Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Villeneuve mill, built in the 12th century on the Remarde at Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines, was remodeled in the 18th and 19th centuries. Initially a water mill and banal (obligation for vassaux to grind their grain), it belonged to local lords such as Louis de Villeneuve in 1541. In 1608 Philibert Guybert undertook important work, adding stables, a bedroom, and hydraulic installations. The Rohan family acquired it in 1762, before it was sold as a national property in 1794 to Guillaume Stourm.

In the 19th century, the mill was regulated by a prefectural decree of 1852, confirming its perpetual right to water. Disused in 1904, it became a country residence, passing in several hands, including the Cartier-Bresson family, before being bought in 1951 by Louis Aragon and Elsa Triolet. The couple made it a place of literary and artistic inspiration, welcoming friends like Pablo Picasso or Fernand Léger. Elsa Triolet wrote The Red Horse (1953), while Aragon composed The Holy Week (1958).

The mill became a museum after their death, left to the state in 1976. Elsa Triolet, who died in 1970, was buried in the park, followed by Aragon in 1982. Opened to the public in 1994, the site maintains its 30,000-volume library, a contemporary art collection, and a six-hectare park. Labeled Maison des Illustres in 2012, he organizes exhibitions, lectures and educational workshops. Ranked a historic monument in 2017, it perpetuates their memory while supporting the current creation.

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