Villa Butterfly, Chamonix

Nestled in the heart of the Chamonix Valley, Villa Butterfly bears witness to the town's rich architectural heritage. Its architect, Georges Debry, was a prominent figure in the community, both for his architectural and sporting achievements. Commissioned in 1913 by a Lyon-based entrepreneur, A. Chatoux, the villa owes its name to its first occupant's love of opera. Its unique feature is that it was designed to withstand avalanches thanks to its ship's bow-shaped structure.

The new owners of Villa Butterfly, descendants of the Ravanel family, a famous Chamonix lineage, have restored the house and everything that made it so unique: its tapestries, ceramics, framework, etc. Under the direction of Renaud Chevalier, an architect from Chamonix, numerous local craftsmen have put their expertise to work to restore this house to its former glory and contemporary functionality.

This book chronicles the restoration of this jewel of Savoyard heritage.