Hotel de Cluny, Paris, France, 1485

An example of the combination of Renaissance and Gothic architecture can be seen in Hotel de Cluny. Located in Paris, France, this site also goes by the name of Musee de Cluny as well as Musee National du Moyen Age. 

Remains of the Baths

Originally, the land that Hotel de Cluny sits on was once the Roman Baths of Cluny. However, not much remained after barbaric invasions of 285 AD. In 1334, King Philippe Auguste sold the ruins of the Roman baths to Pierre de Chalus, the Bishop of Cluny in Burgundy. Pierre de Chalus then used the land to build a complex to accommodate his abbots when they visited Paris. Despite its name, the building is not a hotel exactly. It followed more along the lines of a mansion. 1

After about one hundred years, the complex was taken over by Jacques d’Amboise who was the bishop of Clermont at the time. He used Hotel de Cluny as his residence and took the opportunity to rebuild it with Gothic and Renaissance elements in 1485. This version of Hotel de Cluny is what stands today in Paris’s 5th arrondissement next to the Sorbonne University in the heart of the Latin Quarter. 3

Plan of the Hotel Complex

When d’Amboise rebuilt Hotel de Cluny, he reused the ruins of the baths as much as he could by incorporating it into the foundation. This is always admirable because it is combining old architecture and new architecture in one building. In fact, visitors to Hotel de Cluny can view the ruins of the Roman baths (which date back to the 3rd century) from the top of the complex. 2

Interior view of the hotel complex

Both exterior and interior of Hotel de Cluny is truly amazing and it remains an outstanding example of civic architecture in medieval Paris. Some notable features of the complex include the stair tower, mullion windows and woodwork of the main facade. The roof is also a magnificent piece as well. It is embellished with carved friezes and elaborate gargoyles. In addition, the dormer windows are carved with the emblem of the Abbots of Cluny. 

During the revolution, Hotel de Cluny was declared state property. Then, Alexandre du Sommerard decided to rent the mansion to move his personal collection. When he passed away in 1843, the state took ownership of his large collection of medieval and Renaissance objects and decided to open a public museum. Since then to present day, Hotel de Cluny is a museum that houses a variety of magnificent medieval artifacts, including items from the 7th and 8th centuries. 2

The Dame a la Licorne Tapestry

One of the more well known pieces in the museum is called “The Dame a la Licorne” which translate to The Lady and the Unicorn. It is tapestry that consists of six scenes which cover the walls of an entire room. The scenes include a lady, a unicorn and a lion and the backgrounds are filled with woodland creatures, plants and flowers, making it a stunning landscape. Since this tapestry is so important, it is displayed in the museum in an exhibition room that has dim lights and sophisticated humidity control. 

Works Cited

1 Anderson, Christy. Renaissance Architecture. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.

2 "Musée De Cluny - Top Museums in Paris." World Top Top. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

3 Rudolph, Conrad. A Companion to Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic in Northern Europe. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006. Print.