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Origin and history

The Hotel des Affaires étrangères et de la Marine, located at 5 Rue de l'Indépendant-Américaine in Versailles, was built in 1762 by architect Jean-Baptiste Berthier at the request of the Duke of Choiseul, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. This building, adjacent to the War Hall, was intended to house the services and archives of Foreign Affairs and the Navy. Its construction used flat vaults, an economical and secure fire-fighting technique. A richly decorated gallery reflected Choiseul's diplomatic ambition and was used to impress visitors.

The Treaty of Paris of 1783, ending the American War of Independence, was negotiated there, marking a key moment in French diplomatic history. After the Revolution, the building became a municipal library in 1800, initially sharing space with the Navy archives. In 1838, the city of Versailles became its owner, and the library gradually expanded, despite growing space problems over the decades.

The gallery, located on the noble floor, consists of five en-suite rooms, each dedicated to one aspect of diplomatic relations: the Treaty Hall, the Mission Hall, and the most luxurious "France" room, surrounded by rooms dedicated to European powers. These spaces, always preserved, illustrate Choiseul's fascist and political strategy. The building was classified as a historic monument in 1929 for its exceptional interior decoration.

Today, the municipal library of Versailles houses a remarkable old fund, including 280 incunables and collections from revolutionary seizures or private donations. This fund, the most important in Île-de-France outside Paris for prints prior to 1500, bears witness to the cultural and historical heritage of the site, linked to both diplomacy and the preservation of knowledge.

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