Maurice Ravel moved to the Belvedère house in 1921, seduced by the calm and beauty of Montfort l’Amaury, a beautiful village near Paris.
He wrote Le Bolero in this house
In 1921, Maurice Ravel, who was looking for “a shack at least thirty kilometers from Paris“, bought the Belvedere in Montfort-l’Amaury, which became his refuge and his place of meditation until his death in 1937. It was between the walls of this charming residence, on the edge of the national forest of Rambouillet, which the composer liked to receive his many friends and which he wrote some of his most famous works: Le Boléro, the Concerto pour la main gauche or even the ‘Child and the Spells.
A gifted decorator
A born decorator, Maurice Ravel worked, after having designed the garden himself, to meticulously decorate the small rooms of his house, transforming them into real cases for his trinkets, his books, his piano, … a vast collection of objects as precious as they are unusual. In the living room, coffee cups with holes, on the piano romantic boxes, in the library, a Chinese man sticking his tongue out… so many curiosities that you will discover during a guided tour that you will have booked in advance. The places are so small that no more than 6 people are allowed at the same time!
Practical information
Access and contacts 78490 Montfort-l’Amaury 01 34 86 87 96
http://www.fondationmauriceravel.com
Opening days and hours
From 01/01 to 31⁄12, every Saturday and Sunday. Individual guided tours Saturday and Sunday only. Prices • €8 • Adult: €8 Teenager (12-18 years old): €4. Free for children under 12. All visits are guided. Each visit takes place in groups of 6 people maximum given the small size of the premises. Visits at 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
