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Key figures

Origin and history

The hotel of Guénégaud, located 60 rue des Archives in the Marais in Paris, is a mansion built between 1652 and 1653 by architect François Mansart. It is the only building designed by this master of French classicism to have survived in its entirety. The ensemble, composed of a main body between courtyard and garden, two wings and a building on street, illustrates the sobriety characteristic of the 17th century Parisian hotels. Its stone honorary staircase, with straight flights and curved arch steps, is particularly remarkable.

The hotel is built on land belonging to the Gentian and Le Beauclerc families in the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1644, he was acquired by Charles Coiffier, Baron d'Orvilliers, and then sold in 1647 to Jean-François de Guénégaud, chief accountant, and his wife Marie Gargan. The latter entrusted François Mansart with the reconstruction of the hotel, which remained in the Guénégaud family until 1703. Jean-François died there in 1667, and his son Claude, ambassador to Portugal, rented him and then sold him to Jean Romanet, a general farmer, who brought sumptuous interior decorations.

In the 18th century, the hotel passed into the hands of several owners, including François Thiroux d'Epersenne, collector of art, whose family occupied it until 1842. From 1850 to 1960, the building deteriorated, leased to workshops or institutions, and neared demolition in the 1950s. Saved by André Malraux, it was declared a historical monument in 1962 and restored thanks to the Fondation de la Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature, created by François and Jacqueline Sommer. Since 1967, it has been home to this foundation and the Museum of Hunting and Nature.

The hotel is evoked in literature, notably in the novel "Hotel de Niorres" (1860-1861) by Ernest Capendu, who inspired him to describe an 18th-century aristocratic home. Today, it is accessible via the Arts et Métiers and Daughters du Calvaire metro stations, and communicates with the Mongelas hotel, also owned by the foundation.

Ranked since 1962, the Hôtel de Guénégaud embodies both the 17th century French classical architecture and a success of the Marais safeguard policy initiated by André Malraux. Its staircase, interior decorations and history linked to influential families make it an exceptional witness to the Parisian heritage.

Future

It now houses the headquarters of the Fondation de la Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature and a private club of the same name.

The museum of hunting and nature that used to be there was transferred to the Mongelas hotel, a private adjoining hotel at the Guénégaud hotel.

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