From the Middle Ages to the early XXth century, the hotel particulier was the choice dwelling for the Parisian aristocracy. Many remain today, some inhabited by the haute bourgeoisie, others as government buildings, embassies and museums, like the Musée Jacquemard-André, near your Hotel Saint-Pétersbourg Paris.
An exhibition at the City of Architecture and Heritage pushes the door of these sumptuous and secluded mansions. You will walk through a full reconstitution of a townhouse, breaking all the secrets of this specific architectural oeuvre. Superb models of some of the grandest hotels will provide you with an aesthetic and historical understanding of aristocratic housing since medieval Paris.
This is a unique opportunity to fully experience what the hotel particulier was, is, and what it means to its inhabitants and to the city around it – questions not easily answered by visiting the real townhouses, which are often closed to the public, and enclosed by other buildings, not letting you fully appreciate their architectural qualities.
Practical information:
L’Hôtel Particulier. Une Ambition Parisienne at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine. From October 5th, 2011 to February 19th, 2012.
