Hotel de Sully visitor guide

Visit Hotel de Sully, Paris

The Hotel de Sully is an imposing house with a courtyard and gardens from the 17th century, in the Marais district of the 4th arrondissement of Paris.

You can enter the courtyard either from the Hotel Béthune-Sully at 62 Rue Saint-Antoine, or from the south-west corner of the Place des Vosges. Both entrances, and especially the entrance from Place des Vosges, or very discrete and would be easy to overlook.

Discover the Hotel de Sully

France This Way review: it does not take long to visit the Hotel de Sully, because access to the interior of the buildings is not possible, but the courtyards and gardens are very pretty so we recommend you explore them when in this part of Paris.

The Hotel de Sully is classed as a "Hotel Particular" which simply refers to a luxury house to be used by one family (like a Mansion House). It is worth remembering that the house also needed to hold a large number of domestic staff, often 20-30, so would have been rather busier inside than you might think.

Courtyard of the Hotel de Sully in Paris

History of the Hotel de Sully

The building was constructed between 1625 and 1630 under Louis XIII in a project started by the minister of finance, Mexme Galet. Unfortunately he lost all his money in gambling debts and had to sell the building to one of his creditors before it was completed.

They in turn sold the building a year later, and it was only after this sale that most major works on the house could be completed. It was then sold again in 1634, to the Duke of Sully, from where it gets its name.

During the 19th century the property was divided into numerous small apartments. It was only in the second half of the 20th century that the property was reunified in its original form, and several of the additions that had been made were removed, so the building we see today is more or less the same as the original 17th century construction.

Nowadays it is the official headquarters of the Centre for National Monuments.

Architecture of the Hotel de Sully

The main buildings around the courtyard include a significant number of elements in the Renaissance style, with statues inset in the walls, decorative windows with lintels and frontons above them incorporating carved busts, and other features in carved stone.

The statues in the alcoves in the walls represent the four seasons of the year, and the elements of air, fire, earth and water.

Apart from trees and climbing plants along the edges, and an ancient oak tree, the gardens are a simple grid of grass surrounded by low box hedges so you won't see many flowers or interesting plants, but their geometric layout, overlooked by balustrades and surrounded by the buildings of the Hotel de Sully, make them very pretty to look at.

The courtyard and gardens are an impressive example of 17th century architecture and gardens and also a charming and peaceful place in the very centre of Paris. There are not many seats, and you are not allowed on the impeccable grass so you might need to save your picnic until you reach the Place des Vosges if it is a busy day...

Other information

Although the Centre for National Monuments is not open to the public, you can visit their extensive bookshop. They have a variety of books but the focus is on books about the historic monuments of France.

There is no charge to enter, so you can use the courtyard and gardens as a passage between Rue de Rivoli / Rue Saint-Antoine and the Place des Vosges.

Gardens of the Hotel de Sully

Attractions nearby

There is a great deal to admire in the Marais region of France and the Hotel de Sully is next to one of the highlights: the Place des Vosges. The Church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis is close to the entrance on Rue Saint-Antoine.

You can find more travel ideas in the Paris region guide.

To make travel arrangements to visit Hotel de Sully see HERE

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Map of Hotel de Sully and places nearby

Places to visit near Hotel de Sully

Place des Vosges

The Place des Vosges is an impressive square surrounded by 17th century townhouses

Place des Vosges guide

Maison de Victor Hugo

The Maison de Victor Hugo is a large apartment in the house where Victor Hugo lived, on the Place des Vosges

Maison de Victor Hugo guide

Church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis

The Church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis is an imposing baroque style church in the Marais quarter of Paris

Church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis guide

Hôtel de Sens

The Hotel de Sens is a 15th century Bishop's palace in the Marais district of Paris

Hôtel de Sens guide

River Seine

The Seine river is at the heart of the city, near many of the famous monuments, and a boat ride on the Seine is a popular attraction

River Seine guide

Jardin Tino Rossi

The Tino Rossi garden is both a pretty riverside walk and garden and also an outdoor sculpture museum.

Jardin Tino Rossi guide