Located in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, the Saint James is the architectural epitome of a private mansion. In fact, it’s nearly a castle. You enter through a stone gate and proceed down a grand driveway leading to a circular courtyard. Facing you is a stately home with a monumental façade flanked by stone balustrades and wrought-iron balconies. To the rear, hidden from view, lies a landscaped garden adorned with a fountain, trees, and flowers.

As a testament to their prestigious past, some private mansions have counted illustrious figures among their guests. La Réserve Paris occupies a former mansion built in 1854 for the Duke of Morny, half-brother of Emperor Napoleon III. A politician, financier, and art collector, he was a major figure in the aristocratic circles of his time, whose salons were particularly coveted. He had this Haussmann-style property built just steps from the Champs-Élysées.

Another address once frequented by royalty, Le Pavillon De La Reine hosted Queen Anne of Austria in a former wing. The residence is located on the Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris, in the heart of the Marais district. Formerly named Place Royale, it was conceived by King Henri IV as a collection of private mansions surrounding a royal garden where the nobility would reside near the court.

While this address may not have hosted any royalty, it is nonetheless a museum piece. Relais Christine stands on the ruins of a medieval abbey in Paris’s 6th arrondissement, which included a school for young aristocratic women. After being seized and largely destroyed during the French Revolution, it was replaced by a private mansion. The abbey’s magnificently preserved ancient stone vaults now house the hotel’s Guerlain spa — a well-kept secret, framed by a paved courtyard and a 150m² garden.

Some Parisian private mansions played a central role in French cultural life, housing salons and intellectuals throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The last residence of Oscar Wilde, L’Hôtel occupies an illustrious address in Saint-Germain-des-Prés: that of the former residence of the Marquis de Sade. After its destruction, it was replaced by a small private mansion built in 1820, a later and more intimate interpretation of the style.

The Hôtel Particulier Montmartre is a bit like a contemporary version of an 18th-century salon. The property has been decorated in collaboration with various artists and regularly hosts Parisian creatives for events such as photo shoots, interviews, and film shoots. Built in the 19th century on the former site of the wild Maquis de Montmartre village, the house has belonged to illustrious families, including the Hermès family, who were captivated by its secret gardens in the heart of Montmartre.