The Hôtel de Bretonvilliers is a stunning hôtel particulier in the 4th arrondissement that I had passed several times before photographing it.
This charming building is located on the île Saint-Louis and offers a passageway underneath it. It’s remarkably well constructed considering the openness below it! It’s located at the intersection of Rue de Bretonvilliers and Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Île.
The original building was constructed from 1637 to 1642, yet most of it was demolished in 1874.
It was designed by the French architect Jean Androuet du Cerceau, for the count Claude Le Ragois de Bretonvilliers who died in 1645. Bretonvilliers was an advising secretary to King Louis XIII as well as a banker.
The stunning arched pavilion was classified as a “historical monument” on April 1, 1986, giving it protection.
