Hôtel de Comans d'Astry

Hôtel de Comans d'Astry stands at 18 quai de Béthune on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, and it counts among the finest surviving 17th-century townhouses on the island.

What kind of building is this

Despite the word "hôtel" in its name, this is not a place to book a room — it's a "hôtel particulier," the French term for a grand private townhouse built for a wealthy owner rather than for public lodging. Construction ran from 1644 to 1647, right as developers were carving up the former Île Notre-Dame (merged with Île aux Vaches to form today's Île Saint-Louis) into prime waterfront plots for aristocrats and affluent Parisians. The commissioning patron was Thomas de Comans d'Astry, a royal household steward and counselor, whose name the building still carries.

For decades, art historians debated the identity of the architect, with Pierre Le Muet frequently proposed. Later archival research by historian Alexandre Cojannot built a stronger case for Louis Le Vau — the architect behind much of Versailles — at least for the work carried out from 1645 onward. Scholars often cite the house as a telling example of how Parisian builders of the period absorbed and reworked Italian Palladian ideas for a French urban context.

Notable residents over the centuries

Ownership passed through several hands after the Comans family. One especially notable occupant was Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu and great-nephew of the famous cardinal, which is why the building sometimes appears under the combined name "hôtel de Comans d'Astry-Richelieu." Centuries later, in 1958, the novelist and poet Francis Carco — a chronicler of bohemian Montmartre — died within its walls.

Can visitors go inside

No — the building remains private property and today functions as residential apartments. There's no museum, ticket desk, or scheduled tour. What travelers can see is the exterior: the street facade, the carriage entrance, and, when the gate happens to be open, a glimpse of the inner courtyard. The entrance door and courtyard facades were listed as a monument historique back in 1926, and protection was extended to the grand vestibule and street facade in 1999.

Getting there and what's nearby

Quai de Béthune runs along the southern edge of Île Saint-Louis, facing the Seine and the Left Bank. The closest metro stops are Sully — Morland and Pont Marie, both on line 7, roughly a five- to ten-minute walk away across the Pont de Sully or Pont Marie. Since the building itself is only viewable from the street, most visitors fold it into a longer stroll around Île Saint-Louis — an island known for its quiet 17th-century streetscape and for Berthillon, one of the city's best-loved ice cream makers.

Late afternoon light works best for photographing the riverside facade, and early evening tends to be far quieter here than on the neighboring Île de la Cité, home to Notre-Dame cathedral.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hôtel de Comans d'Astry a hotel you can book a stay at? No. It's a 17th-century private mansion now divided into residential apartments. "Hôtel" here refers to a historic townhouse, not overnight accommodation.

Who designed the building? Attribution was long disputed, but research by historian Alexandre Cojannot points to Louis Le Vau as the architect responsible for the work from 1645 onward.

Can the interior be visited? No, it's private property. Visitors can only view the street facade, entrance gate, and occasionally the courtyard from outside.

What's the easiest way to get there? Take metro line 7 to Sully — Morland or Pont Marie, then walk five to ten minutes across the bridge onto Île Saint-Louis.