The legendary castle of Dumas novels.
In the Paris suburb of Port-Marly is the Castle of Monte Cristo (Château de Monte-Cristo), built in 1847, the house of Alexandre Dumas senior. Created by architect Hippolyte Durand, the castle became the embodiment of the fantasies of the famous French novelist.
“The three Musketeers” and “the Count of Monte Cristo Dumas brought fame and considerable money. Being at the peak of his literary fame, he decided to get his own house near Port Marly. So, in the middle of the English garden with grottos and waterfalls there are two beautiful castle, which were popular in those days, the French architect Durand is built in full accordance with the instructions of Dumas the elder.
The three-story castle in the Renaissance style has an Oriental lounge in the Moorish style. On the facade of the first floor are portraits of the great writers – Homer, Dante, Virgil and Shakespeare. Above the entrance is the image of Dumas.
200 metres from the apartment building was built a small castle in the Gothic style. This was the working place of the writer himself, Dumas called it the “Chateau d’if”. On the external walls of the building you can see signs with the names of his works.
A luxurious life in a big way soon led Dumas to bankruptcy and he was forced to sell the Castle of Monte Cristo to settle with creditors. Since then, the castle many times go hand in hand, which gradually led it into decline.
When the next owner in 1969 set out to demolish the castle for the construction of several hundred cottages, the local Society of Alexander Dumas decided to save the historical landmark. Both the castle was bought and after renovation they opened a Museum of Alexander Dumas. In 1987 the Castle of Monte Cristo was officially recognized as a French historical monument and now, together with the British fleet, two of his buildings are under protection of the state.
