Hôtel de Ville

Description

Hôtel de Ville, the city hall of #Paris, has stood on the same site since 1357, when the municipality bought the "House of Pillars" on Place de Grève. In 1533, Francis I commissioned a grand renaissance replacement, designed by Boccador and Pierre Chambiges, with construction starting in 1535 and completed under Henry IV and Louis XIII. This French Renaissance building, inspired by Loire châteaux, featured light-filled spaces, refined details, and a central façade that served as the backdrop for key events like the French Revolution murders and Robespierre's arrest. Expanded in the 1830s with added wings, it was destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune's final days in May 1871, which also burned most city archives. Rebuilt 1874-1882 by Théodore Ballu and Édouard Deperthes, the current structure faithfully replicates the original renaissance exterior, now larger, with a 143m-long main façade, ornate pavilions, statues of famous Parisians, and elaborate statuary, while featuring a completely modern, opulent 19th-century interior with grand ceremonial rooms.