Picture the grandeur of the Hôtel de Boisgelin. It stands before you a testament to Parisian history. This magnificent building at 47-49 rue de Varenne in the 7th arrondissement boasts a rich and captivating past.
Initially constructed in 1732 by the talented architect Jean-Sylvain Cartaud for Gérard Heusch de Janvry the Hôtel de Boisgelin was a private mansion. Janvry held the prestigious position of Secretary to the King. The land was leased from the charitable religious order for 45 years.
After the lease expired in 1778 the Hôtel de Boisgelin changed hands several times. It was rented to Prince Camille de Lorraine then to Marie de Boisgelin a canoness of Remiremont. Her brother Raymond de Boisgelin Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence and later a cardinal became its owner in 1782.
The French Revolution brought upheaval. Seized in 1792 as property of an émigré the hotel passed to the Hospices of Paris. It was later sold in 1807. A significant owner was the Comte de Préaménéu one of the drafters of the Napoleonic Code. His heirs sold it in 1837.
The Hôtel de Boisgelin then belonged to Marie François Félix de Bourbon-Conti a recognized natural son of Louis François de Bourbon-Conti. Upon his death in 1840 it passed to his widow. She remarried in 1841 to Sosthène de La Rochefoucauld Duke of Doudeauville. He served as Director of Fine Arts under the Restoration.
In 1859 the Duchess rented the first floor to her stepson Marie Charles Gabriel Sosthène de La Rochefoucauld the Duke of Bisaccia. He acquired the entire Hôtel de Boisgelin in 1876. He extensively renovated it at the end of the 19th century. The architect Henri Parent oversaw the transformation. The work was completed and inaugurated in 1888.
The first floor was raised. Courtyard and garden facades were redesigned. The attic was completely rebuilt. An impressive polychrome marble staircase was added in 1875. It is adorned with a Gobelins tapestry. Tradition says Louis XV gifted it to the Emperor of China. The Duke acquired it in 1886 after the looting of the Summer Palace.
The Duke brought in woodwork from the Château de Bercy. He also added a chapel a winter garden a large dining room stables for 25 horses and carriage houses. Only the grand salon retains its original Rococo woodwork.
In 1937 the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations a French state financial institution purchased the Hôtel de Boisgelin. Since 1938 it has served as the Italian Embassy in Paris. This was part of an agreement. France received the Palazzo Farnese in Rome in exchange.
The dining room and theater’s décor were added later. Adolfo Loewi designed them in the style of 18th-century Italy. They include elements like a ceiling and panels from the Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice and woodwork from a Palermo palace.
Today the Hôtel de Boisgelin stands as a stunning example of architectural evolution. It continues to serve as a bridge between French and Italian history and culture. Its story resonates with kings dukes architects and diplomats. Each contributed to the building’s unique and enduring character.