before, by Daniele Barbaro. The use of the giant order for these pilasters, then an unusual feature for an hôtel particulier, aims to give the facade a majestic appearance, fitting and expressing the social dignity of its royal inhabitants. The design of the facade is highly Mannerist with the entablature broken from above by the lower part of the tall dormer windows and a Grecian motif connecting the capitals. The central bay, where the principal entrance was originally located, is surmounted by an open-bed pediment, and the curved pediments at the top of the pavilions are decorated with carved reliefs (heavily restored), which feature deer and hound heads, reflecting Diane de France's keen interest in the hunt. The appearance of the garden facade, preserved in an engraving after Claude Chastillon and an engraving by Israël Silvestre, was then quite different from its current state: the entrance was served by a double Italian-style straight staircase facing a large parterre which stretched to the current rue de Sévigné; the facade also featured two pavilions on each side, and the same pilasters as the courtyard facade. Modifications under Charles de Valois Following the death of Diane in 1619, Charles de Valois, illegitimate son of Charles IX and nephew of Henri III, inherited the building and lived in it until 1650. He commissioned architects François Boullet and Jean Thiriot to enlarge the hôtel, altering the original plan, between 1624 and 1640. A new wing north of the entrance courtyard was added, facing the rue des Francs-Bourgeois; a small watchtower cabinet, corbelled into the street corner wall, allowed the fidgety Charles d'Angoulème to spy on both streets. A bellicose commander during the troubled era of the Wars of Religion, Charles kept in the building a large number of weapons, carabins, muskets, using it as a military structure. Modifications under the Lamoignons After 1650, the building was divided into several residences. One of its tenants in the late 17th century was Guillaume de Lamoignon, President of the Parlement of Paris. He managed there to gather a small salon, frequented by Madame de Sévigné, Racine, Boileau, Bourdaloue, Regnard or Guy Patin. The hôtel remained among the Lamoignon family until 1750, this long-lasting occupation giving the building its current and usual name. As such, it was the birthplace of Malesherbes. After renting it for many years, , son of Guillaume, finally acquired the whole hôtel in 1688. Project