Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine: Hôtel de Talleyrand

During the European Heritage Days, we visited an historic building not far from our apartment--the Hôtel de Talleyrand.  We have walked by the building many times during our stays in Paris but never had the opportunity to visit until now.  

The Hôtel de Talleyrand is located next to the Tuileries Garden and the Place de la Concorde.  Completed as a private mansion in 1769, the building's history is long and illustrious:

• Home to the Count of Florentin, one of Louis XV's ministers
• Later, home to French diplomat Talleyrand, who negotiated the return of the French Bourbon kings following Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo
• Later, the home of the Paris branch of the Rothschild family
• Following WWII, the building was home to the Marshall Plan, then the U.S. NATO delegation and then offices of the U.S. Embassy

Today, the Hôtel de Talleyrand has two tenants--a U.S. law firm and the Centre George C. Marshall.  

Over the centuries and recent decades, the Hôtel de Talleyrand has been the site of many formal and informal diplomatic affairs, including Talleyrand's many activities as minister of foreign affairs for successive French governments, the informal diplomacy of the Rothschild family and the diplomatic activities of the U.S.  Throughout, one constant has been food, la diplomatie culinaire.  Cuisine, especially French cuisine, has been used to foster discussion and agreement.  The building has been the scene of countless diplomatic dinners.   

When we toured the Hôtel de Talleyrand, the visit included a live exhibition in celebration of la diplomatie culinaire.  Pastry chefs from Le Cordon Bleu were busy creating macarons.  Sadly, visitors were not allowed to taste.

Several U.S. Presidents have attended state dinners there, including President and Mrs. Kennedy.  Below is a menu from a 1978 state dinner attended by President Carter and French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing (held at Versailles, not at Talleyrand).  If you look closely, you might notice something interesting about the menu that was on display when we visited the Hôtel de Talleyrand.

Did you notice that the cover of the menu is an original work by artist Marc Chagall?

The George C. Marshall Center is housed in the Hôtel de Talleyrand.  Originally used for managing the Marshall Plan, today the center is used for official conferences and receptions.  We toured the restored rooms, which were luxurious.    

Marie-Chantal (who is pictured below) especially liked the 18th century Turkish bed above.  She asked if the room can be rented on Airbnb.  No such luck.

Thanks for visiting the Hôtel de Talleyrand with us.

Next Up:  Let's head over to the Palais Royal.