Montfort l'Amaury

A little bit of history...The history of Montfort l'Amaury dates back to the Early Middle Ages, when Robert the Pious (976-1031) received the forest of Iveline as an appanage. The young king charged William of Hainaut with building two strongholds, one at Epernon, the other at Montfort, in order to ensure the defense of his domain. When he died, his son, Amaury I, inherited his titles. Under his authority the castle, the ramparts, the churches of Saint Pierre and Saint Laurent were built by Hugues Bardoul, captain of the castle.
The Montfort family was often associated with royal personalities: thus, in the 1104th century, Bertrade de Montfort, daughter of Simon I de Montfort, was kidnapped by the King of France, Philippe I, from her husband the Duke of Anjou. . She thus became queen of France in XNUMX, after multiple twists and turns.
The Montforts continued with Yolande who, through her marriage to the Duke of Brittany, Arthur II, linked the county to the Duchy of Brittany. From this union was born Anne of Brittany, Queen of France twice and Duchess of Brittany who beautified the City with her constructions.
Montfort became a stopover place for the kings of France: Henry IV passed through the town before reaching the capital, as did Louis XIII.
With the construction of the Palace of Versailles and the relocation of the French court, Montfort l'Amaury was intended to be the place of residence of the "hoberaux", men of royal office. In fact, the city is becoming more dynamic.
The revolutionary period is quite confused, most of the archives having disappeared. However, the presence of a clog maker, then mayor of the city, who would have brought about the reign of Terror is proven.
Nowadays, Montfort l'Amaury has become a place of residence for artists who come to relax and find their inspiration.
To the sound of the Boléro "It's a small house, a sort of small pavilion, not even a villa... from the outside, it looks a bit like a poorly cut slice of Camembert cheese".
Manuel Rosenthal
Composer and conductor (1904-2003)
Seduced by the calm and beauty of Montfort-l'Amaury, Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) moved to the Belvédère in 1921. This house, which he designed and transformed, became his refuge for sixteen years, a place of composition and of meditation. He welcomes his friends there, musicians [semicolon] he brings to life works which, even today, are performed all over the world, such as Le Boléro. Let yourself be surprised by this special place, where the melodic breath of this great composer still resonates. A cultural heritage to discover without moderation! Montfort in imagesAnd here is a taste of what awaits you: