the west wing, completely altering the arrangement of the rooms and remodeling the private apartment. On the exterior, he redid the balustrade, and restored the masonry, removing its gold patina. He applied stone surfacing to the base of the building to “emphasize its massiveness, which was necessary to display the main floor to the best advantage.” When the Blumentals purchased the Ermitage in April 1982, they again commissioned Jean-Louis Cardin to carry out the restoration. In 1999, SCI Palais Rose began restoration and renovation on an unprecedented scale. The work was not completed until 2005. Emad Khashoggi, a specialist in the restoration of historic monuments, directed this project undertaken by his company COGEMAD. The very extensive work performed resulted in a number of significant modifications, while conserving the portion of the building registered in the list of historic monuments. The ceiling height of the lower level (ground floor) was increased from less than 7 feet to almost 11 feet by lowering the floor. All the windows were enlarged and converted to double French doors. This level now houses the private apartments, which were formerly located on the upper floor. There was additional excavation to add a basement level, lit by skylights. This area is now used as recreational space and includes an exercise room, a film theatre, a swimming pool, a game room, and a garage. The residence was comprehensively modernized, with new electrical, heating, plumbing, and home automation systems. The former interior decoration was restored by specialized artisans from the Monuments Historiques organization. Highly skilled gilders, sculptors, cabinetmakers, marble workers, and masons refurbished the interiors using the traditional techniques of each craft. A monumental 270 square foot staircase now connects the various levels. The Ermitage has been modernized and is now a freestanding three-level structure that can accommodate guest apartments. Literary anecdotes The Palais Rose was used as the setting for one of the adventures of the famed gentleman thief Arsène Lupin: La Cagliostro se venge. The Palais Rose in Vésinet has a significant role in the last novel by Camille de Peretti, published by Editions Stock in+- 2011, which tells the extraordinary tale of the Marquise de Casati. Gallery References Bibliography Le Vésinet, Modèle français d’urbanisme paysager 1858/1930, Cahiers de l’Inventaire général des Monuments et des Richesses de la France, n°17, Paris, Sophie Cueille, 1989, p. 72-75. La Curieuse Histoire du Vésinet, Ville du Vésinet, Georges Poisson, 1975,