A mansion built on salt
The Hôtel Salé, on rue de Thorigny, was built between 1656 and 1660 by the architect Jean Boullier de Bourges for Pierre Aubert de Fontenay, a collector of the gabelle, the salt tax. Parisians nicknamed it "Hôtel Salé" ("salted") after the fortune they credited to that tax, and the name stuck.
From residence to museum
The mansion housed the Venetian ambassador (1668-1670), a marshal of France, then the Juigné family until the Revolution, and in the 19th century the École centrale des arts et manufactures. The City of Paris became its owner in 1964. When Picasso died in 1973, his heirs paid the inheritance tax in works of art: the settlement was ratified in 1979. The architect Roland Simounet transformed the mansion from 1976 to 1985, and the museum opened in 1985.
What you will see
The museum holds more than 5,000 works by Picasso (paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, ceramics) and a very large archive. After a renovation that began in 2009, it reopened in October 2014 with the whole building given over to exhibitions. You follow the artist from one period to the next in the rooms of this baroque mansion.
Preparing your visit
- Keep time for the building itself: the staircase and the courtyard are worth a look.
- The Carnavalet Museum and Victor Hugo's house fit into the same day.
- For the rest of the day, see our one-day route through Le Marais.
Why Hôtel de la Herse d'Or is the best base to visit the Picasso Museum
From 20 rue Saint-Antoine, you reach the Picasso Museum on foot through Le Marais, via Place des Vosges (100 m). You keep Bastille, 200 m away, for the evening, and Notre-Dame and the Louvre, under 20 minutes on foot, for the next day. Luggage can be left at the front desk, open 24 hours a day.
Good to know. Opening hours, prices and booking rules change: check the museum's official website before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Hôtel Salé called that?
Parisians nicknamed it after the fortune of its owner, Pierre Aubert de Fontenay, a collector of the gabelle, the salt tax.
When did the Picasso Museum open?
It opened in 1985 in the Hôtel Salé, on rue de Thorigny, and reopened in October 2014 after renovation.