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Key figures

Origin and history

The Alphonse Daudet Museum originated from the writer's attachment to the Fontvieille region, where he stayed regularly from 1863. Contrary to a tenacious legend, Daudet lived not in a mill, but in the Château de Montauban, owned by the Ambroy family, with which he maintained a lasting friendship, notably with Timoleon Ambroy, until his death in 1896. This castle, now a municipal property, now hosts cultural events, while the mill Saint-Pierre was chosen in 1935 to house the museum.

The choice of the mill Saint-Pierre by the association Les Amis de Daudet is explained by its conformity with the description made in Les Lettres de mon Moulin: a "low, low and vaulted piece like a convent refectory". This mill, always equipped with its original mechanism, symbolizes Daudet's Provencal inspiration. Since 1935, the museum has gathered the author's writings, photographs and personal objects, perpetuating his memory in an authentic setting.

Although the Château de Montauban played a central role in the life of Daudet, it is the mill Saint-Pierre, located in Auriol, which today embodies its literary heritage. The confusion between these places reflects the importance of Fontvieille and its surroundings in the Daudetian imagination. The museum, labeled Musée de France, remains a living testimony to the work and attachment of the writer to Provence, while preserving a unique industrial and cultural heritage.

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