Monte Cristo Castle

A half-hour walk from the station Marly-le-Roi, in the town of Le Port Marley, and here is a low castle of three floors. It was built at its own expense already known by the time writer Alexander Dumas-father, author of "Three Musketeers", "Prisoner of If Castle" and "Count of Monte Cristo". It was in the process of writing the Count of Monte Cristo that Dumas finally decided to build a castle, no worse than those of his heroes. It is no coincidence that the name of the castle: the writer gave his characters his own features, and for a long time chose in whose honor to name the new house. Maybe in honor of D'Artagnan? Or call it Villa Palmieri? However, since the name of his character Count Monte Cristo was fixed for the writer, it was decided to give his name to the castle. Near the main house was built its smaller copy for the writer - "Chastle If". Here Dumas escaped from the noisy crowd and annoying visitors and worked.

In order to carry out his plan, Dumas bought a piece of land from a local peasant, with whom he concluded a contract in words, because of which his relatives feared that one day the peasant would simply claim the land back, and the castle would have to be demolished. The land in this place was swampy, which prevented it from setting up a garden in the spirit of that time. But the writer did not stop, demanding the seemingly impossible. He wanted a Gothic pavilion, a basement for a collection of wines, fountains, arbors, water cascades, marble statues of the people who inspired him. On July 25, 1847, the Monte Cristo Castle opened its doors for the first secular reception, which attracted more than 600 guests. The interior and garden so impressed the audience that this place has long gained popularity among secular people. And Honore de Balzac called the decoration of the castle “a crazy luxury of the time of Louis XV with elements of Renaissance decoration.”

The construction of the castle cost the writer an unprecedented amount - 500 thousand francs. And then there are endless visits, receptions, parties, which took unthinkable amounts, and even their own menagerie (5 dogs, 2 parrots, pheasant, cat, vulture). Alexandre Dumas held firm, tried to work harder, but by 1848 revolutionary ferment began. The popularity of non-revolutionary books fell sharply, and in May 1848 all the interior decoration, including furniture, cutlery and paintings, was sold under the hammer. The estate itself was sold for almost 16 times less than the cost.

In the 2nd half of the XX century, a society of friends of the writer was organized, which managed to preserve the castle and turn it into a museum. Now the museum is open for visitors from April 1 to November 1 from 10.00 to 18.00 (break from 12.30 to 14.00), on Saturdays and holidays (except those that fall on Monday) from 10.00 to 17.00. In the low season from November 2 to March 31 is open only on Sundays from 10.00 to 17.00.