Hands off our town houses! | M6 | 66 minutes

It’s like a never-ending soap opera. In 2007 the brother of the Emir of Qatar buys the Hôtel Lambert, a town house that is a jewel of France’s historical heritage, dating from the 17th century and in the very heart of Paris. He wants to carry out major interior reconstruction, which is hotly contested by the admirers of old stones. There are dozens of properties like the Hôtel Lambert on the market at the moment, put up for sale by individuals suffering from the crisis, or by the State, looking to fill its coffers. How far can the new owners, often foreigners, go in transforming these historic buildings to satisfy their own whims?