Intro English

With its simple, elegant design, the Hôtel de Noailles has been the most important aristocratic building in Saint-Germain-en-Laye since its construction, both in terms of scale and prestige. In the 18th century, at a time when the royal château was largely neglected by the court, the house was the seat of the captain-governor of the châteaux, gardens, parks, forests, plains, garennes and hunting grounds of Saint-Germain in the broadest sense of the term. The captaincy itself covered 90,000 hectares from Massy to Mantes, and the governor exercised authority over the towns of Saint-Germain, Le Vésinet, Poissy and Maisons. The house was visited by three kings, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI, as well as two future presidents of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams.

When Gisèle and Roger Brissard took possession of the apartment on the first floor of the south wing in 1990, they undertook the complete restoration of the historic interiors, and contributed to the restoration of the exterior façade. They filled the house with furnishings and decor that they felt were in harmony with the spirit of this historic site. For twenty years, they also organized concerts that attracted a loyal, music-loving audience twice a year.

Françoise Brissard opened house and garden to the public for the first time on July 14, 2010. Through her visits, she  aimed to offer a lively and familiar introduction to a number of historical figures, the fundamentals of classical architecture, and the evolution of taste and garden design.