Place des Vosges
February 6, 2022
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In 1388 the Hotel des Tournelles was built in this spot under Pierre d’Orgemont who served as the chancellor of France under Charles VI. Few kings lived here but a few died. Louis XII died here on January 1, 1515 and his son in-law Francois I took the throne. It was his son Henri II that also died here and saw the end of the Hotel.
On June 29, 1559 a grand celebration was held of the joint marriage of his daughter Elisabeth de France to Philip II of Spain and the king’s sister Marguerite de France to the duc de Savoie. Henri II, being the macho guy that he was and showing off for his longtime mistress Diane de Poitiers, decided to have one more jousting match.
Gabriel de Montgomery was his opponent and as he charged towards the king his horse reared up and the joust broke. As he lunged towards the king whose visor was up the lance struck his eye. The king stumbled away from his horse to the Hotel des Tournelles where he suffered in pain for 12 days before dying on July 10, 1559. On his deathbed he forgave Gabriel but his widow Catherine de Medici did not.
Gabriel served as the lieutenant general for the army of Jeanne d'Albret, queen of Navare and mother of Henri III (future king Henri IV). He was on the side of the Protestants during Catherine’s Saint Bartholomew day massacre and escaped with his life but she would finally get her revenge. Once Gabriel had taken slides with the illegitimate brother of king Charles IX he was public enemy number one.
In 1574 at Domfront where his army was overtaken, Gabriel was captured and returned to Paris. At the Conciergerie he was charged with lèse-majesté, an attack on the sovereign and on June 26, 1574 he was tortured and beheded at the Place de Greve as Catherine watched.
After Henri’s death Catherine wanted nothing to do with the Tournelles and had the Palais des Tuileries built near the Palais du Louvre. The Tournelles served as a horse market for a period until 1603 when Henri IV decided he wanted a silk market created to rival Lyon and Milan. The former Tournelles that was now destroyed would become the factory to the north and housing to the south. Strict building codes were put into place and many couldn’t afford to match them. Much of the property fell to the elite and members of the king's inner circle which we will discover as we stroll around.
The center of Place des Vosges is marked with the Square Louis XIII that harkens back to the inauguration of the Place Royale as it was originally called. The first royal square in Paris was inaugurated in April 1612 at the announcement of the engagement of Louis XIII and Anne d’Autriche. In the center is a slightly unusual monument of Louis XIII. It replaces the original by Jean Pierre Cortot who also created the four fountains. Much of the square was destroyed during the Revolution and the original bronze statue was melted down. On November 4, 1829 the current statue was inaugurated and created by Charles Dupaty after the original design of Cortot. What is odd about this monument is the funny little tree stump under the horse's belly. As his belly began to collapse a “crutch” was added, holding it up and designed to look like a tree stump.
The Place des Vosges has gone through many name changes, starting with Place Royale. During the Revolution it was changed to Place des Fédérés. In 1800 Lucien Bonapartre, minister of the interior under his brother Napoleon, suggested it be changed to Place des Vosges.Vosges was the first department to pay taxes to the new French Republic and that deserved something special apparently. It went back and forth from Royale in 1814, Vosges in 1830, Republic in 1848, back to Royale in 1852 and finally to the Place des Vosges in 1871 until today.
From the outset they look to be a collection of 36 identical pavillons with two exceptions. The south side was built first and in the center it is, of course the Pavillon de Roi and is higher than any of the other roof lines, bien sûr. Construction began in 1605 with master mason Jonas Robelin and carpenter Gilles Le Redde adding the extra elements to the facade and decor but the king would never stay there. It wasn’t completed until 1612 and Henri IV died in 1610. In fact not a single royal lived in this royal square.
The buildings are laid out with odd numbers to the west and even to the east starting at the Pavillon de Roi and ending at the Pavillon de Reine which also towers over the other building on the opposite side, but not quite as tall as the kings.
No 1 Pavillon de Roi
The bust of Henri IV looks down on you from the upper facade. The king never lived there but dentist Francois Leroy did. The teeth business was good back in the 18th century.
No 1 bis & 3 Hotel Coulanges
Philip I de Coulanges and his wife Marie de Beze were the grandparents of the future Marquise de Sévigné and it was here that she was born. The beloved Sévigné wrote letters to her daughter describing what was going on in Paris and at Versailles and they became a hit across France and were later published. There are entire pieces of French history we know today because of the Marquise.
Listen to her entire store on Paris History Avec a Hemingway
Later it was Paris Singer, one of the 24 children of billionaire sewing machine titan Isaac Singer. He had a short relationship with dancer Isador Duncan and a child and all lived her for a short period.
No 5 Hotel de Rochechouart
Raised and rebuilt by Jules Cousin who had a large collection of books that he donated to the Musée Carnavalet that he also served as the first curator.
No 7 an entrance into the Hotel de Sully garden
No 9 Hotel Fugeu d’Escures
Henri IV gave his advisor Pierre Fougueux d’Escures numbers 9 through 13 but he kept only number 9. In 1850 beloved French stage actress Rachel moved in while she was also the mistress of the Bonapart’s. First it was Napoleon III, then his son Prince Napoleon as well as the illegitimate son of Napoleon I, the Count Walewski. At just 36 she died in Le Cannet and her body returned to Paris to her home in the Place des Vosges. Everyone who was anyone came to pay their respects. Podcast episode of her life coming soon.
No 11, has one of my very fast secret little finds.
The pavilion itself was at one time the home of Maria de Lorme, the courtesan that inspired a Victor Hugo play. But it's on the outer pilar that you can find something very special. Half way down you see the etching of 1764 Nicolas. It is the oldest known graffiti in Paris and has been there for 258 years. Nicola Restif de La Bretonne was a printmaker and at night he would roam the streets leaving his mark everywhere he went. Nicknamed Le Griffon, the scribbler, he came long before JR or Banksy and still tells the tale.
No 13 Grand Hotel de Rohan
Architect Louis Le Vau redid the interior for Antoine d’Aurnot.
No 15
Painter Auguste Laurent Boulard lived her in the 18th century and in 1875 it became the Center for Decorative Arts.
No 17 Hotel Chabannes
Bishop of Meaux Jacques-Beigne Bossuet lived here and is the only pavilion to still have all of its original beams and interior decor.
No 19 Hotel Montbrun
Once called the Maison du Grand Henri and had a bust of the king but wouldn’t survive the Revolution. The cafe Ma Bourgogne is below and a restaurant has been in this location since 1827. It is quite good and a perfect place to sit on a sunny afternoon
No 21 Hotel Cardinal Richelieu
Although the illustrious cardinal never lived here. His great-grand nephew did and also bought the neighborgin pavilion that was owned by the Prince de Guise who would be his future father in-law.
No 23 Hotel Bassompierre
Marie Touchet, mistress to Charles X and before that Marie Charlotte, mistress to Marshal Francois de Bassompierre.
No 25 the Hotel de Gobelin du Quesnoy
Pierre Gobelin du Quesnoy and his two sons lived here during the 17th century. His son Thomas had a little thing for the future Madame de Montespan and on March 4, 1680 he sent the pavillon a blaze to prove his love for her. It also partially destroyed his neighbors which is the Pavillon de Reine.
Madame de Montespan would go on to become one of Louis XIV’s favorite mistresses and mother of a few children, However, when her role in the Affair of the Poisons was uncovered she was swiftly moved out of Versailles. Listen to her entire story in this episode of Paris History Avec A Hemingway.
No 28, the Pavillon de Reine
Taller than the neighbors but not as tall as the king, it is topped with a few Fleur de Lys, marking its lovely distinction. Nicolas Jeannin de Castille, a treasurer under Nicolas Fouquet lived here until he was caught up in Louis XIV’s vendetta against Fouquet and was also stripped of his home and sent to prison.
No 26 Hotel Tresmes
Charles de Vaolis lived here from 1611 to be close to his mother at no. 23
No 24 Hotel Vitry
Claude Nicolas Ledoux designed a stunning staircase here that has since been destroyed. Artist Madeline Denis, daughter of artist Maurice Denis lived and held her atelier here.
No 22 Hotel Laffemas
Comptroller general of commerce Laffemas was given the property by Sully and had his own home built
No 20 Nicolas d’Angennes, Marquis de Ramboullet
No 18 Nicolas Chevalier
No 16 Hotel Asfeldt
No 14 Hotel Ribault
Charles Le Brun painted elaborate ceilings and decor here of mythological figures and allegories. The bedroom ceiling held the history of Psyché who is the subject of the newest episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway. Much of the decor was saved and is now in the Musée Carnavalet.
No 12 Hotel de Castille
Pierre de Castille, comptroller de France In 1634 Jérôme de Nouveau superintendant of the post has Eustache Le Sueur and Charles Le Brun paint the ceilings and salons of the home. Weekly salons were held and the Paris elite jostled for a spot each Friday night. The city of Paris took over the building in 1852 and destroyed the interior, putting a girls school in its place.
No 10 Hotel de Chastillon
Claude Chastillon in 1605 was the engineer and geographer for Henri IV. Louis XIII would often visit to see his mechanical creations that fascinated him.
No 8 Hotel de Fourcy
Superintendent of the kings buildings under Henri IV Jean de Fourcy had it built in 1605 then gave it to Antoine Le Redde, master carpenter.
Poet, author and art critic Theophile Gautier was born here and then moved back from 1828-1834 living for a period with his family. He once said “I then lived with my parents at no 8 Place Royale in the corner of the row of arcades where the town hall was. If I note this detail is not to indicate in the future one of my residences, I am not one of those whose posterity will mark the house with a bust or a marble plaque” It now has a marble plaque.
His neighbor Victor Hugo was a close friend and the two would lean out the windows chatting. After he moved he took up with Erneste Grisi and had two daughter Judith Gautier would later become the mistress for his old pals Victor Hugo and Baudelaire. Baudelaire dedicated Les Fleurs du Mal to Theophile and the two were quite close as founding members of the Hushichins Club. More on that next week.
No 6 Hotel de Rohan-Guéménée, Maison Victor Hugo.
Hugo signed the lease on July 12, 1832 and lived here until 1848. His mistress Juliette Drouet lived nearby and also served as his secretary. His wife was busy with a lover of her own. It was quite the time.
The museum was opened in 1902, inaugurated on June 30, 1903 and Louis Koch, nephew of Julliet Drouet was the first curator. Listen to her life story on this episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway.
The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm and is free to the public. Special exhibits have a small ticket price.
No 4 Hotel Regnaouart
No 2 Hotel du Genou
Jean Coin, a master mason, lived here while he worked at the Palais du Louvre Grande Galerie.