In the heart of the Marais, the urban quadrangle circumscribed by the Rue des Archives Rue des Quatre-Fils, Rue Vieille-du-Temple, and Rue des Francs-Bourgeois conceals, behind its façades, a complex ensemble of buildings, courtyards, pathways, and gardens that long remained secret. Princes and lords guarded their privacy there ; later, the Archives Nationales hid their precious papers there. The 3-hectare block - one of the jewels of the neighbourhood, protected since 1964 - features diverse constructions that overlap chronologically (from the 14th century to the 20th century) and functionally (from palace to archive repository). This site, fascinating and little-known, is now accessible to visitors.

The « Itinéraires » series, designed as a guide for cultural tourism, invites the visitor to discover the highways and byways of France's national heritage.