There are very few treasurers who are remembered well throughout history. One of them is Maximilien de Bethunde, duc de Sully (1560-1641), who, together with King Henry IV, managed to restore the economy of France, which was completely destroyed between 4 and 1559 during the civil war.
Like most finance ministers, the Duke de Souley managed to amass quite a bit of money and the result was the charming Chateau de Souley, located in the Loire Valley, and the Hôtel de Souley in Paris, which provides the visitor with not only an impressive structure but also a fascinating story.
The history of Hôtel de Soleil
The building we are talking about is located at 62 rue Saint Antoine and was designed by the architect du Cerceau for Mr. Gallet, who managed to win a huge sum of money gambling. Unfortunately for Gallet, money that came easily also disappeared easily and shortly after the building was completed, he was forced to sell it, in order to repay gambling debts. The Duc de Souley, was very impressed with the building and bought it. Thus the building was named Hôtel de Souley.
Although he was already a very old man by then, he did not stop pursuing women until his last day. However, unlike many men of his time, he did not mind at all that his wife, who was many years younger than him, led a similar lifestyle. Moreover, he even built a special staircase so that lovers could reach his wife directly without passing through him and disturbing his rest.
The next generation of the Hôtel de Souley continued in the same direction. Souley's daughter, Marguerite Duchess of Royan, had an illegitimate daughter by one of her lovers and when it became clear that her legitimate daughter, also named Marguerite, was following in her footsteps, it was decided to send her to live on the other side of the Place de Vosges. Unfortunately for Souley's granddaughter, she did not have his financial abilities and accumulated heavy debts, which led to her eviction from her home. However, while Marguerite was unlucky in money, at least she was lucky in love.
In 1645, after a difficult struggle, she managed to marry her lover Henri Chabot and escape a “political marriage” devoid of any emotion with someone of her status (during her struggle, the Duchess uttered the immortal sentence “I do not know if I will be able to marry Henri, but I know that I cannot live if he marries someone else”). If you would like to read more about her and her family, I highly recommend the article Josselin and the Rohan Family: A Thousand Years of History.
The couple had several children, and one of them, Anne Julie de Rohan (1648-1709), became one of Louis XIV's mistresses, and from this love story we have the Château de Sauvage.
Voltaire was also involved in the life of the Hôtel de Soleil, with one of its owners, the Prince of Rohan, falling out with him after the premiere of Oedipus. The prince was not content with exchanging verbal blows (at which Voltaire, who was known for his wit, excelled) and ordered his servants to catch Voltaire in the street and beat him until he bled. The enraged Voltaire challenged the prince to a duel and in return received a full-board vacation at the Bastille, which was a few minutes' walk from the Hôtel de Soleil.
Today, the magnificent building belongs to the French Monuments Foundation, so unfortunately it is not possible to visit all of its rooms. However, it is possible and even highly recommended to visit the charming garden in its courtyard and the foundation's bookstore, which has a charming wooden ceiling from the Louis XIII era. And who knows, maybe you will get lucky and run into a lover in the stairwell?
What did the Hôtel de Soleil look like in the 18th century?
Before we end this article, if you weren't able to sign up for one of the rare guided tours that are offered at the Palais de Soleil and you're curious to see what it once looked like, then here's a little something for you.
In 2015, the company released the game Assassin's Creed Unity, which takes place in Paris during the French Revolution . For the game, an impressive 3D model of Paris of the past was created that you can walk around. So I took the opportunity and created a video for you in which I enter the Hôtel de Soleil and reach places that no one else has been able to reach 🙂
What else can you do in the area?
Hotel de Soleil is located in the heart of the La Marais district , or to be precise, it is located in the 4th arrondissement . Here are some articles that will help you get to know this district and get the best out of it.
Accommodation in the 4th arrondissement of Paris
The Marais district is one of the most popular areas to live in Paris, and rightly so. It has a lot of charm, history, restaurants, entertainment venues, and attractions. So if you've decided to live in the 4th arrondissement after reading this article, here are the two articles you need:
Attractions in the 4th arrondissement
As I wrote earlier, the 4th arrondissement has a serious concentration of palaces and other attractions. So if you want to discover them along with some itineraries that you can do at your own pace and for free, I recommend reading the article Attractions in the 4th arrondissement in Paris.
Recommended restaurants in the 4th arrondissement
If all these trips have made you hungry, you are welcome to visit the article Recommended Restaurants in the 4th District and find an excellent and recommended restaurant.
More on the subject
Can I have the address of the place? When I search on Google for a napkin, I arrive at a quarter-star hotel in Met-Lanfal, and that's probably not what you meant.
The entrance address is Rue Saint Antoine 48.