Hôtel Béthune-Sully

In the heart of the Marais in Paris, on Rue Saint-Antoine, stands the historic Hôtel de Sully. This magnificent building in the style of Louis XIII was constructed between 1625 and 1630 to designs by Jean Androuet du Cerceau. It became well known after it was purchased by Maximilien de Béthune, the first Duke of Sully, who spent the last years of his life here. After a series of changes in ownership and alterations to the building in the nineteenth century, the property was listed as a historic monument in 1862. Following a comprehensive restoration, completed in 1973 with the reconstruction of the orangery, the building has housed the national agency for historic monuments since 1967, known today as the Centre des monuments nationaux.