Palais Anna et Jean-Gabriel Eynard – Hôtel municipal

The building hosts the weekly sessions of the Administrative Council of the City of Geneva as well as the archives of the City of Geneva and several services of the municipal administration.

History of the building

Having made his fortune in Italy, the banker Jean-Gabriel Eynard returned to Geneva in 1816. Impressed by Italian palazzi, he decided to build a “palais”– the first building in Geneva to be referred to as such – at the foot of the city’s former ramparts.

In 1817, the State Council agreed to surrender a part of the Bastion Bourgeois, formerly used as a promenade, to Jean-Gabriel Eynard. Anna Eynard-Lullin, the wife of Jean-Gabriel Eynard and niece of Charles Pictet-de-Rochemont, sketched the plans for the future building and keenly followed the progress of the works. Numerous architects participated in the construction, including the famous Florentine, Giovanni Salucci.

The City of Geneva purchased the palace in 1891 to showcase the Swiss collections of the Natural History Museum. Classified as a historical monument in 1921, the building was entirely renovated between 1981 and 1986.

Architecture of the Palais

Standing against the old city wall, the design of the palace is conditioned by the differing levels of the street and the garden. The ground floor gives onto the park and is topped by a balustrade which stretches around the upper level. The side terraces house the stables and loggia, where a bust of Jean-Gabriel Eynard can now be seen, paying homage to his involvement in the Greek war of independence. Both floors are surrounded by ionic columns. A double ramp decorated with marble lions provides access to the garden.

The entrance hall houses antique statues bathed in light entering by a large cupola. The ceilings are richly decorated with floral patterns and trompe-l’oeil draperies created by Italian painters. From the hall, situated at street level, guests would take the staircase down to the ground floor where receptions would be held. The three salons have retained their original parquet made from numerous species of wood.

The Palais Anna et Jean-Gabriel Eynard also housed a theatre, which was transformed into a library in 1850. The Eynard couple’s love of theatre was nothing new: in their former apartment in Cour Saint-Pierre, they performed amateur productions for their friends, including Madame de Staël.

Wedding celebration rooms

Two salons located on the ground floor can host wedding celebrations or ceremonies for registering partnerships:

• the “salon bleu”, with a maximum seating capacity of 20;
• the “salon Saint-Léger", with a maximum seating capacity of 60.

The rooms are charged at current rates (between CHF 350 and CHF 500). A flat rate of CHF 650 is charged for civil ceremonies.

Information concerning the availability of these rooms for weddings can be obtained from the Civil Registry Office.

The dates, times, costs and information concerning the procedure for celebrating a marriage or the procedure for registering a partnership can also be found on this website.