Bourse du Commerce (Commercial Exchange) – from Catherine de Medici to François Pinault

One of the only bright spots of The Corona days (2020-2021) was that shortly before Paris opened to Israeli tourists, 3 new museums opened (or reopened). The first two, namely Carnival Museum וHotel de la Marine, I have already written before, so today let me tell you the story of the third museum, called the Bourse de Commerce, a magnificent 19th-century building that houses the Pinault Collection, a vast collection of contemporary art.

This museum has been written about quite a bit in all sorts of media, but I noticed that the emphasis was almost always on the collection on display, while much less was written about the fascinating history of the building. As you know, theHistory of Paris It has fascinated me since I was 8 years old, so it will certainly not surprise you that instead of running together to the ticket office to quickly enter the museum, we will first take a little journey through time, which we will begin in the 16th century, and only after that will we enter the building's beautiful rotunda and begin looking at the collection itself.

Just before we begin our journey: If you came here because you are simply looking for practical information about the place (location, opening hours, etc.), you can skip the next section and go to the section dealing with tourist information.

Everyone else is invited to enter the time machine and join me on a journey to distant days where there once stood, no less, than the palace of the Queen of France. Catherine de Medici.

The History of the Bourse du Commerce

You will die near Saint-Germain.

If you happen to be in the mall area of La God And if you look from there towards the Bourse de Commerce building, you will see right next to the magnificent round building, a tall column, which seems unrelated to its surroundings.

This column is all that remains of a palace that stood there from the Middle Ages until the second half of the 18th century. This palace has changed hands quite a few times over the years, and among others, it belonged to the Nesle family, known to us for Nell Tower and the scandal that occurred there during the 14th century.

To modern historians, the palace is known as the Hôtel de Soissons, named after the Count of Soissons (Charles de Bourbon, Comte de Soissons 1566-1612), but the palace's most famous owner was actually the Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, who lived there from 1572.

Why did Catherine de Medici move fromTuileries Palace, adjacent to the Louvre, to a smaller palace located near the Paris wholesale market? An excellent question that is definitely worth a quick stop in our story about the stock exchange, because it teaches us an important lesson about the power of fate.

The queen was greatly alarmed by the prophecy because the palace she lived in was relatively close to the church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois. This church served as the royal chapel of the Louvre and Catherine de Medici feared that she would find her death there, following the prophecy of Cosimo Rogier.

As a result, Catherine de Medici decided to move to a more northern palace, which had previously belonged to the Duke of Anjou and part of which was intended for a convent for penitent girls. Since the queen had a very large retinue of court ladies and servants, she bought several palaces in the vicinity, demolished them, and in their place built a magnificent palace with a large garden.

The palace was named after the queen and was called Hôtel de la Reine. The palace was designed by the famous architect Jean Bullant (1515-1578), inspired by the Palazzo Pitti in Florence (the same palace would inspire a more famous palace, namely the palace in the heart of Luxembourg Gardens).

It was a very magnificent palace, befitting a queen, with a large garden where one could find statues sculpted by Jean Goujon (1510-1565), one of the greatest Renaissance sculptors, who were brought there from other palaces.

But for us, the most important structure in this grand and magnificent palace was a huge column, which Cosimo Rogieri used as an observatory. It is said that not only he but even the Queen Mother herself would climb up on starry nights to try to predict her future.

And before we move on and talk about the fate of the palace, let's ask the question: Did Catherine de Medici manage to escape her fate? Not exactly...

In September 1588, the queen arrived at the Château de Blois in poor physical condition, which had deteriorated further due to a lung disease she had contracted. When it seemed that her life was coming to an end, she asked for a priest to be brought to her. A few minutes later, a young priest arrived and, towards the end of the confession, the queen asked him his name. His answer astonished the queen: “Julien de Saint-Germain.” These may very well have been the last words Catherine de Medici heard, who died shortly afterwards…

The most beautiful dome in Paris

The palace took its final form during the 17s, when the widow of the Count de Soissons lived there. After the Count's widow's death in 1644, the palace passed into the hands of the Savoy-Carignan family, whose descendants would become the kings of Italy.

In 1720, Victor Amadeus I (1-1690) decided to establish a stock exchange in the palace gardens, where shares could be bought and sold. Unfortunately, his bets on stocks and securities did not pay off and he lost all his money and his large art collection, part of which was sold to Louis XV. He died penniless in 1741.

The Wheat Exchange was built on the ruins of the Hôtel de Soissons between 1763 and 1767, initially as an open structure without a roof. However, after a few years, it was decided to add a monumental dome to the site, which was completed in 1783. With the completion of the dome, the Wheat Exchange building became one of the most beautiful and famous buildings in Paris.

Despite the rather functional and drab use of the building, it quickly became very famous. Thomas Jefferson, the future third president of the United States, lived in Paris for several years and wrote in 1787 that it was the most beautiful building in the City of Lights. Jefferson wrote of the new dome that was added to the building that it was “so light that it seemed to have been placed on the building by fairies.”

The monumental structure was also surrounded by a circular street called Rue de Viarmes, which gave it an elegant architectural frame. But alas! Less than 20 years later, the dome burned down (in 1802, to be precise). If you want to see what the structure looked like before the fire, you are welcome to take a look at the video below, from the game Assassin's Creed Unity, which is based on the reconstruction of the original structure.

The person chosen to replace the burnt dome was the architect François-Joseph Bélanger (1744-1818), known to us as the architect of the Bagatelle Palace inBoulogne Forest.Blenger chose a very modern solution for his time, a dome of iron and glass, and received strong criticism for this from Victor Hugo, who really didn't like modern architecture (I wonder what he would have said if he had seen it). Pompidou Center, for example).

But to the joy of Victor HugoThis dome also did not survive long and 52 years later the building burned down again. This time it was decided to rebuild the entire structure, not just the dome, and the architect Henri Blondel (1821-1897) was entrusted with the task.

The stock exchange becomes a museum

The building, whose construction was completed in 1889 (the year it was launched) Eiffel Tower), changed its purpose slightly and from a stock exchange where they traded wheat, the place became the trading exchange. This is exactly why, if you look up, you will see that the inside of the dome is entirely covered with a huge fresco (about 1,400 meters) called “France Victorious”, the work of five painters.

The fresco depicts the different continents from which the goods came to France, and some may say that this painting is racist, because it is based on stereotypes that were prevalent in the 19th century regarding people who lived in Asia and Africa.

The buying and selling of goods continued in the Bourse building until the late 20th century, when e-commerce replaced traditional commerce, which required traders to be physically present at the trading location. As a result, it was decided to change the purpose of this beautiful building and in 2016, Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, offered François Pinault a 50-year concession for the building so that he could open a modern art museum there.

Who is François Pinault?

Before we continue, it is appropriate to say a word or two about the man whose modern art collection is currently on display to the general public.

Pino, a native of Hevel Brittany (born 1936), is a billionaire who made his initial fortune from trading in wood. François started his career in his father's family business and gradually expanded by buying up and reviving failing businesses. For example, he managed to take over famous stores such as the Printemps department store or the FNAC record, book and electronics store.

Pino later became involved in the trading of luxury brands through the Kering corporation, which he controls. Following a series of successful deals, he now owns shares in many famous fashion brands, including Gucci andYves Saint Laurent (Yves Saint Laurent) and with a capital of approximately 55 billion euros.

In parallel with establishing a business empire, Pinault began building an extensive art collection. He was inspired by his second wife, Maryvonne Campbell, who was involved in the art trade.

Initially, Pino collected mainly art from the late 19th century (for example, his collection includes paintings by painters fromThe Na'vi School) and of the 20th century, but in 1985 Pinault purchased a work by Mondrian for $8.8 million, and began buying works by American pop artists such as Rothko, Barnett Newman, and Jackson Pollock, and continued mainly by purchasing works by many contemporary artists, including Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.

Pino finds talented young artists at the beginning of their careers and encourages them to create and develop by purchasing their works, presenting them in exhibitions and museums, and more. He makes sure to participate in every significant art fair held around the world in order to locate interesting works and promising new artists. The result is a vast collection of approximately 10,000 works by the best artists of our time.

The Stock Exchange becomes a home for Pinot's vast collection

Initially, Pinault wanted to display his art collection on a small island called Île Seguin, located west of Paris between the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, where the Renault factories once stood, and the town of Sèvres.

Pino eventually gave up on the idea of ​​establishing this museum due to bureaucratic problems, and purchased the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, a magnificent palace built at the end of the 18th century. In order to convert the palace into a museum of modern art, Pino hired the services of the Japanese architect Tadao Ando, ​​and this was their first collaboration.

This is what Palazzo Grassi looks like today:

In 2009, Pinault was awarded the title, after fierce competition with the Guggenheim family, of the old customs house in Venice and, together with Tadao Ando, ​​transformed it into an extension of the Palazzo Grassi Museum.

In 2016, as I wrote earlier, Pino took over the Tokyo Stock Exchange building and teamed up with Tado Ando for the third time. The place underwent a comprehensive renovation and the result is nothing short of spectacular.

The architect preserved all the historical qualities of the building and at the same time managed to transform the old commercial offices into user-friendly exhibition spaces that give great respect to the works displayed there. In addition to the exhibition spaces and the museum's accessibility to the general public, you will also find a wonderful view of the Le Hall area and a luxurious restaurant, which I will write about later in the article.

The museum is also a response toLouis Vuitton Museum Which belongs to Brenner Arnault (72 years old), his arch-rival, the businessman considered the richest in France and among the richest in the world.

Pinot and Arnault were on good terms, and Pinot even acquired several important businesses from Arnault. However, in 1999, Arnault, who owned Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and the fashion magazine Vogue, was in negotiations to acquire Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and the jewelry company Boucheron, but Pinot stepped in at the last minute and ultimately acquired these brands. Today, these two businessmen share a large share of French fashion houses and luxury companies.

A few words about the collection currently on display (October 2021)

Pinault's collection is considered one of the most important in contemporary art and includes approximately ten thousand items by approximately four hundred artists from all movements and currents of contemporary art, both well-known artists and those at the beginning of their careers.

The collection includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, video and audio exhibitions and various presentations. The collection is constantly renewed and is a dynamic collection because it is accompanied by purchases and sales. Part of the collection is displayed in the three museums, parts of it are loaned to various museums and institutions around the world and some are stored in various sites.

On the ground floor, a large hall is dedicated to the American artist David Emmons, a prominent African-American artist whose works deal with black people in the United States. Pinault chose to present political works in the exhibition that correspond with the building's racist past, thereby creating a certain provocation.

The second floor, which displays images by six leading photographers, including Cindy Sherman, constitutes the museum space. It revolves around the cupola and has windows that look out onto it and correspond with it, as well as windows to the outside that correspond with Paris, including views of the Le Halle shopping center and the Pompidou Museum.

The floor is divided into large, high spaces painted white with overhead lighting that highlights the works. On this floor, Pinault has selected a series of famous and emerging contemporary painters, most of whom are figurative artists, so that even people who are not so familiar with modern art (which has become synonymous with abstract art) will be able to enjoy their work.

All of these works, which I have just briefly mentioned, have made the Stock Exchange one of the most important museums in the City of Lights and one of the must-see sites in the city. Your next visit to Paris.

In the next chapter I will provide you with all the information you need to visit the museum, but before that, let me thank you from the bottom of my heart toSpector Markets, a tour guide in Paris who specializes in art, who provided me with important information about François Pinault and helped me a lot in writing the chapter on the collection currently on display at the museum.

The Stock Exchange Museum – Tourist Information

Now that you know a little about the fascinating history of the Stock Exchange building and the museum inside it, it's time to provide you with the "all-in-one." I mean, of course, all the information you need to get there, buy tickets, etc.

How do we get there?

The museum's address is 2 Rue de Viarmes. It can be easily reached byMetro In the following ways:

• Take line number 1 and get off at the Louvre-Rivoli station, and from there walk a few minutes on rue du Louvre north (the entrance to the museum will be on your right).
• Take line 4, RER A or RER B and get off at Les Halles station. From there, walk west and you won't be able to miss the building and its dome.

Those of you who prefer to travel by bus are welcome to take lines 74 or 85 and get off at the Bourse de Commerce station.

Where do you buy tickets?

Since this is one of the most popular museums in Paris, it is currently mandatory to book tickets in advance, and it is highly recommended to do so several weeks before the date you wish to visit (some will even book a month in advance). If you don't do this, you will find that the tickets are sold out, which is a shame (this is exactly what happened to me, and I had to make quite a few connections in order to get in).

If you decide to take my advice and book tickets in advance, you can do so via Museums page On my website.

When is the museum open?

The museum is open every day, except Tuesdays, from 11:00 AM to 19:00 PM.

How long does it take to visit the museum?

According to the museum's website, it is recommended to spend at least an hour and a half on the exhibition. I imagine that those who love modern art will want to spend a little more time. On the other hand, those who are less connected to the type of art on display there will spend less time and spend most of their time looking at the frescoes on the ceiling and admiring the view from the top floor of the museum.

Is the museum accessible to people with disabilities?

Absolutely. You can get more information on the subject through theLink this.

And one last thing, what about the food?

If you are looking for an experience that combines Parisian scenery and culinary delights, we recommend that you visit the Halles Au Grains restaurant, named after the wheat exchange I mentioned, and located on the top floor of the museum.

The restaurant is run by Michel Bras, who has already won 3 Michelin stars, and his son Sébastien Bras. The cuisine, true to the restaurant's name, revolves entirely around the different grains and presents a tasting menu ranging in price from 54 euros (3 courses) to 98 euros (3 courses plus Cheeses plus dessert) and also an “a la carte” menu for those who want to order one or two dishes.

If you would like to read more about the restaurant, you can do so through Ruth Shimoni's article. The Grain Market Restaurant (Halle aux grains) at the Stock Exchange Museum.

You visited the museum and enjoyed it. What do you do next?

Here are some good options:

• If you like modern art and have room for another museum, you are welcome to walk 10-15 minutes east and reachCenter Pompidou.
• If you would rather visit a museum that displays less modern art, you will be happy to know thatThe Louvre It is a 5-10 minute walk from you.
• If one museum a day is enough for you, I recommend you take a tour ofMontreuil Street, which is located not far away and in the church of St. Eustace.
• And if all these ideas were enough for you, let me recommend a page to you The itineraries, where you can find quite a few hiking trails, some of which (such as The Passages Route Or the route followed Emile Zola) are passing nearby.