Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel de Comans d'Astry, also known as Hotel de Richelieu, is a Parisian mansion built between 1644 and 1647 on the Dauphin wharf (current Quai de Béthune) on Île Notre-Dame, today island Saint-Louis. He was commissioned by Thomas de Comans of Astryl, the king's adviser and master, and his design was long attributed without proof to Louis Le Vau, Pierre Le Muet or Jean Androuet du Cerceau. Recent archives confirm however the involvement of Le Vau in 1645. The building illustrates the classic French style, with a body of houses crossed by a doric columned vestibule and a remodeled staircase.

In the 17th century, the hotel became the residence of Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu and grand-nephew of the famous cardinal. Its history extends to the 20th century, marked by the death of the writer Francis Carco in 1958. The hotel retains remarkable elements like four bas-reliefs attributed to the sculptor Van Obstal, although its original staircase ramp has disappeared. Its architecture reflects the interior changes of the eighteenth century, while preserving traces of its original splendor.

Partially listed as historical monuments, the hotel saw its entrance door and its courtyard facades protected from 1926, followed by its large vestibule and street façade in 1999. These inscriptions highlight its heritage value, both for its history and its architecture. Located at the 18th quay in Bethune, it embodies the prestige of Parisian private hotels, witness to the fascists of the Ancien Régime and the urban evolutions of Île Saint-Louis.

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