Subscribe to receive free updates on House & Home news. Start your day with our myFT Daily Digest email, delivering the latest updates every morning. From the moment he entered the world, French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas père (1802-70) left a lasting impression. Weighing in at nine pounds and measuring 18 inches at birth, his father remarked, “If he continues to grow on the outside as he has on the inside, he’ll become quite large!” And indeed, the author of renowned works such as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo became a larger-than-life figure – a man driven by insatiable desires and unwavering curiosity, notorious for his countless love affairs and the scandal he stirred in Paris.
Dumas’s home was no less extraordinary. In 1844, following the successful serialization of his adventure novels in newspapers, he embarked on the construction of two contrasting châteaux: one for writing and one for entertaining. He selected a hill in Le Port-Marly, just 15 miles west of Paris, and enlisted the architect Hippolyte Durand to bring his vision to life. Durand expressed concerns about the clay-based ground, warning that the buildings might shift. However, Dumas proposed a solution – digging down to the sturdy tufa rock and creating two levels of cellars and arcades. Durand cautioned that such an endeavor would cost a substantial sum, but the extravagant Dumas remained undeterred.
The outcome was the Château d’If and the Château de Monte-Cristo, situated amidst sprawling lawns, mature trees, winding pathways, tranquil pools, and enchanting grottos. The Château d’If, inspired by the island prison featured in The Count of Monte Cristo, served as Dumas’s writing studio. This pavilion, constructed with pinkish stone and adorned with a Gothic spire, sits in a small moat. The outer walls proudly display plaques bearing the titles of 88 of Dumas’s literary works. Although too delicate for visitors to enter, visitors can catch a glimpse of Dumas’s desk through the window, with a view overlooking the grander Château de Monte-Cristo, an opulent Renaissance-style structure with decorative stonework and two domed towers at the entrance.
Upon arrival, guests are greeted by the dining room, where a linen-clad table is adorned with miniature replicas of sumptuous food and fine wine. Costumed mannequins and a marble bust of Dumas by Henri Chapu preside over the scene. Exhibits in the room provide insights into Dumas’s family and a detailed account of his culinary adventures, as showcased in his Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine, featuring recipes and menus for extravagant gatherings, including delicacies such as oyster omelettes and quail soup with profiteroles.
A spiral staircase leads to the pièce de résistance – the Moorish Salon, expertly crafted by artisans Hadj Younis and his son Mohammed, whom Dumas had encountered during his travels in Tunisia. The present reconstruction, completed in 1985 with the support of King Hassan II of Morocco, recreates the chamber in all its glory. Here, Dumas entertained his mistresses in a space adorned with mesmerizing geometric stucco walls, mosaic marble floors, exquisite stained-glass windows, and plush floor couches.
Unfortunately, Dumas’s fantasy home was short-lived. Plagued by financial troubles and pursued by creditors, he was forced to sell the property in 1849 for 31,000 gold francs. A century later, his deteriorating Xanadu faced demolition. However, thanks to the efforts of the Société des Amis d’Alexandre Dumas and the Syndicat Intercommunal de Monte-Cristo, the châteaux were saved and preserved for generations to come. These châteaux are a testament to the enduring legacy of this swashbuckling writer.
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