It was in this enchantingly aristocratic quarter of Paris, an area of great 18^th-century houses set between elegant courtyards and gardens, that the most affluent literary and social salons thrived and where the rich and privileged once received guests in style. One look at the luxe interiors of the Hotel Lambert and it becomes quite clear that receiving in style remains very much the order of the day. It is in the hotel’s Galerie d’Hercule that author Christiane de Nicolai-Mazery tells us, “an invitation to dine is something that is looked forward to for weeks, discussed for months, and remembered for a lifetime.”

Nicolai-Mazery, who also wrote “The French Chateau; Lifestyle and Tradition,” was given access to houses so exclusive that many owners insisted on anonymity. One who agreed to be named was Baron Guy de Rothschild, who allows us into what is undoubtedly the most beautiful private house in Paris, past or present, the astounding creation of architect Louis Le Vau and the painter Charles Le Brun. Redecorated by the famed Italian designer, Renzo Mongiardino, it contains the baron’s fabled art collection that dates back several centuries.

Each turn of the page provides for more breathtaking images from photographer Jean Bernard Naudin. The magnificent townhouse of designer Hubert de Givenchy is filled with cherished memories of his famous clients, from the Duchess of Windsor to muse Audrey Hepburn, and the palatial apartment of Comte Hubert d’Ornano, founder of the Orlane cosmetics empire, and his aristocratic Polish wife mixes impeccable 18^th-century furniture with contemporary art.