Elysee Palace : In the 18 century, the current St-Honoré suburb was still a plain crossed pastures and vegetables, and a few houses with thatched roof.
Between the Grande Rue saint-Honoré suburb, simple floor leading to the village of Roule and the Grand Course (Champs-Elysées), the nephew by marriage of André Le Nôtre, the architect Armand-Claude Mollet, had a field that it sold in 1718 to Henry-Louis de la Tour d'Auvergne, Count of Evreux.
The sales contract provided that Armand-Claude Mollet would be responsible for building a hotel there, for the residence of the Count of Evreux.
The architect, at the request of the count, raised between the hotel courtyard (street side) and Garden (next to Champs Elysées), forming the starting point of the urban plan of the Faubourg Saint-Honore. As early as 1742, Pignol Force had already mentioned this district, which he considered one of the finest in Paris.
Built and decorated between 1718 and 1722, the Hotel was built according to the architectural principles in vogue at the time. It remains one of the best examples of the classic model: an entrance hall located in the center of the main courtyard and gardens, a main building double depth, a Grand Parade House or apartment shared his medium with a Grand Salon open to the garden.
Moreover, the building included a central body with three degrees, and two wings in single ground floor: Apartment Baths right and Apartment (private apartments) left.
A large rounded courtyard opened with a monumental gate with four Ionic columns, flanked by blind walls topped by a balustrade. Majestic, the Court of Honor answered the prestige that the Count of Evreux wanted to give his home. She was flanked by two walls with arches "bashed" concealing common (stables, kitchen, woodshed, discounts ....).
A French garden, with its central avenue in the center of the hotel, its parterres embroidery and alleys lined with chestnut hedges, pleasantly complemented the hotel.
This ordinance places allow all desired adaptations by successive owners. Major changes will be made depending on the destination of the building: mansion princely residence or presidential palace, and according to the taste of occupants and fashions.
The decor of the reception rooms, although modified over the centuries, has retained much of its original appearance. Thus, the woodwork of the Grand Salon (Salon des Ambassadeurs) sculpted by Michel Lange after Hardouin-Mansard, sets the Second Antechamber (Camp Helpers Salon), House Parade (Salon Pompadour) and the Salon Portraits are still for the most part, the original and subsequent changes have not altered the character.
When he died in 1753, Count of Evreux leave a hotel admired by his contemporaries, including Blondel, who appreciated "the most beautiful pleasure house near Paris."
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, eager to acquire a Parisian residence, bought. Lassurance, his favorite architect, was responsible for changing the order of the House Parade and develop the first floor. The garden was altered by the introduction of gantries, arbors, waterfalls, a maze and a golden cave. At his death, the Marquise bequeathed the residence to Louis XV.
First made available to the Ambassadors Extraordinary staying in Paris, the hotel was designed by royal decision of August 14, 1765, the presentation of France Ports of paintings commissioned by Louis XV to Joseph Vernet for "curious people and lovers of fine arts. "
Transformed temporarily Garde-Meuble of the Crown in 1768 until the completion of Gabriel buildings on the Place Louis XV, the Hotel d'Evreux was sold in 1773 to the financial Nicolas Beaujon.
Owner of the hotel until August 1786 when he gave it to Louis XVI subject to usufruct, Nicolas Beaujon profoundly changed the residence. This is notably the architect Etienne-Louis Boullée who was responsible for these changes.
It loads to extend the wing Apartments to Champs Elysees at right angles. The current Silver Salon still has the proportions of a decorated ice boudoir.
A gallery along lounges Apartments possible to display the collection of the banker tables with overhead lighting. This collection had remarkable canvases of Franz Hals The Bohemian and The Ambassadors by Holbein. Other notable changes have been made in the Central Pavilion, the alcove Parade House will be transformed into a semicircle, divided the Hall of Assembly, decorations carved woodwork, and a greenhouse installed in part of the apartment des Bains.
The garden has been completely transformed and converted to English with terraces, groves, winding paths and rivers flowing into a small lake. These developments are causing the current Park.
The amenities Boullée and collection of paintings by Nicolas Beaujon made this remains the "one of the first of Paris".
Louis XVI, like his grandfather, affected the hotel stay of Ambassadors Extraordinary in Paris, then sold it in 1787 to his cousin, the Duchess of Bourbon. The hotel took the name of its owner "Hôtel de Bourbon." Pierre-Adrien Pâris modified part of the work of Boullée. The room of the Duchess will be created in part on the picture gallery: it is the current library Napoleon III.
During the Revolution and after the arrest of the Duchess in April 1793, the Hotel de Bourbon had several assignments.
In 1794, he welcomed the Commission's Sending laws and Printing the Bulletin of Acts and then was transformed, a few months later, in national filing furniture from emigrants seizures or sentenced.
Released in 1795, the Duchess of Bourbon could end up in January 1797 his Paris residence. To support herself, she began to rent the ground floor of the hotel and gave permission to his tenant, a merchant named Hovyn, organize dances in the living rooms and the garden.
The public passage of the court to the gardens, necessitated the opening of two arches on either side of the door of the gate leading to the Grand Salon.
It was at this time that the hotel took its name from Elysee by reference to the nearby promenade.
Exiled in Spain, the Duchess of Bourbon Hotel sold at auctions and Hovyn were turned buyers. Some parts of the house were rented apartment. Thus the Elysee Palace housed the Count and Countess de Vigny Leon and their fourth son, Alfred. Fashion festivals and dances from the daughter of Hovyn was compelled to sell the hotel in 1805 to deal with its debts.
Moreover, the Emperor made pierce the Queen Hortense Avenue (now rue de l'Elysée) and doubled the surface of small apartments which were equipped with an additional floor without affecting the Boudoir d'Argent.
Central Pavilion reception rooms have been equipped with a second series of interconnecting doors. The Fair Board was provided top door to the portraits of sovereigns of Europe, succeeding to Madame de Pompadour Muses and the portraits of the imperial family (now Fair Portraits).
The first floor of the central building was completely redecorated. Jean-Louis Godon was entrusted with the decoration of the Grand Salon and Bath room with the help of Charles Chaplin.
A new chapel was built in the courtyard on the ground floor of the east wing, and a ballroom begun as an extension of Salon Murat was completed by Marshal Mac Mahon.
The entrance gate was significantly altered and replaced by a door in the shape of a triumphal arch and the façade on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré with windows.
For the 1867 World Expo, the work is completed and foreign sovereigns will Receipts at the Elysee: Tsar Alexander II, the Turkish Sultan Abdul-Aziz and the Emperor of Austria, Franz - Joseph.
After the fall of the Empire, the Palace resumed the title of Elysée National. The Palace had only to suffer any damage during the Commune and Thiers, chief executive in February 1871 and then President of the Republic in August, it took a few trips. His successor, Marshal MacMahon elected in May 1873, settled permanently in the Elysee Palace from September 1874.
The Elysee Palace is now the official residence of all the presidents of the Republic.
Work will prove necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential office. The creation of the Festival Hall opened in 1889, will receive the festivities of the Universal Exhibition.
The Presidential Palace will not undergo major architectural changes during the Third Republic. However, it will be modernized. Telephone, electricity, central heating and the "comforts" will be installed. Only the distribution of rooms and their furnishings vary according to the needs and tastes of its guests.
Closed from 13 June 1940 until 1946, the Palace regain its presidential function with Vincent Auriol. His presidency will see the removal of the gallery changing rooms and the Chamber of Pompadour Salon. Contemporary designers, Arbus and Leleu, will be called to decorate the first floor of the Central Pavilion.
The Fifth Republic as retain the Elysee presidential palace. The distribution of the coins will be profoundly modified to meet the new demands of the presidential office.
The rooms on the first floor of the central building will be converted into offices. The Salon Doré become the presidential office and the main collaborators of the President will move into the old Eugenie apartment.
The room of the Council of Ministers will be moved Fair Portraits of the ground floor, the first floor in the former private dining room.
The wing will be assigned to apartments, the first floor for private apartments and ground floor semi-official apartments.
This new distribution, which corresponds to the traditional division of the eighteenth century mansions, will be maintained by the successors of General de Gaulle. The room of the Council of Ministers still be moving under the presidency of Georges Pompidou in Murat Show.
Moreover, private apartments and semi-official will be built to the taste of Heads of State and as under the chairmanship of Vincent Auriol, contemporary creators called by Georges Pompidou and François Mitterrand. Largely transformed over the centuries, the Elysée Palace Guard, however great architectural coherence.
Head of state residence and seat of the Presidency, this mansion became a highly symbolic Palace of the Republic.
From the inside
French president's private office
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