Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de La Fare is a former mansion built in No. 14 of Place Vendôme, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Built in 1704 by the architect Jacques V Gabriel for his father-in-law, Mathurin Besnier, a lawyer in Parliament, it is quickly sold to financial Claude-François Paparel. The latter, involved in malfeasances with his son-in-law, the Marquis Philippe-Charles de La Fare, saw the hotel change hands several times in the 18th century, notably between the families Le Tellier de Souvré, Pourtalès and Richelieu.

In the 19th century, the hotel passed into the hands of the industrialist Constant Say, who undertook important works, including the ceiling of the Grand Salon painted by Paul Baudry in 1865. Partly occupied by the workshop of the chapelière Madame Barenne, who received Empress Eugénie, he remained in the Say family until 1916. In that year, the heirs handed it over to the bank JPMorgan Chase & Co, which made it its French headquarters. The hotel is classified as historical monuments in 1930 for its facades and roofs.

Located between the Moufle de La Toilerie hotel and the Baudard de Saint-James hotel, the La Fare hotel illustrates the evolution of Parisian private hotels from aristocratic residences to professional use. Its history reflects the social and economic upheavals of Paris, from Enlightenment to financial modernity.

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