The variety of facades of buildings that you are going to discover reflects the different periods of our past and can be read just like pages of the greater history of Saint Germain en Laye.

 
The “Historical residences” walk document available in pdf format will enable you to discover a selection of the town’s private mansions and the current Town Hall, situated in the “Hôtel de la Rochefoucault”. The buildings called “hôtels” are either large (or smaller) houses occupied during the 17th century by aristocratic families or commercial properties built in the 18th century in place of mansions like the “Hôtel de Soubise” or “de Conti”.

The "historical residences" walk

Hôtel de Bontemps
9 rue Roger de Nézot
Built in the 17^th century, the residence of Alexandre Bontemps, this is the first personal valet of the Sun King. Note: carriage entrance and typical paved courtyard.

Hôtel de Fieubet
2 rue Voltaire
House extended and embellished by Gaspard Fieubert, Louis XIV’s everyday advisor and Queen’s chancellor. Poet during his spare time, he wrote Descartes’ epigraph. In 1670, he bought the house and garden, renovated it in 1671, before reselling it in 1693 to Claude Caron, geographer and surveyor for the King. A second floor was added in 1790.

Hotel de Guise
17 rue des Coches
Reconstructed in the 18^th century, with additional floors and dormers, this was residence of Duke Henri II of Lorraine, fifth Duke of Guise and grandson of Henri I, known as Le Balafré. His life was a true tale of adventures. Though Archbishop of Reims at the age of 15, he later abandoned the ecclesiastical institutions and became famous for his extravagant nature. Involved in conspiracies against Richelieu, he was forced to take exile and only came back when Louis XIII died, to take side with the Frondeurs (Rebels). The great organist Albert Alain was born in this house.

Hôtel de Noailles
Rue d’Alsace
Built by Hardouin Mansart at the end of 17^th century, over a plot of nearly 100 acres, the Hotel de Noailles was the residence of the three Dukes of Noailles who were governors of Saint Germain up until the Revolution,

In 1836, in view of subdividing the surrounding area, the mansion was cut in two by a road. The two wings remain at 10 and 11 rue d’Alsace. Mozart stayed here in 1778. Today, a part of this mansion is open to the public at certain times. For details call the Tourist Office.

Hôtel des Maréchaux de Villeroy
18 rue de la Salle
At one time, this was the property of Nicolas de Neuville, Duke of Villeroy (1597-1685), Minister of State. He started in the Court as child of honour of Louis XIII. In 1646 he was one of the governors of Louis XIV and became the Marechal of France that same year.

The property was then passed onto his son, François Duke of Villeroy, who was raised with Louis XIV. He also became Marechal of France, governor of Louis XV and Minister of the Regency.

An important restoration worka the house took place between 1977 and 1979.

Hôtel de Conti and Hôtel de Soubise
Place Charles de Gaulle
Magnificent commercial buildings built in 1754 and 1758 in the place of the first two mansions.

“Hôtel de Conti”: Since 1680, this house belonged to the Bourbon-Conti family. In 1754, the Duchesse of Orléans, daughter of Louis-Armand de Bourbon Conti sold this mansion to Georges René Binet, the first personal valet of their heir Louis Auguste, future Louis XVI. The mansion was in bad condition and was rebuilt between 1754 and 1758 at the same time as the neighbouring mansion, the “Hôtel de Soubise”. The facades were likely to have been restored.

Hôtel de la Feuillade
24 rue du Vieil Abreuvoir
It belonged to François d’Aubusson, Duke of la Feuillade, marshal of France in 1675 and vice regent of Sicily in 1677. He was so vain that Louis XIV said in jest “All I ask is that La Feuillade acknowledges me as equally high a gentleman as himself”. (Nevertheless, he greatly admired the Sun King, of whom he had a statue placed on the Place des Victoires in Paris.) The mansion then became the property of his son, Louis d’Aubusson, Count of la Feuillade. In 1699, Jean Bertrand de Masgontier, a young squire of the King’s Chamber inherited the property and a neighbouring house. Renovations were done on the houses in the 19^th century.

Hotel dit de Madame de Maintenon
23 rue du Vieil Abreuvoir
This was initially a very modest house, built after 1643 and bought by Madame de Maintenon in 1680. However, she did not live here since she was living with the King in the nearby castle of Saint Germain. The magnificent wrought iron balcony was added in 1880.

Hôtel dit du Duc de Montausier
22 rue du Vieil Abreuvoir
Heavily remodelled 17^th century, the building belonged to the Duke of Montausier (1610-1690) governor of the “Dauphin” son of Louis XIV. Marshal Lyautey (prestigious military officer) lived in this house between 1887 and 1891.

Le grand hotel de Crequy
10-12 rue de Paris
A mansion between courtyard and garden redesigned and extended during the 18^th century, then again in 1979-80. On the first and second floors, there are small wrought iron balconies from the time of Louis XV. It has an 18^th century moulded wood carriage entrance.