The Cité de l’Économie welcomes all groups of at least 10 participants. 

Visits are organised according to specific time slots and a specific schedule. 

The Cité de l’Économie will open its doors exclusively for groups in the morning!

Bookings are required up to six weeks before the day of the visit*.  Payment must be made at least one month before the start of the visit. 

For your booking request, please fill in the group booking form. No requests by email or telephone can be processed. 

NB: The completion of this form does not constitute an option or a pre-booking. As soon as we receive your booking request, your visit will be recorded and processed by our teams. 

*excluding specific operations

To help you plan your, you will find visitor booklets in French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and Arabic. 

Education pack

If you would like to plan your visit, find out about all the visit options and learn about the different sections of the Cité de l’Économie’s permanent exhibition, you will find all this information in our educational pack.

Educational resources

To help you plan your visit, we offer online educational resources. 

Offers for teachers

To help you discover the spaces, permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, activities and educational resources, we offer regular events designed for teachers. Sign up for our newsletter to receive all our news!

The Cité de l’économie welcomes you!

Thursday 9 December : Bookings open for group visits until 28 August 2022.


Step 1 : Take note of the visit options:
 

• Guided economics tour

• Guided heritage tour

• Workshop tour 

• Semi-independent visit (only for SES (economic and social sciences) and STMG (management sciences and technologies) lycée students)

• Independent visit

Step 2 : Book your visit by filling in the online booking form.

Group visits take place from Tuesday to Sunday (depending on available slots)

The Cité de l’Économie opens its doors exclusively for groups in the morning!


Step 3: You will receive an email confirmation.

As soon as we receive your payment, our teams will send you details to plan your visit.

Bookings are processed by priority of the visit date. Our bookings department is at your disposal for any further information.
 

 

Access the teachers’area

 

1/ Corporate governance

 

How to encourage company managers to make concerted and transparent decisions - or prevent Virgile from unilaterally ordering Lisa to place the drink order?

The answer is a simple notion: “corporate governance”! Take our quiz to test your knowledge!

 

 

 

2/ Multinational companies

 

Do you want to know why your microwave is stamped “Made in China” and why your brand-new mobile was shipped from India? So do Lisa, Lauren, Mehdi and Virgile, who are discussing multinational companies in this new episode of “Got it?”.

 

 

 

3/ The social and solidarity economy

 

Does “Economy” always rhyme with “search for profit”? Lauren, Mehdi, Lisa and Virgile discuss their views in episode 3 of “Got it?”!.

 

 

 

4/ Moral hazard

 

Would Virgile practice an extreme sport if he knew he was not insured? Would banks take risks if they had no support from the State? It’s highly doubtful if we are to believe the notion of moral hazard which our “Got it?” protagonists are discussing in this new episode!

 

 

 

5/ Unemployment

 

Unemployment is a hot topic, but what do we actually know about it? Who is unemployed and who isn’t? Can we be voluntarily unemployed? In and out of crises, is unemployment always present? Can we achieve a 0% unemployment rate? All the answers to these questions are in this new episode of “Got it?”. Take our quiz to test your knowledge!

 

 

 

6/ The human development index

 

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) evaluates a country’s economic situation, but it is not the only indicator that measures a State’s development: the Human Development Index focuses on a country’s social and qualitative development. But what actually does it take account of? Is it enough to determine a population’s quality of life? In this sixth episode, our budding economists will answer all your questions on the HDI and its many facets.

 

 

 

7/ Social protection

 

In this new episode, Lisa, Lauren, Mehdi and Virgile are discussing social protection! Social protection refers to all collective providence mechanisms put in place by the State, which provide financial protection against the consequences of social risks, i.e., situations that can cause a loss of income or an increase in expenses (old age, disease, invalidity) ... But how exactly do these mechanisms work? Our budding economists will give you the lowdown in under 4 minutes!

 

 

 

8/ Common goods

 

“A common good is a very particular, but hugely interesting notion!” After listening to explanations from Lisa, Lauren, Mehdi and Virgile, you’ll know all there is to know about common goods!

 

 

9/ The World Trade Organization

 

You no longer have an excuse for not understanding anything about economics with our new "Got it?" episode on the World Trade Organization! Virgil, Lauren, Lisa and Medhi share their tips for capturing everything about the economy

 

 

 

10/ Externalities

 

Positive and negative externalities, why? In this new episode of "Tas Capté", our budding economists will decipher the effects of externalities on the well-being of economic agents!

 

 

 

11/ The prisoner’s dilemma

 

We missed our budding economists! In this episode of "T’as Capté", they will discuss the concept of the prisoner’s dilemma. You’ll understand why, when there are several players in a market, it’s more efficient for them to communicate and cooperate than to go it alone!

 

 

 

12/ Emission allowance markets

 

In this new episode of "T’as Capté", Virgil, Lauren, Lisa and Medhi explain to us what emission allowance markets really are. Find out how these spaces in which one can trade rights to pollute work. So what are the benefits and limitations of these markets?

 

 

 

13/ Minimum wage

 

In this new episode of "T’as capté ?", Lauren has found a student job and will be earning the famous SMIC! Our favorite economists will explain how this minimum wage, created in 1950, works.

 

 

 

14/ The speculative bubbles

 

Lauren’s apartment-hunting is no easy task! To explain the astonishingly high property prices, our economists look at the subject of speculative bubbles. Are you familiar with the Black Thursday of 1929?

 

 

 

15/ The comparatives and absolute advantages

 

Today, Lauren finally finished knitting her beanie ?
But Virgil and the gang are wondering if it’s more beneficial for Lauren to make her beanie herself, if we take into account the time spent making it and the quality of it, or to buy it directly ? Let’s find out with them the comparative and absolute advantages!

 

 

 

16/ The systemic shock

 

The subprime crisis of 2008, do you know it? Banks, failures and financial risks, Virgil and his gang explain to you today the systemic shocks!

 

 

 

17/ Value chains

 

Do you know the value chains? Virgil, Lauren, Lisa and Medhi explain it all to you!

 

 

 

18/ Purchasing power

 

Times are hard for Lisa, she’s working harder than before and still has the same income. Isn’t she losing purchasing power? In this new episode, our apprentice economists join forces to understand the famous "purchasing power" and help Lisa!

 

 

 

19/ Competitiveness

 

The "T’as capté ?" team talks to us today about competition, cost, quality... in short, competitiveness! What about you, price or non-price competitiveness? Where does France rank in the world in terms of competitiveness? The answer in episode 19!

 

 

20/ The Recession

 

Lisa wonders about the current situation in France: recession or not? In this new episode of "T’as capté ?" learn to understand what a recession is, what causes it, and the measures in place to overcome it.

 

 

21/ The Creative Destruction

 

Artificial intelligence and new technologies are an outstanding example of creative destruction in progress. These are highly promising innovations, but they can also be frightening, as they could destroy a good number of professions. This new"T’as Capté" video is an opportunity to take a closer look at this interesting economic model, first thought up by Joseph Schumpeter !

 

 

 

22/ Protectionism

 

What is protectionism? What are its advantages? Its disadvantages? What does it involve? All the answers to these questions are in this episode of "T’as Capté"!

 

 

 

23/ Productivity

 

Lauren wonders: how can I be more productive? Is it just a matter of working harder? Or is it just a matter of getting the right equipment? With this new episode of "T’as capté", you’ll have a perfect grasp of the concept of productivity!

 

 

 

24/ Adverse selection

 

Medhi is depressed, having just invested in a second-hand bike that turns out to be defective... That doesn’t encourage his friends to buy second-hand!

 

 

Tuesday to Sunday from 2 pm to 6 pm, until 7 pm on Saturday.

Pushchairs are not allowed in exhibition areas. Baby carriers suitable from birth are available to ensure your comfort during the visit (temporarily unavailable due to the health crisis).

Scooters and skateboards are not allowed in the establishment.  

 

 

Together, let’s share the keys to understanding the economy!

Citéco is an association that offers a new type of cultural site
At the heart of Plaine Monceau, in a fully restored Renaissance Revival historical monument, Citéco is the first European Museum focused on economy. It takes visitors on a discovery of economic terms and issues in an interactive and fun way, through a permanent exhibition spread across 2400m2 and divided into six sequences: Exchanges, Players, Markets, Crises, Regulations, Treasures. 

 Designed in the image of an actual “city”, this living space also offers encounters, debates, entertainment and cultural activities all year round.

 

Do you represent a company ?		Are you an association, school or public body
that wants to support the Cité de l’Économie?		that wants to help the Cité de l’Économie?
Get in touch  Nicolas Vinci, head of audience development: nicolas.vinci@citeco.fr Julie Baron Benacquista, in charge of patronages, partnerships and business clients: julie.baron@citeco.fr We’d love to work together

 

 

Citéco thanks its patrons and partners

 

 

 

 

 

The home of Émile Gaillard, a “magical” building

Hôtel Gaillard’s façade reigns over place du Général-Catroux and, in Paris’ 17th arrondissement where cut stone dominates the landscape, it sets itself apart with its brick walls topped with sleek roofs and thin turrets. Designed at the end of the 19th century, the building’s radical architecture is still startling. It surprised and enchanted its contemporaries who called it “marvellous”, “magnificent”, “surprising” and “magical”. It’s true that its original architecture was a surprise. However, it was no accident and was exactly how its sponsor, Émile Gaillard, has envisioned it.

A tailor-made neighbourhood

In 1878, Émile Gaillard purchased two adjacent plots of land on Plaine Monceau. Formerly an area used for pasture and vegetable crops, the Plaine was urbanised at the end of the 19th century, with shrewd businessmen investing in and purchasing plots to sell them off. The neighbourhood has strong assets: it is well served by boulevard Malesherbes and avenue de Villiers, there’s plenty of room, it’s chic, bourgeois and busy, being especially visited by artists. Claude Debussy and Sarah Bernhardt lived here. This setting also pleased Émile Gaillard who, despite being a banker, was also passionate about art. His residence rue Daru became too cramped for his sizeable Middle Age and Renaissance art collection, and he tasked architect Jules Février with the construction of a town mansion.

On the plot he purchased, Émile Gaillard had his home built along with two adjacent town mansions to make his property investment more profitable: one overlooking rue Berger and the other on rue de Thann. With Hôtel Gaillard, these form a U shape surrounding a courtyard for the crews. These beautiful properties are unlike “Châteaux” due to their architecture which is typical of the late 19th century. Today, all three have been reunited and are inter-communicating. Unlike traditional town mansions, this building is not hidden behind a large porch. The entrance opens onto the road and not onto a courtyard. Hotel Gaillard flaunts its magnificence.

A large bourgeois residence

The building is a testament to its owner’s social standing and artistic taste. It meets three requirements: to house a family, to receive guests with style and to showcase an exceptional collection in an appropriate environment. Utility rooms are on the ground floor. Private apartments are on the mezzanine floor, accessed via a grand staircase, and include: a dining room, four bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms. The richly decorated reception rooms are on the first floor: the small lounge, the great lounge and the art gallery. This is where Émile Gaillard displayed his most beautiful pieces: pottery by Bernard Palissy, Flemish tapestries, Renaissance statues and chests. The second floor is reserved for his oldest son, Eugène. 

 

An original legacy, a piece of work by architect Jules Février

An original legacy, built between 1878 and 1884

Anyone can see this Renaissance Revival masterpiece’s resemblance with the châteaux of the Loire valley. The press at the time hesitated on the term that should be used to refer to it: “Should town mansion, château or palace be used to refer to the splendid construction that [...] Mr. J. Février has just built for Mr. Gaillard, a banker in Grenoble?”(1) queries Cl. Périer in the pages of La Semaine des Constructeurs. To be more precise, Hôtel Gaillard drew inspiration from the Blois and Gien châteaux, built during the 15th and 16th centuries respectively, and more specifically from the architecture of château de Blois’ Louis XII wing.

The château de Blois, the point of reference  

Several factors contributed towards Blois becoming an architectural reference in the 19th century. It is one of the most beautiful royal residences. Louis XII transformed this fortress castle into a palace and built a wing characteristic of the “French Renaissance” between 1498 and 1503. This style includes gothic elements from the late 15th century and Renaissance innovations from Italy and Northern Europe. During the mid-19th century, this legacy was officially recognized. In 1840, at Prosper Mérimée’s initiative (then general inspector of Historic Monuments, a brand-new authority created in 1837), the château de Blois was registered on the list of historical monuments and restored by architect Félix Duban using State funds. After long restoration works, it was the subject of a highly documented publication (2) which Jules Février - Émile Gaillard’s architect - would later use. The latter was also in contact with Jules Édouard Potier de La Morandière, the inspecting architect for the Blois restoration works and was no doubt advised by him. Thus, the Hôtel Gaillard’s aesthetics were carefully planned and designed to be reminiscent of a style and period.  

A fashionable style

Émile Gaillard’s artistic choices were in line with the confirmed trend of the 19th century. The architecture of the past won over entrepreneurs and businessmen alike. Romanticism awoke a taste for Middle Age art (in 1830, Victor Hugo published The Hunchback of Notre-Dame), the Gothic Revival style - a testament to the audacity of cathedral builders - was brought to civil architecture in France as well as in England and Germany.

The “Château” style did not stay in Plaine Monceau, it was fashionable in France as well as across the Atlantic, and as many residences inspired by this model can be found in Europe and in the USA.

Thus, the architect Robert Morris Hunt who studied at the École des Beaux arts de Paris created one of the most impressive Renaissance Revival pastiches inspired by the Château de Blois for George Washington Vanderbilt at the end of the 19th century: the Biltmore estate near Asheville in North Carolina. This large private estate is now a museum.

The use of exceptional know-how

The restoration of the château de Blois and Renaissance Revival constructions such as Hôtel Gaillard have contributed towards bringing back specific art techniques among which painted enamel, wood sculptures, polychromatic glass and woodwork. Émile Gaillard and Jules Février worked with renowned artists for the internal decor - Mr. Jean, a sculptor from Rouan, and Mr. Andrieu for woodwork -, and sought out exceptional know-how, including artisans in charge of restoring château de Blois, such as the Loebnitz faience factory to decorate the grand staircase landings. 

 

A Banque de France branch from 1923-2006

From the 1920s, after its transformation into a Banque de France branch, the Hôtel Gaillard took on a new life, the remnants of which can still be seen inside and are part of the visit.

1923, Hôtel Gaillard becomes a bank, a smooth transformation

Malesherbes: the ideal location for a bank branch. In the wake of the First World War, the Banque de France continues its expansion strategy by opening branches. In 1920, it decides to create three local offices in Paris: place de la Bastille, boulevard Raspail and place Malesherbes. The plaine Monceau neighbourhood has changed since the end of the 19th century: great industrial families have replaced the artists which had made it famous during Émile Gaillard’s lifetime. As a result, the Peugeot, Breuget, Guerlain, Michelin and Haviland families now live in this bourgeois arrondissement. Consequently, the Malesherbes branch had the largest portfolio of securities.

In 1919, the Banque de France acquired Hôtel Gaillard

Up for sale since 1904, with no buyer in sight, Hôtel Gaillard is sold cheap, with the Bank buying it for 2 million francs. A bargain given that the cost of its construction was estimated at 11 million francs. The Banque de France is not satisfied with the “château” part alone, and also buys the town mansion located rue Berger (where the branch director would later live). Meanwhile, the town mansion located rue de Thann - which had been sold to the Union des Femmes de France - was exchanged against another neighbourhood building. Thus, the entire Gaillard plot, along with its three buildings, became the property of the Banque de France.

Necessary developments

Transforming this “Renaissance Château” into a bank branch required significant works which lasted for 4 years between 1919 and 1923. The works are entrusted to the architect Alphonse Defrasse and to the decorator Jean-Henri Jansen. The bank had no intention of losing the place’s originality and style, which would attract clients. However, its purpose was no longer to house a family and a collection, but to accommodate the public staff and vaults. The building needed to be functional and inspire trust.  Alphonse Defrasse made the necessary restructurations creating a public hall (named the Defrasse hall), a vault room and administrative offices. The town mansion located rue de Thann was merged with Hôtel Gaillard in order to create new functional rooms.

Historic pieces of remarkable decor were kept, save for the art gallery that looked over rue de Thann. The monumental grand staircase would henceforth lead to the different departments set up in the former apartments and reception rooms. Clients would climb them to reach the information desk (once the small lounge) before heading towards the securities gallery for stock exchange transactions or to the public hall where small stalls enabled them to meet with the employees at the different booths.

 

Defrasse hall and the vault room: a monumental ensemble

A major asset in the inner courtyard

To build what is to be the beating heart of this new branch, Alphone Defrasse found the space required in the Hôtel Gaillard’s inner courtyard. He dug down to create an underground vault room and elevated the public hall above it using a vast reinforced concrete structure topped with a wooden and glass vaulted ceiling. The result is monumental, spectacular. Enough to seduce and reassure clients, to drain their savings and spark their imagination.

The vault room: maximum protection

Defrasse is the Banque de France’s lead architect and knows exactly what a bank branch needs. The vault room is built over two levels with a mezzanine passageway, imposing pillars, 112 vaults containing 3874 safes of varying sizes and booths to hide clients from view.

It boasts an unprecedented security system: protected by a heavy armoured door built-in and surrounded by a water-filled moat, it is accessed by a type of draw bridge, a sliding floor operated by an electrical system. Once again, Hôtel Gaillard surprises, notably the Petit Parisien journalist who describes these developments as “walls calculated to play with iron, fire and powder: Cyclops locks with Lilluputian keys... In this grave, the eye of conscience could not follow Cain”.

Respecting the spirit of the place

The Art Deco style dominated the 1920s, its geometry and the monumentality of its shapes contrasting with the “Renaissance” sophistication of Hôtel Gaillard.

When Alphonse Dufrasse started on the site, the building had not yet been classed a historical monument, he had full freedom to change the original structure, yet he work to respect the spirit of the place, reclaiming its decorative register. A decision that gained the recognition of the architect Victor-Jules Février: “Not only did you not denature my work, but you completed it.”

In the vault room, the monumental framework shaped like an inverted hull, is reminiscent of the well staircase. The pattern on the mezzanine railing matches that on the grand staircase and the loggia. On the upper parts of the pillars - which are Art Deco by their very size -, Defrasse added Renaissance Revival decorations.

 

The devil is in the details

For its new branch, the bank did not skimp on the quality of materials and used renowned artisans. The famous Maison Jansen provided the wooden counters and booths, adding the gothic “linenfold” patterns found on the panelling in the dining room.

Renaissance Revival furniture was tailor made to furnish the offices for the branch’s executives. Lighting, including the ironwork chandeliers in the public hall, was entrusted to the Saunier-Duval company, specialising in gas lighting, and in charge of Parisian streetlights. After being remodelled on several occasions - in the 1950s and again 20 years later - to account for the drop in staff and the change in banking transactions, the branch definitively closed its doors on 1 July 2006.

 

(1) Excerpt from Le néo-Renaoissance en France et la Haute Banque by Antonio Brucceleri, 2016.

(2) Architecture de la Renaissance : le Château de Blois (extérieur et intérieur) by Ernest Le Nail, published in 1875.

A magical universe, combining history and modernity

 

Is your company looking to organise a memorable event? The Cité de l’Économie is full of gems and areas capable of hosting prestigious events

The Cité de l’Économie is housed by a jewel of Renaissance Revival architecture built in 1882, Hôtel Gaillard in Paris’ 17th arrondissement. This exceptional setting, which is classed a Historical Monument, is the product of a remarkable history marked by three main periods: from a town mansion belonging to banker Émile Gaillard, it was transformed into one of the Banque de France’s most beautiful bank branches before being entirely rehabilitated and turned into the first European museum dedicated to understanding main economic mechanisms.

Take a dizzying journey through the most beautiful periods and artistic styles! 

 

The Malesherbes Rooftops   160 people in a cocktail reception format On the 3rd floor, this room styled with contemporary elegance flirts with the sublime heights of Hôtel Gaillard

The vault room 100 personnes en format cocktail  At the heart of Citéco’s numismatic collection, this impenetrable fortress spread over two levels hides many a treasure

The Turret area 100 people in a cocktail reception format This old courtyard and its turret is complemented by a modern skylight offering a beautiful source of light

The Monceau auditorium 95 seated people Our fully equipped auditorium will enable you to organize conferences or round tables

Lounges and workshops Historical or modern conference rooms, to be used in combination with the auditorium for example.

Private tours and Serious games During your private event, discover our museum and take part in its exceptional activities.

 

Contact us at location@citeco.fr

 

Topics

Comics art

Largo Winch’s universe & adventures

Economy & contemporary history

 

Availability

Starting from 2022.

 

Introduction

With an exceptional original collection of more than 60 original artworks, manuscripts, artefacts, reproductions, videos and sets, the exhibition is designed to give visitors of all ages a chance to venture into the art of comics and the makings of a bestseller, exploring the creativity of the saga artists.

A curated journey through the 22 albums enables to (re)discover the fascinating realm and quests of the hero who, at just 26 years of age, inherits a vast industrial and financial empire. Transported into a world of comics, visitors meet with the hero, his team, his friends and his enemies, and discover the extraordinary cityscapes that populate the series landscapes along the hero’s adventures, from Istanbul to Chicago, London to Hong Kong, Amsterdam to Venice.

Created by Citéco, Europe’s first ever museum devoted to economics, the exhibition also provides a highly original insight into the mysterious workings of contemporary economy, telling a story of 30 years of economy practices, major changes and challenges that have taken place since the first album of the series was published back in 1990. Visitors can grasp the basics of economics and delve into significant global economy concepts and events, from stock market crashes and subprime crisis to large-scale corruption, through the humanist billionaire’s adventures and the discovery of a very unique artistic creation.

 

A word from the curator

Didier Pasamonik, a renowned comic book specialist, journalist, bookseller, writer, and publisher who has more than forty years of experience in the comic book industry tells us a bit more about the exhibition.

 

 

The exhibition in the press

“The exhibition structured around this iconic comics character […] is certainly worth the trip. Thanks to its richness […], the educational aspects of the different themes addressed, but above all thanks to the elegance of its scenography.” Le Figaro

 

  “We get into economy without committing a crime.” Télérama

 

“The meeting of Largo Winch […] and Citéco gives rise to an explosive cocktail in this original exhibition.” Art in the City

 

Contact Us

For more information on this touring exhibition, please leave us a message at export@citeco.fr or give us a call on the following number: +33 (0)6 13 42 87 35.