Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The property of Ville-d'Avray has its origins in a remembered seigneurial domain, gradually transformed by artisans, bourgeois and men of letters from the 1740s. A regular utility garden and stable were built around 1740, followed by a house built as a secondary residence around 1750. The latter was enlarged several times until the end of the 1780s, while dependencies developed, reflecting the evolution of usages and wealthy owners.

At the turn of the 19th century, Jean Nicolas Thierriet de Granpré transformed a part of the land into a landscaped and picturesque garden, incorporating factories (rotonde, cooler, rustic pavilion), a waterfall and an artificial river. These accommodations, inspired by the aristocratic models of resorts, are complemented by Charles Guillaume Etienne, who adds a doric porch to the entrance of the house. The site then embodies the aesthetic and social ideal of bourgeois secondary residences of the time.

The property takes on a major artistic dimension when it is acquired by the family of painter Camille Corot (1796–75). The latter lived there regularly between 1817 and 1875, making a place of inspiration for 266 paintings and drawings, including the landscapes of Ville-d'Avray. The estate, shared with its family, retains its character from the beginning of the 19th century despite subsequent changes of owners, such as the publisher Alphonse Lemerre, mayor of the commune, who establishes its principal residence there.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 2024, the property today preserves its emblematic elements: facades and roofs of the house (with its porch and terrace), a garden in total (manufacturers, artificial river, rock), as well as its fence wall and gate. These vestiges bear witness to its evolution, from the 18th century utility developments to its romantic and artistic climax under Corot.

External links