Hôtel de Sens, private mansion of the archbishops of Sens built at the end of the 15th century

Hôtel de Sens 1 rue du Figuier 75004 (Forney Library)

(Saint-Paul, Pont-Marie metro stations)

Along with the Hôtel de Cluny, it is one of the few examples of medieval civil architecture. The hotel was built between 1475 and 1519 as the Paris residence of Tristan de Salazar, Archbishop of Sens. Paris did not become an archbishopric until 1623. Before that, the bishop of Paris was dependent on the archbishopric of Sens, so members of prominent families such as the Guise and Bourbon families lived here. In the early 16th century, Henry IV housed his ex-wife, the whimsical Queen Margot, there. It was she who had the fig tree cut down because it prevented her carriage from passing through: the tree gave its name to the street. Subsequently, the mansion was rented out for various activities without being maintained. It was in a state of serious disrepair when the City bought it in 1916. The restoration was more of a reconstruction: the building retained its irregular medieval layout around the courtyard and its keep dating from 1475, but the rest was rebuilt between 1936 and 1962. The Hôtel de Sens houses the Forney Library, dedicated to the decorative arts.

Forney Library, 1 rue du Figuier (www)

(tel. 01 42 78 14 60, open 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday)

Founded in 1886 with a bequest from the industrialist Forney, it was intended to be a documentation center for Parisian artisans. Today, it offers art and architecture enthusiasts books and periodicals, as well as slides and posters.