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The building incorporates a section of the old city wall constructed by Philippe Auguste between 1190 and 1220.
In 1688, the hotel was acquired by the Duke of Saint Aignan who renovated the building, enlarging the facade constructing a grand stair case and adding living quarters on the 1st floor.
The gardens were also enlarged and redesigned by the architect Le Notre, who also designed the gardens of Versailles and the Gardens of the Tuileries.
After being closed in 1795 during the Revolution, it was opened again and used as a center for small industry and commerce, slowly becoming a center for Jewish artists from Romania, Poland and the Ukraine.
In 1986, the Hotel Saint-Aignan was dedicated as the Museum of Art and History of Judaism. It was partly renovated in 1991 to its present form to accommodate the collection.
The Collection
The collection comes from a variety of sources, mainly the Jewish Art Museum created in 1948 that was in the 18th arrondissement and the Rothchild collection of funeral artifacts that were part of the collection of the Museum of the Middle Ages. Part of this collection is also housed in the Museum of Modern Art in the Pompidou Center.
The modern art section has works of Marc Chagall and Amedeo Modigliani.
There are approximately 6,000 pieces in the collection with 1,500 on display here.
The Museum of Art and History of Judaism covers a period from the Middle Ages up to the present and places the Jewish community historically in the West and North Africa.
Each room of the museum corresponds to a theme or period in the history of the Jewish community, well displayed and annotated making for a wonderful visit and cultural learning experience.
For further information, visit the Museum of Art and History of Judaism website.
Available Works of Marc Chagall
Available Works of Modigliani
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