The Pereire mansion – Del Duca Foundation opened its doors to the public for the first time in 2023 on the occasion of Heritage Days. Located between Alfred de Vigny street and Monceau park, the classical style building commissioned by Emile II Pereire dates from 1881 and is the work of the architect William Bouwens Van der Boyen, to whom we also owe the Cernuschi mansion, on the other side of the Monceau park.
Emile II Pereire is the son of Emile Pereire, who built his fortune – and that of his brother Isaac – on real estate speculation. The Pereire brothers profited greatly from the French Second Empire, which only benefited a few.
The Plaine Monceau district was quickly taken over by high financial society and Monceau park, which was its symbolic center, was surrounded by magnificent residences whose owners’ names were Rothschild, Camondo, Cernuschi, Meunier and… Pereire obviously.
The rise of this new financial aristocracy is brilliantly captured in Zola’s novel, “The Kill”. Emile Pereire II father married his cousin Rachel. From their union were born five children, including Emile II and Fanny, who will marry… her uncle Isaac (please, an aspirin).
Emile II Pereire will become an engineer – and will settle with his family at 10, Alfred de Vigny street. When he dies in 1913, the hotel passes to his widow and children, before being requisitioned by the French Ministry of Industrial Production in 1941, then purchased by the Charbonnages de France company in 1947.
Simone Del Duca acquires the Pereire mansion in 1975 and sets up the headquarters of her foundation there, created in homage to her husband Cino Del Duca.
The latter, from a modest family in the Marche region of Italy, began as a simple seller of popular novels then launched his first publishing house specializing in romance novels in 1928. Arrived in France in 1932, he successfully publishes comics and magazines for children and quickly becomes the boss of the fourth French press group.
In 1938, Cino meets Simone Nirouet in Paris, whom he marries in 1947.
Also a patron, he creates the Del Duca price in 1952, an encouragement prize awarded to young writers. For around twenty years, the couple leads a professional life, a social life and patronage together.
When her husband dies in 1967, Simone continues her work, becoming the first French woman publisher.
The goal of the Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation is to promote the arts, letters and sciences in France and abroad. It awards two million prizes and grants each year.
Simone Del Duca will never make this private mansion, dedicated to work, meetings and receptions, her personal residence. Without descendants, Simone Del Duca, who dies in 2004, bequeathes her Foundation to the French State.
The hall is lit by a huge glass roof on the second floor which creates an impressive light
The large, richly decorated living room is the central room of the Pereire mansion. It opens onto the terrace leading to the garden
Without a doubt my favorite room, the library houses many works collected by Simone Del Duca. It also houses a portrait of Simone Del Duca by Jean-Gabriel Domergue, who loved to paint Parisian women
Initially a large family dining room, the Cordoba living room owes its name to the painted leather panels that adorn it
Upstairs are three meeting rooms which have little aesthetic interest, but the terrace and the small garden which overlook the Monceau park are charming.
https://www.fondation-del-duca.fr
September 29, 2023
