Architecture

Hôtel Saint-Pol

Paris

Hôtel Saint-Pol was a royal residence created during the Hundred Years’ War in Paris on the right bank of the Seine. Formed by the joining of four preexisting properties acquired by the Dauphin, future Charles V, between 1361 and 1365, it took its name from the parish and church of Saint-Paul-des-Champs to which it belonged. The complex was located outside the walls to the east of Philippe Auguste’s enclosure, but it was protected by the fort and bastide Saint-Anthoine-lez-Paris and by the early construction of Charles V’s new enclosure.

The residence was composed of multiple buildings connected by galleries opening onto gardens, rather than a single structure. It was described in the chronicles of Jean Froissart and included a miniature representing the entry of Isabeau de Bavière into Paris. Only Charles V and Charles VI established their court there. After the death of Charles VI in 1422, the royal family abandoned the site in favor of the Hôtel des Tournelles and the Louvre Palace. The buildings later disappeared through systematic dismantling and land partitioning, which created the streets Neuve-Saint-Paul, des Lions-Saint-Paul, and de la Cerisaie in the historic Saint-Paul district of the Marais.

Map showing the location of Hôtel Saint-Pol in Paris
Location of Hôtel Saint-Pol in Paris

Nearby Objects

Royal Residence and Urban Transformation

The Hotel Saint-Pol was a royal residence created during the Hundred Years' War in Paris on the right bank of the Seine. It was formed by joining four preexisting properties acquired by the Dauphin, the future Charles V, between 1361 and 1365. The residence took its name from the parish and church of Saint-Paul-des-Champs, to which it belonged.

Its location was outside the walls to the east of Philippe Auguste's enclosure, but it was protected by the fort and bastide of Saint-Anthoine-lez-Paris, built hastily from 1356 to 1358, as well as by the early construction of Charles V's new enclosure, begun in 1356. Only Charles V and Charles VI established their court there. After the death of Charles VI in 1422, the royal family abandoned the residence in favor of the Hotel des Tournelles and the Louvre Palace.

The site was later divided and partially granted to loyal followers by Charles VII and Louis XI. From 1544 onward, land partitioning led to the disappearance of the buildings and the creation of the streets Neuve-Saint-Paul, des Lions-Saint-Paul, and de la Cerisaie. These streets belong to the historic Saint-Paul district, part of the notable heritage site known as the Marais.

Origins and Layout of the Hotel Saint-Pol

The Hotel Saint-Pol was commissioned by Charles V when he was still a dauphin, following the invasion of the Palais de la Cite by bourgeois led by Etienne Marcel in 1358. It was built outside the walls of Philippe Auguste, in a zone bounded by Quai des Celestins, Rue Saint-Paul, Rue Saint-Antoine, and Rue du Petit-Musc. The complex excluded the church of Saint-Paul, although its wall, cemetery, and dependencies remain visible. Rather than a single building, the Hotel Saint-Pol was made up of multiple buildings and included four hotels acquired successively. In 1418, Charles VI added the house of Jehan de Roussy. The ensemble formed a closed but not fortified complex, as shown in the Basel plan of 1552. Its importance is also reflected in the chronicles of Jean Froissart, and it contains a miniature depicting the entry of Isabeau de Baviere into Paris.

Layout and Enclosure of the Hotel Saint Pol

The Hotel Saint Pol was organized as a set of buildings linked by galleries that opened onto gardens. Its main entrance was on Rue Saint-Paul, marked by a portal decorated with stone lions, while another entrance on the quai faced the Seine and led to the King's palace. The main entrance opened onto the Queen's palace, and the quai entrance opened onto the great courtyard. This courtyard was used for tournaments, showing that the estate served both residential and ceremonial purposes.

The complex was integrated into the changing urban defenses of Paris. It was included in the new city wall starting at the Tour Barbeau and was enclosed by Charles V's enclosure along the Quai des Célestins. On the eastern side, the enclosure was closed by the Bastille Saint-Antoine, begun in 1370. Within the estate, the King's lodging faced the Seine and extended to the area of the present Rue des Lions-Saint-Paul. The Queen's lodging stood behind it, and the lodging for the royal children, including the dauphin Charles VI, was located at the northern end of the estate, beyond the present Rue des Lions-Saint-Paul.

Interior Decoration and Royal Use

The decoration of the Hotel Saint-Pol was the work of Charles V, who arranged its rooms according to his personal tastes. The residence included rooms for banquets and festivities hosted by the French king, as well as bedrooms reserved for royal guests and rooms set aside for the king and his family. Its interiors were adorned with precious wood, paintings, and goldsmiths work. Charles V also decorated the walls with tapestries embroidered with pearls and gold, and placed books and goldsmiths jewels on the furniture. Many pieces of furniture were decorated with gold and silver statues and other goldsmith treasures. The residence also contained gilded steam rooms and baths. Two chapels were built inside the house, one for the king and one for Queen Jeanne de Bourbon. The hotel was notable for its precious book collection, assembled by the king and including books from his father, Jean II of France. This collection later enabled the creation of the Royal Library, which became the National Library of Paris.

Government Functions at Hotel Saint-Pol

Hotel Saint-Pol served as a government seat associated with Charles V. It facilitated the arrangement of a room for the King's Council in a luxurious hotel commissioned by Charles V, and it was also used for meetings of the Grand Council and the Masters of Requests. The administration remained on the Ile de la Cite, showing that the site was connected to central government functions rather than acting as a separate administrative center. Hotel Saint-Pol also hosted the Estates General in 1420, when the assembly ratified the Treaty of Troyes.

From Royal Residence to Fragmented Urban Plot

The Devenir du palais Saint-Pol shows how a former royal residence was gradually absorbed into the urban fabric of Paris. It served as the residence of Queen Isabeau of Bavaria until 1435, and briefly hosted Henry VI of England before his coronation in 1431. After Charles VII regained Paris in 1436, the site fell into royal disfavor. It was then partially dismantled, with parts rented out or given to deserving servants.

Under Francois I, financial difficulties led to the sale of the property in lots. The sale included 36 lots and contributed to the creation of rue Beautreillis. Most of these lots were bought by Claude Girard and Jehan Bocquet for 403 livres. Although the lots were subject to an obligation to build, they were first used for wood storage. Over time, they underwent progressive construction and redistricting through inheritance and later sales.

One part of the former palace, the logis, was sold by Jacques Doulent to Paul Ardier during the reign of Henri IV. Another part became the hotel Fieubet, also known as La Vallette, after an adjudication by Francois I in 1519. This later building was constructed in 1587 by Raymond Phélypeaux d'Herbault, transformed in 1676 by Gaspard III de Fieubet, acquired in 1857 by the Count de Lavalette, and renovated by Jules Gros in a neo-baroque Italo-Spanish style. At one point, it also served temporarily as a sugar refinery.