Hotel de Vogue

Following the destruction and turmoil of France's Wars of Religion (1562-1598), France once again began to rebuild its towns and cities; in Dijon, a series of lavish parliamentary hotels were built, among them, the Hotel de Vogue. Designed by conseiller de parlement, Etienne Bouhier, this Renaissance-inspired home was completed around 1614. The house's Corinthian columns and artfully carved friezes and edifices reference the Greek ideals dearly held by the purveyors of the Italian Renaissance.
Like most of the old buildings in Dijon, the Hotel de Vogue is roofed in colorfully and intricately patterened glazed tile. The beautifully embossed entrance porch opens into a carved courtyard portico. This courtyard is richly decorated; windows and skylights are adorned with sculptures of fruit, flowers and heads. Bouhier's affinity for Renaissance ideals did not stop with carved window pediments; his romantic devotion to his wife is evident, as he engraved his and his wife's initials all over the place.
Today, the building is more than an exhibit of historical architecture; it currently houses the offices of the Director of Human Resources for the city of Dijon.