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Origin and history

Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau is a 17th-century mansion located at 29 rue de Sévigné, in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. It was built by architect Pierre Bullet for Michel Le Peletier de Souzy, intendant of finance, on the site of a former medieval hotel. The building, with its facades on courtyard and garden, orangery and interior decorations, is a remarkable example of classical French architecture.

Prior to its current construction, the plot belonged to the Costure Sainte-Catherine in the Middle Ages. In 1545 Michel de Champrond built a first hotel, which changed owners several times before being acquired in 1626 by Geoffroy Lhuillier. In 1686 his heirs sold him to Michel Le Peletier de Souzy, who had him shaved to build the current hotel, expanding the garden and outbuildings.

The hotel is distinguished by its body of houses between courtyard and garden, extended by two wings. The facade on courtyard has four spans, while the one on garden has ten, with a central forebody surmounted by a triangular pediment adorned with a relief of Time. The orangery, covered with a broken attic, was admired for its bays with Lescot and its pediment decorated with an allegory of Truth. Inside, the main staircase has the oldest cast iron ramp in Paris, and the gilded cabinet preserves the glazed and ice-creams of the late reign of Louis XIV.

The hotel remained in the Le Peletier family until 1811, including Michel Robert Le Peletier des Forts, Comptroller General of Finance, and Louis-Michel Lepeletier, a revolutionary figure murdered in 1793. His political commitment protected family heritage during the Terror. Acquired by the City of Paris in 1895, the hotel will house the Historical Library before hosting, since 1989, part of the collections of the Musée Carnavalet, including revolutionary works and iconic pieces such as the Ballroom of the Wendel Hotel or Marcel Proust's room.

Ranked a historic monument in 1984 for its facades, roofs and interior elements, the Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau is today a major cultural place. Its spaces, restored between 2016 and 2021, also house educational rooms and events in the orangery, while preserving architectural testimonies of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Future

Today it hosts part of the collections of the Musée Carnavalet.

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