763 and 1785. Beaumarchais housed his father there, married in 1768, and composed Le Barbier de Seville around 1773. After his ruin and imprisonment in 1773, the hotel was no longer occupied by his sister Julie from 1778.

In the 19th century, the hotel belonged to the Faure family (1809-1879). In 1903 the publishing house Mercure de France settled, followed by the Gallimard editions in 1958. Rachilde also lived there. Since 1964, its street facades and roof have been listed as historical monuments, preserving this architectural and literary heritage.

The building illustrates the social and cultural evolution of Paris, moving from an aristocratic residence to a major editorial site. Its 18th century ceiling, discovered in 2009, reflects the collaboration between Audran, Watteau and Lancret, three figures of rococo art. The hotel thus embodies both the noble heritage of the Great Century and the intellectual vitality of the following centuries.

Future

The publishing house Le Mercure de France was established there in 1903. The hotel was purchased by Gallimard in 1968.

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