Hotel de Ville, Paris
Hotel de Ville
Address: Place de l”hotel de Ville, Rue de Rivoli
Arrondissement: 4th
Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Tickets: Varied
Phone: 01 42 76 50 49
About the Hotel de Ville
In the year 1246, Paris’ first borough was created. The trade guilds elected Alderman as their council. However, until 1357 there was no set municipal building to take care of business in. One of the Alderman bought house on the busy place de Greve, also known as Shore Harbor. The exquisite two story home featured two towers and arcades. It came to be known as the House of Pillars and served the municipality well. In 1553 a new structure was built on the site called Hotel de Ville. Built in Renaissance style, it was enlarged several times during the 19th century.
The building, like much of the city, has had a tumultuous past. From the early 1300’s all the way until 1830 when the last execution took place, the Place de Greve were the Hotel de Ville stands, is the site of many horrendous deaths. Many, many people were beheaded, quartered, cooked or burned at the stake here. The city tried to remove the haunting memories by renaming the building Place de l’Hotel de Ville after the last death sentence took place.
A revolting Commune that occupied the Hotel set the building on fire in May of 1771 in order to demolish valued city archives. After the Commune was defeated, the government held a competition to see which architect could petition to build the best, brightest new city hall. Theodore Ballu and Edouard Deperthes proposal to restore the Hotel de Ville back to its original state won over officials. In 1882 the new Hotel de Ville was inducted.
The building gained new life with the restoration. One hundred and eight gorgeous statues representing famous Parisian citizens stand proud on its exterior. Thirty more honor French cities. The clock tower is filled with feminine sculptures which represent the Seine River, the city of Paris, work and education. The interior decor is done in a III Empire style. Much admiration goes towards the interior stylings such as the large foyer staircase, the grand Salle des Fetes (ballroom), painted ceilings and walls, the breathtaking stained glass and the copious chandeliers. After 1830, the square was enlarged and in 1982 it shook it put its shaky past behind it seemingly for good and became a pedestrian zone, filled with merry tourists and locals alike. It still stands for its original purpose, as the Paris’ one of a kind city hall.
Getting to Hotel de Ville
You can reach the Hotel de Ville on metro line 1 or line 11 at the Hotel de Ville station.
Here is a short guide to hotels near Hotel de Ville.
Located at 19 rue de Rivoli, the 3 star Hotel Paris Rivoli is one of the closest to the Hotel de Ville attraction. In the heart of the Marais district, the hotel offers 29 rooms with wonderful amenities such as air conditioned rooms, individual bathrooms, computer connections, flat screen televisions and a welcome tray which says it all. The quaint interior is comforting and warm, as is the staff. Rates start at 68EUR per night for a standard room.
The 3 star Hotel Des Ducs Danjou, located at 1 rue Sainte Opportune, features lodging in the center of the city, close to the Hotel de Ville and other attractions like Le Marais, les Halles and Notre Dame. The rooms give off a warm glow so guests can relax after a day of seeing the sites of the city. Rooms come complete with air conditioning, flat screen televisions, computer connections and the hotels unique “Sweet Night” concept. Rates start at 97EUR per night for a single standard room.
The 4 star Novotel Paris Les Halles, located at 8 Place Marguerite de Navarre, features some of the best rates in Paris for all that it has to offer. The staff plays close attention to each and every guests comfort. The hotel works hard to make each stay unforgettable. Whether you are here for pleasure or business, the Novotel Paris Les Halles has you covered with a relaxing atmosphere, 8 meeting rooms and a catering package to boot. Rates start at 149EUR for a double room.
Photo of Hotel de Ville courtesy of Wikimedia.org
