In 1676 and 1677, Madame de Sévigné, suffering from rheumatism that prevented her from writing, came to Vichy to take the cure.
Despite initially finding the treatments difficult, she quickly recognised their beneficial effects and was among the first people to extoll in her letters both the virtues of Vichy's mineral waters and the charming life in the town.
To this day, the house remains the subject of historical controversy: did the Marquise de Sévigné ever really stay there? Some believe it was a mere marketing ploy by the pavilion's owner, who, in 1838, affixed a marble plaque implying that the Marquise had stayed there. Others claim that she stayed at the Logis du Cheval Blanc (5 Square Albert 1er) or at the Maison Badoche (2 Rue de l’Église). Given that the arguments post-date her visits by two centuries, and that the Marquise never specified where she was staying in her writings, it is impossible to come to any firm conclusion.
The pavilion, built in the early 17th century by François Gravier, underwent a first expansion around 1865. In 1910, it was completely redesigned by Jean Girette, later becoming a first-class hotel offering 70 rooms under the direction of Joseph Aletti. The hotel, famous for being Philippe Pétain's residence during World War II, was converted into a prestigious private mansion in 1995.
