Sir Thomas Grosvenor became the owner of the Manor of Ebury in 1677, an area spanning modern day Belgravia, [Mayfair](https://all.accor.com/gb/place/hotels mayfair ci2853 v2352.shtml) and [Pimlico](https://all.accor.com/gb/place/hotels pimlico ci2843 v2352.shtml). In the mid 1820s, he started developing the estate. Grosvenor also held the title of Viscount Belgrave, so the central square in the newly developed area was called Belgrave Square. This is also where the name Belgravia comes from. The area was developed in a grand style, and many of the Belgravia buildings are still uniform today. As well as providing homes for wealthy residents, Belgravia houses many foreign embassies, particularly around Belgrave Square.