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| Essential
Architecture- Paris Hotel de Beauvais |
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architect |
Antoine le Pautre |
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location |
68 rue Francois Miron, Paris, France |
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date |
1656 |
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style |
Eclectic NeoClassical |
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construction |
masonry |
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type |
Town House (hôtel) |
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| The HOTEL DE BEAUVAIS, at 68, in the same street, built for the Baronne de Beauvais in 1655. Catherine originally sold ribbons and, for reasons unclear, she became lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne d'Autriche, Louis XIII's wife. Worried about the impact of her husband's disinterest in the sex on their son, Anne seems to have confided in Catherine, which was a very ugly woman (nicknamed one-eyed Katie). Catherine didn't allow grass to grow over things and took things in her own hands (if we might say so :-):-)). She deflowered the young prince, queen Anne was ecstatic and rewarded the Beauvais like a queen would do: Pierre, the husband got a baronetcy, and Katie was enabled to build this townhouse known today as Hotel de Beauvais. Stones originally set for the Louvre were diverted to build the house, which annoyed the cardinal de Richelieu, who happened to be also the lover of Queen Anne. Have a peek in the courtyard and notice the lion heads sculpted on a cornice, alternating with horned ram's heads. For the later anecdote, notice that a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 7 years old, stayed here for several months. | |
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links |
Special thanks to www.jack-travel.com |
| www.essential-architecture.com | |