The northern façade

Evocative of an Italian palazzo, this façade is made up of four parts: on the far left, a staircase tower with a very open, fantastical design; on the far right, a low, porticoed wing which draws its inspiration from the Italian Renaissance; in the centre, an entrance porch in a flamboyant Gothic style and an internal staircase bay in the style of the Florentine Renaissance.

In the courtyard, there is a Venetian well made from Verona marble and curious wrought iron, as well as a backdrop of vegetation decorated with bas-reliefs from Catalan cloisters, and a fountain with a Crouching Venus who appears to be getting out of her bath.  

The southern façade

More than the other façades, this appears to have been designed to be viewed from a distance and from various viewpoints. It is therefore on a larger scale and exceptionally symmetrical. It also has a greater number of references: all the designs come from the Florence and Venice schools. For example, the frames in the bays and the pilasters form a strict geometric network, faithfully reproducing the style of some Venetian churches. What is more, the same types of marble are used: red Verona marble, white Carrara marble, light grey marble. These highly accurate reproductions were enabled by casts and photographs provided by Italian craftsmen and these references were then set in a modern composition, allowing for a few adaptations.