Hôtel de la Marine

There are two parallel buildings on Place de la Concorde. One is housing the luxury hotel “Crillon”, the French Automobile Club…, the other one, which we will visit here, is referred to as “Hôtel de la Marine”. Only the facades are similar. They were built in the middle of the 18^th century, when the present Place de la Concorde was referred to as Place Louis XV. The architect of as well the place as the buildings was Ange-Jacques Gabriel, who also was the architect of e.g. the Petit Trianon and the Opera at Versailles, Ecole Militaire…. although the execution of the building works was taken over by J-G Soufflot (also architect of the Paris Panthéon). 

If the « Crillon »-building always has been used for private living and buisness, the “Hôtel de la Marine” has always belonged to the Crown or the State. It was first used as a “garde-meuble”, where some of the nicest treasures of the Crown were exhibited, open to public (every Tuesday between Easter and All Saints’ Day).

With the 1789 Revolution, the building became the home of the Naval Ministry, during WWII by the “Kriegsmarine”. Today, the Navy sorts under the Ministry of Defence, but the building is still occupied by naval staff. In 2015 they will however leave the building for new centralised defence ministry quarters. There has been a lot of discussion about the future use of the building, but it has now been decided that it will remain property of the State and will again be used, in its largest parts, for exhibitions of “treasures” from the national moveable heritage (furniture, tapestries, porcelain…).

Today, it’s not open for public, but visits can be arranged.

The entrance is obviously much as it was from the beginning…

… but the galleries have to large extent been modified, in a very golden way, during the 19^th century.

In this particular room used during the Revolutionary years to be stored the French Crown Jewels. During the most hectic revolutionary period, the protection was obviously not the best – most of the jewels were stolen. Some have been found, but the one which sometimes is referred to as the most famous diamond in the world, the “Royal French Blue”, appeared - in a different form - in London in 1812. It has changed owners several times and is now known as the “Hope Diamond”, to be seen in the Smithsonian Natural Museum in Washington, D.C..  

More “golden rooms”…

You have of course an interesting view when looking through the windows.

In this room, with a view of the outside galleries, was signed the death sentence of Marie-Antoinette. (A facsimile to be seen.)

After another room…

… and a view over Rue de Rivoli…

… we reach the private apartments of the superintendents of the “garde-meuble” and later the Naval ministers.