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| Caisse d'Epargne de Paris |
Location: 19 Rue du Louvre
English translation
"In 1639, Noël de Bullion, Marquis de Gallardon, had a mansion built on this site, which Boffrand remodeled or rebuilt in 1730 for a tax farmer Barthélemy Thoinard de Vougy, nicknamed the “Harpagon of Finance”. Decidedly devoted to money, the building became the headquarters of the four Enfantin brothers' bank during the Directory and Empire periods, before housing the Paris Savings Bank (Caisse d'Epargne de Paris), founded in 1818, from December 8, 1844. In 1880, when the Rue du Louvre was opened, the portal was dismantled and reinstalled in line with the new street, while the façade of the right wing, cut at an angle, was partially rebuilt." (Translated by DeepL and ChatGPT)
Background notes
- Noël de Bullion (1615-1670) was the son of Claude de Bullion (1569-1640), a prominent French aristocrat and politician who served as Minister of Finance under Louis XIII. Noël inherited the title of Marquis of Gallardon from his father.
- Germain Boffrand (1667-1754), who rebuilt the mansion in 1730 and designed numerous buildings for the French aristocracy, was a prominent French architect and decorator of the early 18th century, known for his work in the Rococo style.
- Tax farmers were much despised private individuals who paid the government a fixed sum for the right to collect taxes, keeping any excess as profit. Barthélemy Thoinard de Vougy for whom the mansion was rebuilt in 1730, was one such tax farmer. His nickname "Harpagon of Finance" refers to the miserly character in Molière's comedy L'Avare (The Miser), suggesting that Thoinard de Vougy was known for extreme frugality or greed in financial matters.
- The building became the headquarters of the four Enfantin brothers' bank during the Directory and Empire periods. The Directory period (1795–1799) followed the Reign of Terror, during which a five-member government sought to stabilise France after the chaos of the Revolution. However, it struggled with political instability, economic difficulties, and military challenges. The period ended with the collapse of the Directory, leading to Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power and the establishment of the Consulate in 1799. The Empire period (1804–1814, 1815) began when Napoleon declared himself Emperor of France. During this time, Napoleon transformed France into a powerful empire and expanded his control over much of Europe through military conquest.
- The Caisse d'Epargne de Paris was founded in 1818 (at the time of the Bourbon restoration of the monarchy) by a group of financiers, social reformers, and philanthropists, including Benjamin Delessert and the Duke of La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt. As a precursor to modern savings banks, the Caisse d'Epargne was part of a broader social reform movement to promote savings and financial stability among the working and middle classes.
- The portal mentioned refers to the formal (or monumental) entrance portal to the building, often associated with stately homes, mansions, or significant buildings. This portal was dismantled and reinstalled when the Rue du Louvre was opened in 1880, continuing Haussmann's urban renewal efforts in Paris.
- While a Caisse d'Epargne branch is still located at this address, the original Caisse d'Epargne de Paris has undergone significant changes. In 2009, it merged with Groupe Banque Populaire to become part of the Groupe BPCE.
- The institution symbolises Paris's transition through monarchy, revolution, empire, and modernity, making it a microcosm of its enduring ability to adapt and thrive.