Archives Nationales

The National Archives heritage complex comprises former residences of the ancien régime, including the Hôtel de Rohan, which has been undergoing restoration since 2011.

Site History

The French National Archives has been located since 1808 at the Hôtel de Soubise, a former princely palace renowned for its rococo-style decor. The Hôtel de Soubise was the starting point for the institution’s expansion in the heart of the Marais to form the quadrilatère des Archives nationales. This unique heritage complex is made up primarily of residences from the ancien régime acquired gradually to meet the needs of the state: the Hôtel d’Assy, acquired in 1842; the Hôtel de Fontenay, in 1949; the Hôtel de Jaucourt, in 1962; and the Hôtel de Rohan, the former palace of the Cardinals of Rohan, built in the 18th century and assigned to the National Archives in 1928, after having been used for 120 years by the national printing office.

About the Project

Since 2011, the Ministry of Culture and the National Archives have been engaged in an ambitious project to rehabilitate the Hôtel de Rohan, ultimately allowing the return to the public of exceptional interior decorations from the Louis XV period. The building’s sumptuous salons, which have been closed for 20 years, will soon be fully restored in order to welcome the public. The FHS-funded restoration concerns the Cabinet des Singes, which features panels painted by Christophe Huet (1700–1759), who was famous for his monkey paintings, known as singeries.

The Archives Nationales Today

The French National Archives houses one of the world’s largest and oldest archival collections. It operates from two sites in the Paris area: the historic quadrilatère in the Marais and the newer site in the suburb of Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, which opened in 2013. The Musée des Archives nationales, located in the Hôtel de Soubise, displays a rotating selection of documents from the Archives.