This is a nice town and a wonderful off the beaten path visit by groups to the nice Maurice Ravel museum of Montfort L’Amaury. I like to update this older post, and hope you enjoy it as I. When I was in Versailles, I came often to this town and initially walking to the tour donjon of Anne de Bretagne, saw his house by chance. Then, the rest is history. Montfort L’Amaury in the Yvelines dept 78 of the ïle de France region.
The house museum of Maurice Ravel (music composer creator of Bolero ) call the Belvédère, a mansion from the 20C at the foot of the ruins of the donjon/tower Anne de Bretagne (see post) ,looking down on the house by Rue Maurice Ravel. Le Belvédère is the name of the house where the composer Maurice Ravel lived for sixteen years from 1921 until the year of his death in a clinic in Paris in 1937. The Boléro, the Concerto for the left hand, the L’Enfant or Child and the Sortilèges are some of the works written at Montfort. During a visit to the house of the famous composer, you will discover his surprising collection of trinkets. From its living room, you can admire the magnificent view as well as its Japanese garden.
This relatively modest and cramped house, acquired in January 1921, owes its name to its hillside location and the panorama it offers of the town of Montfort-l’Amaury and the Rambouillet forest in the background. It is in this house that the composer composed almost all of his works from 1921, including L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Chansons madécasses, the famous Boléro (I know him for it), the Concerto in G for piano and orchestra, and the Concerto for the left hand.
The house, inherited by the musician’s brother, Édouard Ravel, firstly remained under the care of the musician’s faithful governess of Breton origin, Mrs. Marie Reveleau. The custody of the Belvedere was jointly entrusted in 1954 to Céleste Albaret, former governess of Marcel Proust, and to her sister Marie Gineste. However, Céleste Albaret had to leave the Belvedere in 1970. In his second authentic will of July 18, 1958, Édouard Ravel bequeathed the Belvedere to the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (Union of National Museums). The museum officially opened as such on May 18, 1973.
The house contains many precious and unusual objects. Indeed, Ravel collected trinkets, surprising and wonderful objects. He took great care to decorate his house, perfectly in his image. In the music room are the composer’s office and his Erard piano, made in 1908 and acquired in 1911, who traveled from 4 avenue Carnot to Paris where he was until 1917, then to Neuilly-sur-Seine until the installation at the Belvedere which began in January 1921, In this room of the house there are also, in addition to numerous objects and souvenirs, five family portraits: two portraits of the child composer, one by his Swiss brother Édouard Ravel and the other painted in 1886; one of his younger brother Édouard Ravel as a child by the Swiss brother Édouard Ravel, one of his mother Marie Delouart also by brother Édouard Ravel and one of his father Joseph Ravel. In the dining room, there is among other things a realistic bust of Maurice Ravel made in the summer of 1928.
Guided tours in small groups are organized there every weekend, and during the week by appointment, see the tourist office at La Maison du tourisme, 3, rue Amaury, 78490 Montfort l’Amaury or email : tourisme@montfortlamaury.fr
The city of Montfort L’Amaury on the house museum of Maurice Ravel : https://www.montfortlamaury.fr/culture-tourisme/sites-et-monuments/la-maison-musee-de-maurice-ravel/?lang=en
The Foundation of Maurice Ravel has more info on the house museum : https://fondationmauriceravel.com/fr/venir-visiter-le-belvedere/
The Ravel days an association to showoff his work in Montfort : https://www.lesjourneesravel.com/
There you go folks, a bit of culture away in a small quant town in my beloved Yvelines, nearer my dear Versailles. Its a nice detour to see what could be call an off the beaten path visit in my belle France. The house museum Maurice Ravel is very interesting indeed.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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