"Hôtel de Ville" means City Hall, or Mayor's Office. Every municipality in France has its hôtel de ville—although not nearly as nice as the one in Paris. As part of the Heritage Days program, where during one weekend in September people have the opportunity to visit usually off-limit places in Paris, we had the chance to visit the Hôtel de Ville.
In the mid-1500s King Francis I decided to build a city hall worthy of Paris. It was designed in the Renaissance style, and was only fully completed in the early 1600s, during the reign of Louis XIII. In 1835 the two wings were added to the main building. The building was destroyed by fire in 1871 during the Paris Commune and was rebuilt in its original style.
Hundreds of statues of famous Parisians decorate the building's facades. Ornate sculptures representing the Seine River, the city of Paris, Work, and Education, adorn the clock at the top of the central tower. Out in front, on both sides of the ceremonial door under the clock, are two other stunning sculptures, allegorical figures of Art and Science. In my opinion it's one of the most beautiful and sumptuous buildings in Paris.
The interior is equally magnificent (the building is also used as a venue for large official receptions). Most of the tour was on the second floor, where we got to see the Salle des Fêtes (ballroom and adjacent banquet hall), with its painted ceilings and walls, stained glass windows, and chandeliers everywhere.
We also had time to visit the city council's meeting room and the library on the third floor before realizing by the look on the kids' faces that they had had enough.
