Hôtel de Clisson, Private mansion in 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France.
The Hôtel de Clisson is a Parisian mansion at the corner of Rue des Francs-Bourgeois and Rue des Archives in the Marais, 3rd arrondissement. Of Olivier de Clisson's 14th-century residence, only the fortified gate on Rue des Archives survives, with corbelled turrets capped in pepper-pot roofs, the last visible trace of 14th-century private architecture in Paris. The rest belongs to the Hôtel de Soubise, rebuilt from 1705 by architect Pierre-Alexis Delamair, now part of the National Archives.
Olivier de Clisson, Constable of France, began building the mansion in 1371 on land outside the Philippe Auguste wall. From 1420 to 1435 the English occupiers confiscated it, and in June 1424 it was given to John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford. In 1553 François de Lorraine, Duke of Guise, and Anne d'Este bought it and had it rebuilt as the Hôtel de Guise. In 1700 the princesses of Condé and Hanover sold it to François de Rohan-Soubise and Anne de Rohan-Chabot, who from 1705 to 1709 had Pierre-Alexis Delamair build the new façade and courtyard colonnade.
The name comes from Olivier de Clisson, who began the mansion in 1371; only his fortified gate with corbelled turrets and pepper-pot roofs on Rue des Archives survives. In the 16th century the Guise family made it a centre of the Catholic League, and the former guard hall is remembered for sheltering the ligueurs during the Wars of Religion.
The building functions as part of the French National Archives and can be visited to explore historical documents and its architecture. It sits in a central location in the Marais district, easily walkable and surrounded by shops and restaurants.
The fortified gate on Rue des Archives, with its two corbelled turrets under pepper-pot roofs, is the last visible piece of 14th-century private architecture in Paris. It is what remains of the mansion Olivier de Clisson began building in 1371 outside the Philippe Auguste wall.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,779 contributors worldwide.