Hotel de Sens, Paris

Built between 1474 and 1519 as a home for the bishop Tristan de Salazar, Hôtel de Sens is one of the three original medieval residences left in Paris. The building's mixed architectural design reveals transitions that had taken place between the Medieval and Renaissance epochs, primarily showing elements of a Gothic-style fortification structure. It has turrets for observing the surrounding area, a square tower that once served as a dungeon, and an arched entryway with built-in slopping passages from where boiling hot oil could be poured upon would-be attackers.

On a different note, in 1605, Queen Margot, the ex-wife of King Henri IV of Navarre, settled in this house. Eccentric by nature and with a taste for lavish lifestyle, she reportedly indulged herself in numerous love affairs and is said to have gathered her lovers' hair to make wigs that she later sported.

Sold off in 1797, the property was badly mutilated during the 19th century and subdivided for a multitude of uses. After the French Revolution (which left it with a cannonball still lodged in its wall), the building was occupied by art students and, at some point, turned into a jam factory. After decades of public pressure, it was saved from destruction by the city government, which undertook an ambitious restoration program from 1933 to 1961.

As we see it now, the building is largely a reconstitution of the original, based on drawings from the 17th century. The main staircase tower, however, is original, as is the wonderfully picturesque entrance front. Despite its somewhat fanciful restoration, the Hôtel de Sens remains an evocative remnant of medieval Paris. Presently, it is home to the Forney Library, which specializes in decorative and fine arts and industrial techniques.

On your tour of Paris, make sure to stop by and admire this medieval residence's elegant formal gardens and dramatic design. Sit down on one of the garden benches and relax, detached from the nearby hectic city life. It's a lovely place to take a little picnic lunch before continuing your Marais exploration.