Hôtel Bourrienne

Did Madame Hamelin ever imagine the echoes of her lavish parties still resonating within the walls of Hôtel Bourrienne? Here we stand, before this grand hôtel particulier, tucked away on rue d’Hauteville in Paris’s 10th arrondissement. Hôtel Bourrienne isn’t just a building. It’s a time capsule, whispering tales of France’s vibrant past. Construction began in 1787, commissioned by Justine Segard. The neighborhood, Faubourg Poissonnière, was just beginning its transformation. By 1793, Hôtel Bourrienne stood complete, though its story was just starting. It passed through several hands before landing with the Lormier-Lagrave family. Their daughter, Fortunée, married Antoine Hamelin, a supplier to the armies, and received Hôtel Bourrienne as a gift. Fortunée, known as the “Merveilleuse Madame Hamelin,” transformed it into a renowned salon. Imagine the scene: Napoleon Bonaparte himself, alongside Joséphine de Beauharnais and Madame Tallien, gracing these halls. Hôtel Bourrienne pulsed with the energy of the Directory and the Consulate. In 1798, the hôtel was sold, eventually landing with Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, Napoleon’s private secretary and friend. It was he who gave the hôtel its lasting name. The architect Étienne-Chérubin Leconte oversaw renovations, shaping the hôtel into the elegant structure we admire today. Bourrienne’s wife continued the tradition of dazzling soirées, making Hôtel Bourrienne a social hub until 1824. Even after the Bourriennes, the hôtel continued to evolve. In 1826, Henri Duponchel added neo-Pompeian flourishes to its décor. Much later, in 1886, Charles Tuleu, a printing type founder, acquired the hôtel. He even set up his workshops in the garden. The Tuleu family held onto Hôtel Bourrienne until 2015. Today, behind the unassuming entrance on rue d’Hauteville, Hôtel Bourrienne still stands. Its Directory-style décor and furnishings remain, a tangible link to a captivating era. The small garden behind the hôtel offers a tranquil escape, a quiet space to reflect on the stories held within these walls.