House of Breteuil

The Pavillon of Breteuil to Sevres (Hauts-de-Seine) is old a trianon Château of Saint-Cloud (destroyed today). It shelters since 1875 the International office of the weights and measures (BIPM).

The origin of the house of Breteuil goes back to the trianon built by the architect Thomas Gobert for Mister, duke of Orleans, creator of the field of Saint-Cloud. The building was inaugurated by Louis XIV in 1672. Nevertheless, an engraving of 1674 watch that on this date, the building, still asymmetrical, was not completed. It was finished with the beginning of the year 1680 and was used, starting from this date, like house of festivals. It overhung a terrace which exists still nowadays and a ground in steep slope going down to the Venus fountain, created in 1673 by André Ours in the center of the “Large Floor” (disappeared today together).

Under the regency of Philippe of Orleans, Trianon was transformed into hermitage and took the name of “House of the Email” under Louis of Orleans (1703-1752). In 1743, this one made it alter for the marriage of his/her son Louis Philippe of Orleans (1725-1785), duke of Chartres, and the princess Louise Henriette of Bourbon-Conti (1726 - 1759), then it made of it the residence of the abbot of Breteuil, chancellor of the house of Orleans.

In 1785, a nephew of this last, the baron de Breteuil, Minister for the House of the King of Louis XVI, successfully negotiated the repurchase by the king of the field of Saint-Cloud and, in thanks, was authorized to establish its residence with the House of the Email which took from now on the name of “House of Breteuil”.

This one was confiscated like national good in 1793. When the baron de Breteuil returned from emigration in 1802, it tried, but without success, to obtain the restitution from it. Occupied by the army in 1799, the house had been seriously damaged. Napoleon i, which made of Saint-Cloud his favorite residence, made it restore and to transform and gave him the aspect which it preserved until today. It accommodated in 1807 Jerome Bonaparte, king de Westphalie, and his wife Catherine of Wurtemberg then, in 1810, Caroline Murat, queen of Naples and, in 1811, Louis Bonaparte, king de Hollande and his young person wire, the future Napoleon III.

Into 1814, the house was transformed by the architect the Father for the count d' Artois so that this last could take showers there. It was seriously damaged by the Prussian . Work of restoration were begun in 1817. But the final destination of the building was the object of long hesitations. It was placed at the disposal of the Minister of Justice, the count de Serre (1820 - 1822), of the Viscount of Agoult, recently appointed governor of the castle of Saint-Cloud (1822), of the duke of Blacas d' Aulps, first gentleman of the Room (1823 - 1824), of Marshal, governor provisional of the castle (1830 - 1831), of the duke of Castries, governor of the Château of Meudon (1831), of the count de Montalivet, intendant of the civil list (1842 - 1848).

After the fall of the Monarchy of July in 1848, the House of Breteuil affected to the public Ministry of Labor which on several occasions tried to rent the property, was described like “a dwelling of pleasure with gardens and dependences”. The princess Mathilde rented it every summer of 1849 with 1853.

In 1870, a few months before the fall of the Second Empire, Napoleon III had given his agreement for the installation of an observatory of astrophysics to the House of Breteuil. This one was seriously damaged by French shells at the time of the head office of Paris. It was in ruins in 1875 when the French government offered the site to the International committee of the weights and measures to install there the International office of the weights and measures, established by the Convention of the Meter, signed in Paris on May 20th, 1875. Restored, the building was brought into service in 1884 and increased in 1929.

External bonds

Historical very complete on the site of the BIPM

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