How did I not know this already!!! The elegant mansard roof was actually a big old tax dodge In 17th century France, property taxes were calculated on the number of storeys below the roofline and some clever architect named Francois Mansart spotted the loophole By designing roofs with a steep lower slope and a shallow upper slope, he created large, airy attic spaces that could be turned into habitable rooms This meant you could ‘sneak’ in an extra storey without paying a penny more in tax How cool is that! 

Posted by Sam Bastow at 2025-09-25 11:40:47 UTC