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Origin and history

The Hotel dAngoulême Lamonion, located 24 rue Pavée in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, is a private hotel built from 1559 for François de Pisseleu, Abbé de Saint-Corneille de Compiègne. Originally conceived by Philibert de l'Orme, only the base, the central staircase and the southern half were made before delays due to structural innovations such as the small wood frame. The works were resumed after his death, with major modifications, including the replacement of this structure by a traditional roof in 1576 under Jean Bodin de Montguichet.

Acquired in 1584 by Diane de France, the legitimized daughter of Henri II, the hotel was confronted with legal constraints (rents, redemption procedures) preventing it from completing the work before 1611. She raised the south wing and added a symmetrical pavilion, thus finishing the main structure. When he died in 1619, the hotel passed to his nephew Charles d'Angoulême, who lived there until 1650 and added a north wing with a scauguette, visible today at the corner of Pavée and the Francs-Bourgeois streets.

In the 18th century, Guillaume I de Lamonion, first president of the Paris Parliament, rented and built the hotel with architect Robert de Cotte. He made it a meeting place for intellectuals (Madame de Sévigné, Racine, Boileau). In 1759, prosecutor Antoine Moriau installed his library, left to the city of Paris, creating the first municipal library open to the public in 1763. The hotel was then purchased by the architect Jean-Baptiste Le Boursier and then inhabited by Alphonse Daudet (1867-1876).

Purchased by the Paris City Hall in 1928, the hotel was restored between 1955 and 1968 to house the historical library of the city of Paris, inaugurated in 1969. The work added a U-shaped extension and two floors in the basement, while preserving elements classified as historical monuments in 1937: the Renaissance facade, the roofs, the stairhouses, and the living room on the first floor with the Corinthian panels. The 17th century church, marked with the initials "S.C." (Saint Catherine), recalls the former convent present on the site.

The west gate, dating from 1718, has a tympanum symbolizing Truth and Prudence, virtues dear to the Lamonion, as well as their interlaced number. Interior decorations, inspired by Diane de France (hunting goddess), include moon crescents, deer heads and weapon trophies. The hotel thus illustrates the architectural and social evolution of the Marais, from the wars of Religion to its present role as conservator of Parisian history.

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