The Musée Carnavalet is a must-visit if you wish to dive into the historical past of Paris. Even higher? It’s free. This museum is a journey by means of time, spanning antiquity, Roman Paris, the French Revolution, and proper as much as as we speak.
It’s additionally one among my favourite spots within the metropolis. Each go to reveals one thing new. The gathering is so huge and well-curated that no two visits really feel the identical.
On this information, I’ll take you thru the highlights of this historic gem.
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A Hôtel Particulier with Historical past
The Musée Carnavalet is housed in two grand mansions, together with the Hôtel de Sévigné, as soon as house to Madame de Sévigné, well-known for her sharp, witty letters about Versailles life.
Nevertheless it’s not nearly her. The Marais was the place to be for the French the Aristocracy lengthy earlier than the Revolution. Within the thirteenth century, Charles I of Anjou moved in, setting the pattern for hundreds of years. Each French king after him saved at the very least one residence right here.
That led to 1789. After the Revolution, these mansions sat empty. Many have been later repurposed into museums, libraries, and galleries. Right this moment, Carnavalet is among the best—a noble property was Paris’s final historical past museum.
Tip: In the event you want a break, try the museum’s pop-up restaurant. It’s set in a phenomenal backyard, and the cooks change frequently—generally even well-known TV cooks take over the kitchen. However test forward earlier than your go to, because it’s not all the time open.
The Museum: What to Count on
The Musée Carnavalet is the place to grasp Paris and its historical past. It takes you thru the town’s previous in a manner that makes it rapid and actual.
The gathering spans each period, from Roman settlers to the Center Ages, then onto the writers and artists who formed fashionable Paris. Reconstructed rooms, work, sculptures, maps, and on a regular basis objects carry all of it to life.
An enormous a part of the museum focuses after all on the French Revolution. You’ll see it unfold by means of portraits, artifacts, and symbols of the time. It’s the most effective locations to know how Paris lived by means of these chaotic years.
Consider it as a crash course in Parisian historical past—with out the boring components.
Right here’s a stroll by means of its key sections:
Antiquity & Roman Occasions
The journey begins with prehistory, when the primary indicators of human settlement in Paris appeared round 8000 BC. Instruments, bones, and pottery give a glimpse into how early inhabitants lived alongside the Seine.
Then comes the Roman period—when Paris was nonetheless Lutetia. The Romans arrived in 52 BC, reworking the settlement with baths, temples, and an amphitheater.
The museum holds a powerful assortment from this time, together with sculptures, mosaics, and on a regular basis objects that present what life was like in historic Paris.
Roman ruins and mosaics spotlight the grandeur of Lutetia. Search for stone carvings from the Thermes de Cluny and a scale mannequin of the Roman metropolis, giving a way of how Paris as soon as appeared underneath Roman rule.
The Center Ages (Moyen Âge)
The Medieval part traces Paris from the fifth to the fifteenth century, exhibiting its transformation after the Roman period.
You’ll discover fragments of the outdated metropolis partitions, spiritual sculptures, stained-glass, and on a regular basis objects like cash and pottery.
Maps and fashions reveal how the town grew round Île de la Cité, whereas Gothic sculptures and architectural items provide a glimpse into now misplaced buildings.
What I like most are the work from this period. They convey every thing collectively—the artifacts, the objects, after which a visible document of every day life. It makes it simple to think about how individuals lived again then, particularly alongside the Seine.
The Renaissance to the 18th Cenutry
Throughout the Renaissance, Paris turned a metropolis of luxurious and energy and the musuem has fairly a little bit of it on show. Particularly for those who love 18th-century furnishings, you received’t be disenchanted.
A number of rooms are furnished with beautiful items from ornate desks to gilded chairs.
The Hôtel Carnavalet itself was house to Madame de Sévigné, and a number of other of her portraits, furnishings, and private belongings are on show. You’ll additionally discover two rooms within the Louis XV type and even a coiffeuse as soon as utilized by Marie Antoinette.
The French Revolution
An enormous a part of the Musée Carnavalet is devoted to the French Revolution. In the event you’re fascinated by historical past, this part is a must-see. The museum traces the occasions of the time, main as much as the beheadings of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
The story unfolds by means of work, political posters, and revolutionary artifacts. You’ll see gadgets from the Bastille, guillotine blades, and detailed maps that carry the chaos of the period to life.
My favourite items? The earrings depicting the beheaded King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Darkish, however fascinating.
I additionally love her slippers and the haunting portray of her closing stroll to the guillotine. These objects make historical past really feel actual.
Trendy Occasions
This part exhibits how Paris turned the town we all know as we speak. The museum covers Artwork Nouveau, the Common Expositions, and the rise of contemporary structure.
You’ll discover artifacts from the Expo Universelle, together with items associated to the development of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.
One absolute masterpiece? A completely preserved Artwork Nouveau Bijouterie. With its intricate woodwork and flowing designs, it’s a real marvel of the period and created by essentially the most well-known artist of this motion: Alfons Mucha.
It’s fascinating how this a part of the exposition within the Musée Carnavalet feels nearer and extra acquainted. In spite of everything, the Eiffel Tower nonetheless stands in Paris, and the Statue of Liberty nonetheless in New York.
However seeing these icons as a part of a continuum by means of time, somewhat than fastened monuments, makes you notice how every thing is linked. It’s a complete new manner to take a look at historical past.
Conclusion
The Musée Carnavalet is Paris in a single place and one of many unmissable sights in Paris.
From its earliest settlers to the grandeur of the Renaissance, the chaos of the Revolution, and the rise of contemporary Paris, the museum traces the town’s whole story.
Whether or not you’re keen on historical past, structure, or on a regular basis objects that carry the previous to life, this museum has one thing for you.
And the most effective half? It’s a very free exercise in Paris. If you wish to perceive Paris past its landmarks, Carnavalet is the place to begin.
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Accomodation:
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- Trip Leases by means of Airbnb or VRBO
Excursions & Points of interest:
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- Museum & Landmark tickets may be cheaper on the official web page, however they’re usually offered out.
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Should-Haves for Paris:
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