Built in 1724 by Aubry, the hôtel de Brienne was bought in 1802 by Lucien Bonaparte who had it restored. It was Napoleon’s mother’s residence from 1806 to 1814.
Its original decoration has been maintained in several rooms such as the Empire drawing-room and Letizia’s boudoir. Among the Empire collections, a few chairs of Marie Walewska and several swords which belonged to Joseph Bonaparte, Murat, Bernadotte and Kléber, are particularly noteworthy.
Since the Restoration, the Hôtel de Brienne has been the residence of the French Minister of Defense.