From the Hôtel d'Évreux to the Élysée Palace: Between Private Mansion and State Secrets

Before becoming the office of the President of the Republic, 55 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré was the dream project of a single man: Count d'Évreux. Built in 1718, this private mansion was then regarded as the most beautiful residence on the outskirts of Paris. Let’s take a look back at the history of a building that survived revolutions and went on to become the very heart of the State.

The Hôtel d'Évreux was not intended to serve as an official royal residence but rather as a showcase of wealth. The Count of Évreux, leveraging his wife’s dowry (the daughter of the enormously wealthy financier Crozat), enlisted the architect Armand-Claude Mollet to design a home situated “between courtyard and garden,” embodying the quintessential model of a private mansion that would define Parisian elegance.

Madame de Pompadour: A Turning Point in Politics

The course of history shifts when Louis XV’s favorite, the Marquise de Pompadour, purchases the hotel in 1753. She invests heavily to transform the gardens into a recreational park featuring grottos, waterfalls, and even a sheepfold. It was she who first lent the Hôtel d’Évreux an air of imperial residence, hosting the King and the high nobility within its walls.

Rooms Shrouded in Secrets

If the walls of the Hôtel d'Évreux could speak, they would reveal countless secrets! In the Salon Doré, once the grand chamber of the Count, now serves as the official office of the Presidents. It is in this room that major decisions shaping French history have been signed since the 19th century. As for the Salon d'argent, it’s where Napoleon III plotted his coup, transforming the private mansion into an imperial, then republican, palace for good.

Why is it called "The Élysée"?

It was during the Revolution that the name "Hôtel d'Évreux" faded into history. The building transformed into a venue for public festivities and was renamed Jardin de l'Élysée, after the nearby promenade. The name stuck, even after the structure reverted to private residence and later became the seat of the presidency in 1848.

Did you know? The Palais de l'Elysée houses an hourglass that will take a thousand years to run down.
It's an original and fascinating work of art, created by French artist Benoît Pype: the millennial hourglass should take 1,000 years to run down. It is installed in the office of the French President. [Read more]