A nest for a Duke
Look up, and you’ll notice a detail that sets this haussmanien residence apart from its neighbours: a stone owl keeps watch from its roost near the third floor. It’s the signature of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, famous for his restoration of medieval buildings such as Notre Dame, the city of Carcassonne, the basilica of Saint-Denis, and the “author” of several buildings in Paris. This one, built in 1862, was where Viollet le Duc had his offices and private apartment.
