Hotel Gaillard

The Hotel Gaillard stands before you as a striking imitation of a Loire Valley château, built in the late nineteenth century to serve as a private residence for the wealthy banker Emile Gaillard. Gaillard was a devoted collector of medieval and Renaissance art and required a grand setting that could house his vast collection of tapestries, wood carvings, and period furniture. He was so committed to historical accuracy that he obtained special permission to create plaster molds of the actual Château de Blois to perfectly replicate its ornate dormers and architectural details. The resulting mansion was designed to be seen, with its façade purposefully oriented toward the street rather than hidden behind a gate, as was the typical custom for private Parisian homes of that era.