Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Auberge Ravoux, originally called Café de la Mairie, was founded in 1876 as a wine trade in the Place d'Auvers-sur-Oise. Turned into a café-restaurant in 1884 by the Levert family, he was taken over in 1890 by Arthur Gustave Ravoux, accompanied by his wife Louise and their daughter Adeline. This modest place, located at 52 rue du Général-de-Gaulle, becomes a landmark for artists passing through, thanks to a back room dedicated to storage and retouching of paintings.

The painter Vincent van Gogh rents room 5 for one franc a day in May 1890, spending his last 70 days there. During this prolific stay, he made 74 paintings, 45 drawings and one engraving. On July 27, 1890, he fatally injured him with a bullet in his chest before dying two days later. By superstition, the room — known as the "suicide" — will never be rented again, although later occupied by managers such as the Boissy family in 1946.

Classified as a Historic Monument in 1984 for its bedroom and staircase, the hostel was restored between 1988 and 1993. Re-opened to the public in September 1993 under her current name, she kept Van Gogh's room in its original state, empty except for a chair and a window. The back room where the artist stored his works was however demolished during the works. Today, the place combines historical memory, restaurant and tourist attraction, attracting art and history lovers.

The establishment embodies the link between Van Gogh and Auvers-sur-Oise, a village where the painter produced some of his major works before his death. The reconstruction of his room, allowed by the memories of Adeline Ravoux, and the heritage protections (classification of facades and roofs) underline its cultural importance. The site remains a poignant testimony of the end of the painter's life, while perpetuating his artistic heritage.

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