Journées du Patrimoine 2025: free tour of the Ministry of the Armed Forces - Hôtel de Brienne, the program

Find out all about the role of the Minister of the Armed Forces and the history of the Ministry... That's what theHôtel de Brienne is offering you for the 42nd Heritage Days on Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21, 2025. Over the course of a weekend, come and discover this colorful building, home to the Ministry of the Armed Forces since 1817, through a variety of tours.

A private mansion built in 1725 for Madame de Prie, then mistress of the Duc de Bourbon. TheHôtel de Brienne later became the residence of the Princesse de Conti and Laetizia Bonaparte, Napoleon's mother. These three women undertook extensive work on the building, giving it the prestige it enjoys today. A hotel which, at the time, was said to have the most beautiful gardens in the Republic.

It became the headquarters of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces in 1817, and has played host to illustrious figures such as Georges Clemenceau, who organized the victory of 1917, and Charles de Gaulle, who settled here in 1944 after the war. On the occasion of the Journées du Patrimoine, you are also invited to visit the office of the current Minister of the Armed Forces. Registration is required for this visit. Why not make a reservation?

• To be read
• Journées du Patrimoine 2025: the full program for this year's event in Paris and the Île-de-France region
• Journées du Patrimoine 2025 in Paris (75): full schedule of visits by arrondissement
• This week's top deals and tips in Paris and Île-de-France, from January 5 to 11, 2026

The Journées du Patrimoine 2025 program at the Ministry of the Armed Forces :

• Visit to the Hôtel de Brienne and the office of the Minister of the Armed Forces
  Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 11:30 ⤏ 17:00 | Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 10:00 ⤏ 16:00
  

  Built in 1725 for Mme de Prie, mistress of the Duc de Bourbon, and later the residence of the Princesse de Conti and Laetizia Bonaparte, mother of the Emperor, all three had major works carried out, giving the Hôtel de Brienne prestige, elegance and, it is said, the most beautiful garden in the Republic. A key location in our military and political history, the Hôtel de Brienne has been the headquarters of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces since 1817. It was within these walls that Clemenceau organized victory in 1917 and that Charles de Gaulle settled in 1944, once France had been liberated. Their offices have been refurbished identically on the first floor, while on the first floor the offices of the Minister and his advisors still bear the traces of our history and welcome those who are writing a new page.