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Origin and history

The Belvedere, now the Maurice-Ravel Museum, is a house in Montfort-l'Amaury (Yvelines), acquired in January 1921 by composer Maurice Ravel. He lived there sixteen years, from 1921 until his death in 1937, and composed emblematic works such as the Children and the Sortilèges, the Madécasse Songs, the Bolero, and the two Piano Concertos. The house, modest but offering a panoramic view of the city and forest of Rambouillet, was chosen by his friend Georgette Marnold in December 1920, after Ravel had asked him to find a "hull" less than 30 km from Paris.

In 1928, a surprise party, "L-impromptu de Montfort-l-l-Amaury", was organized in his honour with prestigious guests such as Arthur Honegger and Hélène Jourdan-Morhange. In the same year, a bust of Ravel, carved by Léon Leyritz, was inaugurated. After the death of the composer, the house remained in the custody of his Breton governess, Marie Reveleau, and in 1954 was entrusted to Céleste Albaret, former governess of Marcel Proust, and to his sister Marie Gineste, through an agreement signed with Édouard Ravel, brother and heir of Mauritius.

Bequeathed at the National Museum Meeting in 1958, the house became a museum in 1973 after development work. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1994 (then extended to the garden in 2022), it houses Ravel's personal objects, including his 1908 Érard piano, family portraits, and collections of bibelots. The garden, replanted in 2000 in a "japonizing" spirit desired by the composer, completes this place of memory. Since 2023, the museum has been preparing commemorations for the 150th anniversary of Ravel's birth in 2025.

The Belvedere retains a neat interior decoration, reflecting the personality of the composer. The music salon features five family portraits, including two of Ravel's children, as well as a bust by Louise Ochsé in 1928. The house, owned by the Réunion des musées nationales since 1971, is managed in partnership with the city of Montfort-l It benefits from the labels Musée de France (2003) and Maison des Illustres (2011).

In 2017, a polemic broke out around the guide Claude Moreau, posted since 1986, released after an incident during a visit. A 2018 report recommended improvements, including the final classification of the site (in 2022) and the restoration of the piano. In 2023, the museum received a donation of works of art and archives from the Association of Friends of Maurice Ravel, enriching its collections. Scenes from Anne Fontaine's film Boléro (2024) were shot there, testifying to its cultural influence.

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