Cité de l'économie et de la monnaie

The Cité de l'économie occupies the Hôtel Gaillard, a limestone mansion built in the nineteenth century that resembles a sixteenth-century French château. Its architect, Jules Février, covered the facade with elaborate stone carvings of mythical creatures and floral patterns. Banker Émile Gaillard commissioned the building to house his massive collection of Renaissance art. After his death, the Bank of France bought the property to serve as a local branch, filling the grand ballroom with teller cages and rows of heavy iron safes.