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St-Gervais-St-Protais faces onto the rear of the Hôtel de Ville or City Hall. This ornate building is home to Paris’ city council, and is a 19th-century reconstruction of the 17th-century City Hall that burnt down during the Paris Commune of 1871. Its massive bulk is elaborately decorated with carved stonework and decorative statues and overlooks a vast pedestrian square. The building is particularly impressive at night when lit up. The square was originally the city’s main execution ground. It is also where King Henri IV’s assassin François Ravaillac was quartered alive, with his body being ripped to pieces by four horses.
The interior of the Hôtel de Ville contains an impressive staircase as well as a huge ballroom, known as the Salle des Fêtes. Adjoining salons have decorative schemes devoted to science, literature and the arts. These are not usually open to the public but it is possible to see them during some of France’s national holidays or on group visits. Certain parts of the building are also used for temporary exhibitions, usually on themes relating to France.
Hôtel de Ville
Opening times: Groups, by appointment only
Link to the Beaubourg walk: Follow rue de Rivoli away from the front of the Hôtel de Ville and turn right onto rue St-Martin.
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