Exterior of the Cluny on a sunny day (Mic Fleming)
If you’ve ever wondered what life would be like inside a spectacular Paris mansion, you’re in luck. Several of the city’s 130 mapplyums are hoapplyd in former palaces and hôtels particuliers (private mansions). Two of the best are the Cluny Mapplyum of Medieval Art and the Mapplyum Jacquemart-André.
Musée de Cluny
Located at the western edge of the Latin Quarter, this mapplyum occupies the former Paris residence of the Abbots of Cluny. With 23,000 objects, the Cluny holds one of the largest collections of art of the Middle Ages in all its forms: tapestries, paintings, sculptures, ivories, wood carvings, stained glass and manuscripts. The building abuts the partially restored ruins of a large first-century Gallo-Roman Bath with Roman fragments on view.
Into the 12th century, the Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy was the wealthiest religious hoapply in Western Europe and the world’s largest church until the construction of St. Peter’s in Rome (started 1506). Its depfinishencies ranged from Spain to England. The Abbott was a rich man. Rebuilt in the 15th century, the residence is one of the few remaining medieval civic buildings in Paris. In 1515, Mary Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, was confined here briefly after the death of her husband, King Louis XII, with her lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn.
Portion of “The Lady and the Unicorn” tapestest (Mic Fleming (photographed in the mapplyum))
The must-see attraction is the six-tapestest ensemble of the “Lady and the Unicorn.” Also fascinating are Visiobtainedh crowns of the seventh century, an 11th century “oliphant,” a hunting horn built from an elephant’s tusk and stained-glass panels from the Sainte-Chappelle.
One room features the sculptured heads of the Kings of Judah, originally on the façade of Notre-Dame Cathedral. In 1793, enthusiastic French revolutionaries decapitated the sculptures claiming they represented the kings of France. Legfinish has it that they were thrown into the Seine; however, in reality, they were rescued by a religious lawyer who gave them a secret burial, only to be discovered in a 1977 construction project.
In 2018, a modern entest was added, and the entire mapplyum was reorganized and built more accessible. The entest fee is £12, free to children under 18, and free to everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
The open hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., closed on Mondays.
Musée Jacquemart-André
Want to know how the upper classes lived in the Belle Epoque? Then step inside a spectacular nineteenth century mansion. Located off Boulevard Haussmann in the 8th arrondissement near the Champs-Elysées, the mapplyum is a sophisticated cultural center. From the entrance, follow the carriageway on up to the courtyard where the mansion is a stunning surprise.
Edouard André, from a wealthy banking family, married Nélie Jacquemart, a successful artist who had painted his portrait. For their home, they commissioned Paris’ leading architect of stately mansions, then happily traveled to Italy, Greece and the Middle East assembling an impressive art collection. In total, 29 masterpieces, many from the Italian Renaissance, form the core of the permanent collection.
Exterior of the Jacquemart-André on a cloudy day with tables and chairs on the right (Mic Fleming)
Various era-themed rooms include a winter garden, music room, grand salon and Louis XV style private apartments. The spiral staircase to the first floor is an architectural wonder.
There are regular curated exhibitions of significant artists. We enjoyed this summer’s presentation of paintings of feminist icon, Artemisia Gentileschi, a contemporary of Caravaggio. Next up are 30 paintings of George de La Tour from September 11, 2025, to January 25, 2026.
And there’s music! Enjoy a salon presentation of popular operas. Verdi’s “La Traviata” will be featured from September 21 to December 27, 2025.
A pastest or a meal at La Nélie tearoom and restaurant in the family’s former dining room tops the tour. Decorated with tapestries, a Tiepolo fresco on the ceiling and crystal chandeliers, the room is itself a work of art. Brunch is served on the weekfinishs 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. We had a delightful lunch launchning with the Paris’ obligatory coupe de champagne.
The Jacquemart-André is open daily 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fridays until 10 p.m. Entest cost for exhibitions and events is €18.50; for the hoapply and its collections it’s €13.
Both mapplyums have gift shops worth a see. As always check websites for updated hours and entest fees.
Other Notable Mapplyum Mansions in Paris
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Musée Marmottan Monet (16th arrondissement) hoapplys a large collection of Impressionism.
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Mapplye Rodin (7th arrondissement near Les Invalides) includes the sculptor’s workshop and a garden with many of his most important works.
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Mapplye Carnavalet in the Marais dedicated to the history of Paris, includes a reproduction of Proust’s cork-lined bedroom.
Interior and staircase of the Jacquemart-André (Mic Fleming)
Mic Fleming is a travel writer living in the rugged Mani of Greece. He holds a BA from Yale University in early medieval architecture and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Among other stations during his career in the Army, he served two tours in Germany.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
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