Rodin à l'hotel de Biron et à Meudon

The story opens in the elegant Hôtel de Biron, a once‑glorious Parisian residence whose walls have witnessed centuries of intrigue. Through vivid narration we meet Abraham Peyrenc, a clever barber‑perruquier from the provinces who, driven by ambition, rises from modest beginnings to become a dazzling financier and nobleman. His daring exploits—marrying into wealth, buying titles, and navigating the cut‑throat world of early‑18th‑century finance—paint a lively portrait of a restless era where fortunes were made and lost on a roll of the dice.

As Peyrenc reshapes his destiny, the Hôtel itself transforms from a modest inn to a symbol of newfound prestige, its salons echoing with the laughter of aristocrats and the clink of gold. The narrative weaves together the building’s storied past with the bustling life of Paris, setting the stage for the later chapter when the great sculptor Auguste Rodin discovers the same walls and makes them his own creative sanctuary. Listeners are invited to travel through time, feeling the pulse of a city where art, ambition, and history intertwine.