The Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau is a building located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It was built in the 18th century and served as the residence of the ambassador of Austria. Nowadays, it houses the Parisian office of the Mozilla Foundation. It is usually open to the general public once a year for the European Heritage Days (Journées Européennes du Patrimoine).
After the Hôtel de Noirmoutier, I headed to the Quai d’Orsay, where the headquarters of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs are located.
Above, the official entrance during the visit of a head of state.
On the second day of the Heritage Day week-end, I went on multiple visits. I started the day at the Hôtel de Noirmoutier, a mansion from the 18th century that now serves as the residence of the Prefect of Paris.
The European Heritage Days (Journées Européennes du Patrimoine) take place every year on the 3rd week-end of September. The programme was started in France in 1984 and offers opportunities to visit buildings and sites which are not normally accessible to the public. A lot of monuments are open in Paris and the most popular ones (like the Palais de l’Elysée or the National Assembly building) can get really crowded.
This year, on the first day, I went to visit the headquarters of the French Communist Party, designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in the 1960’s. The building is located Place du Colonel Fabien, in Paris.