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 18th 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
19th 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.
Posts
