Hôtel d'Avaray

The high stone wall of the Hôtel d'Avaray hides a garden and a neoclassical residence built in seventeen twenty-three for Claude Théophile de Béziade, the Marquis of Avaray. While the surrounding neighborhood saw many aristocratic homes fall into decay or state ownership, this mansion survived by becoming the Dutch embassy in nineteen twenty. During the Second World War, the Dutch government-in-exile needed a reliable base, and this building served as their secure, private center for coordination against the occupying forces throughout the war years.