Hôtel de Coulanges, Private mansion in Place des Vosges, Paris, France
The Hôtel de Coulanges is a private mansion on Place des Vosges with classical facades and historic roof structures at number 1bis. This protected building forms part of the distinctive architectural ensemble that defines the famous square with its Renaissance-period character.
The mansion was built in 1607 for Philippe I de Coulanges and Marie de Bèze and was the birthplace of Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, later known as Madame de Sévigné, in 1626. This connection to one of France's most celebrated literary figures establishes the building's place in cultural history.
The mansion attracted American artists including dancer Isadora Duncan, who rented the space from 1910 to 1912 and converted the reception hall into a dance studio. The rooms still reflect this creative past and the international artistic connections of the early twentieth century.
The building is visible from outside and sits on one of Paris's most frequented squares, easily reached on foot. Visitors should know that this is a private residence and interior access is not regularly available to the public.
Painter Georges Dufrénoy lived here from 1871 to 1914, leaving his artistic mark on the spaces. This extended artistic presence reveals how the place attracted creative individuals across the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
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