Built by the Count of Evreux in 1718, the building was used as a public dance hall at the time of the Revolution! It became a State residence during the First Empire period, when it was occupied by Caroline Murat and the Empress Joséphine. It was the residence of the President, Prince Louis-Napoleon, until the 1851 coup d'état. In 1873, it became the official residence of the French President.