City Hall of Paris. Hotel de Ville - Paris Town Hall. What to see at the Hotel de Ville

One of the most famous landmarks in Paris is the City Hall, located on. What are these places famous for?

A little history

Place de la Hôtel de Ville, formerly called Place de Greve, is known not only for the fact that you could always make money here when loading ships - it was the place of public executions for five hundred years and it was there that the guillotine was first tried. And since the execution of even the most petty criminal in the life of the townspeople was a most interesting spectacle, a significant sum was paid for a place at the window of any house overlooking the square.

Paris in those days was ruled by the elder of the merchant guild, called the provost. He gathered his assistants in a house near the Place de Grève, but in 1357 Etienne Marcel bought the “House of Pilasters,” located in the heart of the famous square, where meetings subsequently took place. It was on the site of this house that the city hall was built in 1533. In the 19th century, it was burned by members of the Parisian commune - only the stone facades of the building were untouched by the fire.

Paris City Hall today

In 1892, the city hall was completely restored and opened to the public. It is worth noting that the reconstructors (architects Ballu and Deperte) did their best, making the building a real decoration of Place de Greve. The building, restored in the Renaissance style, amazes with its splendor and originality - the internal ceremonial halls are decorated with paintings by famous French artists. On either side of the central gate there are two statues called Science and Art.

On each facade there are statues of famous Frenchmen (artists, poets, writers) - there are 108 in total, as well as 30 statues that are the embodiment of French cities. All the statues are female, because the word "city" in French is feminine.

The clock, located on the central tower, is comfortably surrounded by sculptures called the Seine, the Marne (Parisian rivers), Paris, and Education and Work. The ridge of the Boccador Pavilion is decorated with six bronze statues of military men from the 15th century. There are about 338 such sculptures.

The embankment and the southern facade are divided by a square in which a statue of Etienne Marcel is installed.

City Hall Tour

It should be noted that the Paris City Hall is shown to tourists for free. If you are lucky enough to get here, you will certainly see the Chamber of Consuls, in which the fate of not only Paris, but the whole of France was decided many times.

City Hall is known for its huge number of rooms and exhibition halls. Thus, the Ballroom is painted mainly with flowers, symbolic images of music and dance, and the dining room is decorated with scenes that show the agricultural life of the population. The gallery talks about fine arts, science, literature and crafts.

The second floor is famous for its huge library, as well as the Archive, which contains all the important documents, the first of which date back to the beginning of the 19th century.

Some useful information for tourists

The Paris City Hall is located on the right bank of the Seine, in the 4th arrondissement, at no. 29. The nearest metro station is called Hotel de ville.
Visitors are accepted from 10 am to 6 pm on all days of the week, except Sundays, as well as public holidays.

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Plan
Introduction
1 Building
2 Municipal authorities
2.1 Mayors of Paris

3 Paris budget
4 Sister cities

Introduction Paris City Hall (fr. hotel de ville de Paris) is the city palace Hotel de Ville ( Hotel de Ville), where the Parisian authorities have been located since 1357. The Hôtel de Ville, with a 110 m long façade, is located on the former medieval Place de Grève ( place de Greve Since 1975, Paris has been both a city and a department, led by the Parisian mayor at the head of the Paris Council ( Conseil de Paris), meeting 11 times a year, whose public (open to the public) sessions last up to two days. The first mayor was elected only in 1977; the authorities were in no hurry to give the capital complete administrative freedom. But to this day, Paris remains the only city in France where the municipal police reports directly not to the mayor, but to the police prefect appointed by the President of the Republic. 1. Building The building was built between 1874 and 1882. according to plans by architects Theodore Ballew ( Théodore Ballu) and Edouard Depert ( Édouard Deperthes). The Renaissance-style façade was rebuilt after the building was destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune (1871). 2. Municipal authorities Paris Council ( Conseil de Paris) has 163 members, elected indirectly by Parisians, who participate in the Municipal Council ( conseil municipal) and the General Council ( conseil general), deciding by vote the administrative issues of the city and department respectively. The newly elected Paris Council, in turn, elects the mayor of the city and about 40 of his deputies ( adjoints) responsible for a specific sector: city economic development, transport, international relations, gender equality, schools and environmental care. The mayor also becomes president of the General Council, which administers the life of the department. Since 1964, the municipality has had the official name “Ville de Paris” ( Ville de Paris). In 2005, it consisted of almost 40 thousand employees in 3 thousand municipal services of the city. In addition to the buildings of the Hotel de Ville and the 20 city halls of the districts, the municipality owns many administrative and technical buildings, as well as museums, libraries, sports facilities, schools, kindergartens, etc. The number of municipal employees is comparable to the population of French cities such as Chartres or Bayonne . 2.1. Mayors of Paris The current mayor is Bertrand Delanoë, a member of the French Socialist Party, elected on March 18, 2001 and again in March 2008. 3. Paris budget In 2003, the capital's budget amounted to 6.9 billion euros, of which 1.2 billion was for the department. Approximately 3,200 euros per Parisian. Each budget 100 euros is distributed approximately as follows:

29 - for social needs; 18 - for school, culture and sports; 15 - administrative expenses; 15 - for water, maintaining cleanliness, for gardens, parks and squares; 11 - for roads, urban services and housing; 6 - for public transport; 6 - to maintain safety.4. Twin cities

Seule Paris est digne de Rome; seule rome est digne de paris

The French capital has also concluded agreements of friendship and cooperation with the following cities:

1958: Kyoto 1982: Tokyo 1985: Cairo 1987: Amman, Sanaa, Berlin 1991: Seoul 1992: Moscow, Beirut 1995: Jakarta 1996: Chicago, San Francisco 1997: Santiago, Riyadh, Beijing, Prague, Tbilisi, St. St. Petersburg 1998: Lisbon, Sofia, Sydney, Yerevan 1999: Mexico City, Warsaw, Buenos Aires 2000: Washington, Madrid, Athens 2001: London, Porto Alegre 2002: Geneva 2003: Algiers, Quebec 2004: Sao Paulo, Rabat, Casablanca, Tunisia 2005: Copenhagen 2006: Montreal 2007: Tangier

Twin Cities

The Hôtel de Ville – Paris City Hall is located on the former Place de Greve, which has been called the Hôtel de Ville Square since 1803. The city authorities have been located in the building of the Paris Town Hall for about 7 centuries; now the City Hall of Paris is located here.

Address and how to get to the Town Hall

Address of the Town Hall - Place de l"Hotel de Ville
Metro station - Hotel de Ville.

Place de Greve and Town Hall in Paris

In the old days, near the Place de Greve on the banks of the Seine, there was the first pier, so here you could make money loading and unloading ships. But most of all, the Place de Greve became famous as the place of public executions, which took place here for four centuries.

In his novel Notre Dame de Paris, Victor Hugo called Place de Greve a symbol of medieval justice - cruel and bloody. It was here that the heroine of the novel, the beautiful Esmeralda, was executed.

Nowadays, the Hotel de Ville square is a meeting place for Parisians; thousands of tourists come here. The square is paved with stone, and after reconstruction in the 1980s it became a pedestrian zone, it was decorated with lanterns and fountains and it looks formal and a little boring.

To soften its formality, carousels are installed here in the summer, and an ice skating rink is installed in the winter from December to February.

The Town Hall is the main building on the square; its façade is 110 meters long.

From the history of the Town Hall

By the middle of the 14th century, Parisian merchants had no power, although thanks to them, the capital of France flourished. In 1357, the head of the merchant class, Etienne Marcel, achieved the status of city elder and acquired a house in the very center of Paris on the right bank of the Seine for the new institution of power. Despite its considerable age - about 100 years, the stone building was well preserved, it was built on pillars and the people called this building the House on Stilts. Now the building was called the Town Hall, which means the Palace of the city, and since 1537 it began to house the authorities of Paris.

In 1529, King Francis, a famous philanthropist and art connoisseur, decided to rebuild the palace. The project was carried out by the Italian architect Domenic de Cortone and the Frenchman Pierre Chambige. Construction began in 1533 and lasted 95 years. During this time, four kings changed and St. Bartholomew's Night happened, the country experienced several palace coups and civil wars. The construction of the palace was completed in 1628 under Louis XIII.

City Palace - decoration

The palace was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance - neo-Renaissance, the halls were spacious and richly decorated, the walls were gilded and painted on the ceilings, and there were crystal chandeliers on the ceilings.

For more than 200 years, the palace remained in its original form, but in 1835, the Prefect of Paris, Rambuteau, decided that the building had become too cramped and, on his instructions, two wings of the building were connected, as a result of which its area increased three times.

The Town Hall witnessed all the historical events of the 18th - 19th centuries. After the capture of the Bastille, the rebels moved here, Robespierre hid here, and since 1848 the new government met in the City Palace. After the fall of the Second Empire in May 1871, the Communards decided to burn all the documents, which resulted in a fire and the Town Hall was completely burned down. Only the walls remained - all the valuables and decorations were lost in the fire.

In 1833, it was decided to restore the palace. The work was carried out under the direction of the architects Ballue and Depert and was completed in 1843. From the outside, the Palace acquired its original historical appearance; inside, its decoration has changed somewhat.

Town Hall - decoration

On the four facades and the roof there are statues - allegorical symbols of the main cities of France and statues of 108 famous Parisians, including the writers Moliere and Voltaire, Eugene Sue and Charles Perrault, the physicist Leon Foucault and Cardinal Richelieu, the artists Jacques Louis David and Charles Lebrun.

In front of the facade facing the Seine, there is a monument to Etienne Marcel. Despite the fact that in 1358 the Parisians suspected him of treason and killed him, a monument was erected to the famous rebel and head of Parisian merchants and one of the streets of Paris near the Church of Saint-Eustache was named after him.

On the central tower of the facade there is an ancient clock surrounded by female figures of virtues, at the entrance to the square there are sculptures of Art and Science.

The most famous and talented masters of the 19th century took part in the decoration of the palace halls. They created painted ceilings, bright stained glass windows and frescoes, exquisite furniture and crystal chandeliers.

The hall for banquets and balls is a copy of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, its interior is decorated with gold and paintings, and on the ceiling you can read the motto of the French Republic - Liberty Equality Fraternity.

Now this hall hosts meetings and receptions of foreign guests, as well as other official events.

In the remaining rooms, the paintings on the ceiling correspond to various types of activities - here you can see paintings dedicated to agriculture, crafts and science, literature and art. There is also a library in the City Palace.

The Town Hall in Paris is the venue for many exhibitions. You can visit the City Palace and see the interior of its halls by making an appointment by phone.

With its opposite façade, the Hotel de Ville faces the long Rue de Rivoli, where the BHV supermarket has been located at number 52 for 150 years, where you can purchase a variety of goods - from perfumes to building materials.

The City Hall of Paris, like other city authorities, is located in the Hotel de Ville, an ancient town hall located on the square of the same name in the fourth arrondissement of the city. The building serves several functions: not only is it the seat of municipal authorities, including the Mayor of Paris, but it also serves for ceremonial receptions and other important events of the city.

A history of seven centuries

The history of the Hotel de Ville begins in 1357, when Etienne Marcel, a representative of the Parisian merchant nobility, by order of the city authorities, bought the so-called “House with Pilasters”, located on the right bank of the Seine and served for unloading river ships, and later annexed to Place de Greve, which has long been used for public executions. Since then, the city authorities of Paris have lived only in this place.

In 1533, King Francis the First decided to give Paris a new city hall. Two architects were brought in for its construction: the Italian Dominique de Corton (nicknamed Baccadore) and the Frenchman Pierre Chambiges. Soon the "House of Pilasters" was demolished, and Baccadore, possessed by the spirit of the Renaissance, sketched a plan for a building that was at once tall and graceful, light and spacious. However, construction was completed only during the reign of Louis XIII, in 1628.

Over the next two centuries, no changes were made to the building, although the town hall itself witnessed a number of events of the French Revolution. Finally, in 1835, at the initiative of Claude Ramboutuit, a representative of the Seine department, two wings were added to the main building, which were connected to the façade by galleries, thereby expanding the interior space of the building for the increasing staff of city officials.

During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) the building played an important role in a number of political events. But for the building itself, the war ended sadly: the town hall was burned down by members of the Paris Commune in January 1971. Only the stone facades of the building were not damaged by the fire.

The reconstruction of the City Hall lasted 19 years (from 1873 to 1892). Under the leadership of architects Theodore Ballue and Eduard Deperte, the building's interiors were completely renovated. The internal ceremonial halls were made in a contemporary style of that era - they were covered with paintings by leading French artists. At the same time, the exterior was copied from the building that stood before the fire and adopted the French Renaissance style. On the sides of the central gate there were two allegorical statues, symbolizing Science and Art. Each facade of the building featured sculptures of 108 famous Parisians, as well as 30 statues dedicated to French cities. The clock on the central tower is surrounded by sculptures symbolizing the Seine River, the city of Paris, as well as Work and Education. In total, there are 338 such sculptures. Since then, the Hotel de Ville has not changed its appearance.

What can you see in the Paris City Hall building

If you are lucky enough to get to the Hotel de Ville, then during the tour you will definitely be shown the Chamber of Consuls - the meeting place of representatives of municipal authorities. It was here that the fate of the city was decided more than once during the centuries-old history of Paris.

The City Hall building has many rooms and exhibition halls. In one of the rooms you will see paintings by the French painter Jean-Paul Laurens, the subjects of which are dedicated to the history of Paris. And in the dining room, you can admire images on the walls and ceiling that celebrate French agriculture. The Gallery is dominated by themes glorifying fine arts, crafts, science and literature. In the Ballroom, the walls and ceiling are also painted (mainly with allegorical images of spirits, flowers, music and dance), huge stained glass windows and numerous chandeliers attract attention.

On the second floor of the Hotel de Ville there is an extensive library, as well as the City Hall Archive, which contains important documents, the earliest of which date back to the mid-second half of the 19th century.

How to get there

Address: Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, Paris 75004
Telephone: +33 1 42 76 40 40
Website: paris.fr
Metro: Hotel de Ville
Bus: Hotel de Ville
Working hours: 8:00-19:30
Updated: 05/10/2019

Hotel de Ville- a complex of buildings where city authorities have been located since ancient times. It is located in the 4th arrondissement of the French capital and consists of the city hall itself and the square in front of it, also called Hotel de Ville.

The territory on which the square is located was previously called Place de Greve (la Greve), and since this place was located near the port and there was a town hall, the townspeople gathered in this square, and from here popular uprisings began and spread throughout the city. From 1310 to 1830 it was a place intended for the execution of criminals.

The City Hall is a majestic palace built in the neo-Renaissance style. The Hotel de Ville building serves several functions - this luxurious palace houses the city municipality and the prefecture of the Parisian department, and also serves for ceremonial receptions and other important events of the city.

On the right bank of the Seine, east of the town hall, there are two quarters that became the scene of the most important historical events. This is also the area adjacent to the Bastille.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 30.11.2015 17:06

The history of Paris begins with the Ile de la Cité, located on the Seine, where the ancient Romans founded the settlement of Lutetia. As the population grew, people from there began to move to the sandy right bank of the river. Opposite the island, the first Parisian square appeared, known to everyone under the name Greve Square (la Greve).

The guild of merchants that arose in the city began to actively develop this area, which, by the will of fate, became the center of Paris. Greve Square is divided into two unequal parts: the one close to the shore has become a river port (Port de Greve), the more distant one has become a gathering place for people seeking work, justice or simply a better life. It was called: “the place where people go on strike” (faire la greve).

Until the 13th century, the administration of Paris was concentrated in the hands of the viceroy of France, but then it passed to the guilds. The strongest among them - the merchants - decided to build a city administration building in the Grevskaya Square area.

History of the Hotel de Ville begins in 1357, when Etienne Marcel, a representative of the Parisian merchant nobility, by order of the city authorities, bought the so-called “House with Pilasters”, located on the right bank of the Seine and served for unloading river ships, and later annexed to the Place de Grève, which for a long time used for public executions. Since then, the city authorities of Paris have lived only in this place.

A few decades later, it was decided to build a new building instead of the existing building. The author of the project was the Italian Domenico Li Cortone, who proposed to build a house in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The merchants opposed this, and the next author of the project was the French architect Pierre Chambige, under whose auspices the construction of the new building began in 1533. The result of the fusion of two schools - the Italian Renaissance and French Gothic - was the city hall building that still stands today, Palace Hotel de Ville. True, the historical building has not been preserved - the palace was burned during the Paris Commune.

The reconstruction of the new city hall in the same place began 2 years later, and in 1882 its official opening took place. Externally, the building is a copy of the burnt town hall, but the internal design has undergone noticeable changes.

The Hôtel de Ville palace, whose beauty is admired by tourists all over the world, was designed by French architects Ballu and Deperthes, who decorated the façade and roof of the building with symbols of the largest cities in France and statues of 108 famous Parisians, including Molière, Voltaire, Eugene Sue, Charles Perrault and the Cardinal Richelieu. Also on the central tower of the facade you can see an ancient clock surrounded by female figures symbolizing Work, Education and other virtues. In the square at the entrance, visitors are greeted by sculptures of Art and Science.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 24.01.2016 11:00

The Town Hall attracts attention with the exquisite architecture of the new building Hotel de Ville: This is a powerful original structure with a turret in the center and domes on the truncated pyramids of the various pavilions. Its main facade is decorated with 136 statues installed in niches, they depict:

great French figures of history, science and culture
symbols of major cities in France
allegorical images of morality and vices

An ancient clock is installed on the central tower of the building, surrounded by female and male figures. At the main entrance there are statues symbolizing art and science.

The eastern façade is decorated with 4 bronze lions, and on the south side terrace there is an equestrian statue of Etienne Marcel, the head of Parisian merchants and the instigator of the unrest that engulfed the city in the 14th century. In the center of the courtyard is another interesting bronze work - Mercier's "Glory to Victory".

The interior decoration of the palace corresponds to the pompous and luxurious Empire style - with painted ceilings, bright stained glass windows, frescoes, antique furniture and multi-tiered crystal chandeliers. The authors of the artistic design of the interior spaces are the most famous French painters of the 19th century.

Particularly noteworthy is the Fetes hall for banquets and balls - a copy of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles - with an interior decorated with gold and paintings by Moreau and Benjamin Constant. Official receptions and meetings of foreign guests take place within its walls. On the ceiling of the hall are written three words that mean so much to every Frenchman - “Freedom. Equality. Brotherhood" is the motto of the French Republic.

Other halls Hotel de Ville correspond to the basic ideas and aesthetic requirements of the Third Republic - the painting on the ceiling and walls of the dining room glorifies the work of peasants and is dedicated to agriculture, in the Salon des Arkades they found an artistic embodiment of the idea of the development of crafts, science and literature, and in the salon des Arts you can admire the painting “Triumph” by Leon Bonneau arts". In addition, the building houses a huge library.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 24.01.2016 11:09

Today Hotel de Ville is one of the most visited attractions in Paris, which is facilitated by the beauty of the building itself and the presence within walking distance of other places no less significant for tourists, in particular. All the main tourist routes of the city pass through the Hotel de Ville square, which is how the Place de Greve became known after the overthrow of royal power.

City events and events are regularly held here. It could be a beautiful flower exhibition, a folk festival, or another strike.

What to see at the Hotel de Ville

Chamber of Consuls- meeting place for representatives of municipal authorities. It was here that the fate of the city was decided more than once during the centuries-old history of Paris.