tomorrow, I’ll die!” The deed of sale was signed on October 29, 1908. The house's occupancy by the Comte de Montesquiou was among the longest and best documented periods in the history of the Palais Rose in Vésinet. The count was a stylish figure, who lived in the Palais Rose for almost twenty years until his death in 1921. A great collector, with “a hereditary sense of magnificence,” (to quote his own words), he furnished the dwelling with an array of exotic objects. These included rich furnishings, paintings, and objets d’art. A separate building called “l'Ermitage” (“The Hermitage”) was built to house his impressive collection of books. The resident of the Palais Rose was also famed for his magnificent receptions. Although he enjoyed his own festivities, the Comte de Montesquiou took a dim view of the municipal celebrations organized right next to his property in the Allée des Fêtes. He deemed these gatherings to be noisy and too “popular.” Although visitors were not as frequent as they had been when the poet resided in the Pavillon des Muses in Neuilly – Vésinet was more distant from Paris – he still received many distinguished guests. Some were friends of the moment, or not yet well-known; others were young people mentored by the aging poet. Among them were Gabriele d’Annunzio, Ida Rubinstein, Claude Debussy, Colette, Rodin, Sarah Bernhardt, Maurice Rostand, Jean Cocteau and Cécile Sorel. When Montesquiou died, all his property – including the Palais Rose – was left to his secretary, Henry Pinard. He sold most of the furniture and objects before selling the property itself in May 1923 to Luisa Amman, the separated wife of the Marquis de Casati. Fascinated by animals, Marquise Luisa de Casati collected snakes and birds. She dedicated a winter garden near the west wing's grand salon to shelter her scaly and winged protégés. She also owned a “mechanical” stuffed panther that leaped and emitted flashes of light. She also loved disguises and dyed her hair in an era where the practice was uncommon. Her predecessors’ festive gatherings had been remarkable, but the parties given by the Marquise de Casati left their own luminous memories It is said that she arranged dinners that were illumined by nothing but bulbs she wore as a necklace. Her homage to the magician Cagliostro is also recorded in the annals. She is remembered for a costume gala based on the