Posted on August 27th, 2008 by admin

Carnavalet is a garbled form of the name of the former owner of the house, the widow of the Sire de Kernevenoy, a Breton. The house was built in the 16th century, probably by Pierre Lescot, the architect responsible for the Renaissance façade of the Louvre (see entry). The main doorway, with carvings of lions by Jean Goujon, and the range of buildings facing the entrance date from the 16th century. The other wings round the courtyard, in the centre of which is a fine statue of Louis XIV (by Antoine Coysevox, 1698), were remodelled by François Mansart in In 17th century. The Hotel de Carnavalet was occupied from 1677 to 1696 by Madame de Sévigné, whose letters to her daughter, over 1600 in number, describing life in Paris and at the court in Versailles we valuable documents on the age of the Sun King.The Museum of the History of Paris has been housed here since IMO. The accommodation available to the Museum was considerably extended around the turn of the century, and it was further enlarged In 1989 by the incorporation of the adjoining Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau. The sober style of this mansion, built in 1686-90 by Pierre Bullet, shows the influence of Francois Blonde!.

The Museum of the History of Paris displays in a series of finely contrived rooms a comprehensive collection of pictures, sculpture, engravings, ceramics, furniture and everyday objects of the most varied kinds which gives a vivid picture of the history of Paris from its Gallo-Roman beginnings to the time of Louis XVI, while the four new rooms in the Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau carry on the story from the French Revolution to the present day. Among the most notable features are the Galerie Sévigné, the Bouvier collection, the workshop of the jeweller Fouquet (by Alfons Mucha, 1900) and the ballroom designed by José Maria Sert for Mme de Wendel (1924).

Tags: Musée Carnavalet, Paris Vacation, The Museum of the History of Paris