election of the most beautiful private mansions in Paris
Paris boasts an extremely prestigious real estate market. As part of this luxury offer, private mansions stand out with their beautiful architecture and refined interior decor. The French capital counts about 2,000 of them nowadays, 400 of which are open to the public. Discover the most beautiful private hotels in the City of Lights thanks to Michael Zingraf Real Estate.
Salé Hotel – Now the Picasso Museum
The Salé Hotel is considered by specialists as one of the most extraordinary private mansions from the 17th century. Built upon initiative from Pierre Aubert, one of Fouquet’s protégés and the future owner, this stunning building has a typical Mazarin-style architecture, highlighting the Italian baroque era. It has a two main buildings (double series of adjoining rooms), whose volumes are now back to their original size. The main staircase, which was entirely restored, is the house’s true masterpiece.
La Païva Hotel
Built along the Champs-Elysées between 1856 and 1865, the private La Païva mansion was formerly famous for its lavish parties. Built for Ester Lachman (nicknamed La Païva), the mansion was designed by the architect Pierre Manguin in an Italian Renaissance style with a hanging garden. The sumptuous building kept its wide yellow onyx staircase, sculptures of Dante, Virgile and Plutarque, as well as its allegoric wall paintings, Moor-inspired bathroom (with a silver bathtub) and its large lounge decorated by Paul Baudry and Eugène Delapalanche.
Biron Hotel – Now the Rodin Museum
The private Biron mansion was built in 1727 by the famous architect Jean Aubert. Located Rue de Varenne in a stunning 3-hectare park, the imposing mansion was designed based on the formerly trendy rococo architectural style. The mansion was classified as a historical monument in 1926, before undergoing major renovation and refurbishment work. Its elegant rooms are now home to works by Rodin and Camille Claudel - as well as antiques originating from the sculptor’s personal collections.
Donon Hotel – Now the Cognacq-Jay Museum
This majestic private mansion dates back to the 16th century and is located in the Marais area (3rd arrondissement). Its high roofs and perfect architectural unity make it characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment. Inside, the mansion houses a fabulous loft that looks like an upturned ship, where exhibitions are now held. Entirely restored to welcome a museum in 1990, the mansion preserved all its woodwork in the ground-floor rooms. Now, each room has its own period furniture and precious objects.
Angoulême Lamoignon Hotel – Now Paris’ historical city Library
Erected towards the end of the Renaissance period for Diane of France, the Lamoignon Hotel was rehabilitated by Guillaume I of Lamoignon (a famous Parliamentarian) during the 17th century, and it remained in his family until 1774. The edifice is one of the best examples in Paris of typical Renaissance private mansions, and one of the first to have used the giant order: Corinthian pilasters are fitted on the building’s first two floors.
Prestigious private mansion sales in Paris
Michael Zingraf Real Estate agencies regularly list private mansions for sale in the capital’s most prestigious neighbourhoods. Browse through our offers online, and find the property of your dreams! We have listings for exceptional properties in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 16th and 17th arrondissements in Paris.