A gem of neo-Renaissance architecture, the small château is flanked by two turrets with cupulas each bearing a graceful "AD" monogram. Dumas himself selected the motifs that adorn the façades: angels, flowers, musical instruments, griffons and arms.
Portraits of great writers sculpted in medallions decorate the window pediments; effigies of Virgil, Shakespeare, Dante, Homer, Chateaubriand, Sophocles, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Racine, Byron, Goethe, Victor Hugo, Corneille and Molière form Dumas' personal panthéon.
When journalist and novelist Léon Gozlan noticed that Dumas' own portrait was not among them he asked, "And you, my good friend, you're not there?"
"Me, I'll be inside," he replied. Later Dumas did place his own effigy above the front entrance so that his face, carved in stone, would smile down at those on his doorstep.
A masterpiece of picturesque architecture, the tiny two story pavilion with only one room on each floor, sits on a small moated island. This is troubadour style at its best, a liberal and eclectic interpretation of Gothic architecture that was fashionable at the time.
The Château d'If is a blend of diverse architectural elements: Gothic ogives, rosaces and moldings, Swiss-chalet style decorative wood banding, and rustic Normandy half-timbering.
It's façades read like a Dumas bibliography--titles of 88 of his works are engraved in stones interspersed with bas-reliefs of characters from his works.
A foot-bridge that crosses the shallow moat and a stone sculpture of a dog in a doghouse with the latin inscription "cave canem" (beware of dog) heighten the minature bastion's resemblance to a stage decor.
Dumas, seeking a quiet place to work, set up his writing table here, away from the crowd of friends and strangers taking advantage of his hospitality in his main house. The days of heaven on earth are never long. By 1847 Dumas was deeply in debt; unbridled spending and living like a nabob took their toll. In 1848 he was forced to sell his furniture; in 1849 his entire domain was sold at auction for one-seventh of its cost.
In 1969 the château, in an extreme state of disrepair, was rescued from demolition when three surrounding towns leagued together to purchase and restore the domain. After thirty years of hard work by dedicated modern-day musketeers, Monte-Cristo was given back its original sparkle.
Classified as an historic monument and open to visitors: www.chateau-monte-cristo.com
To read more about Château de Monte-Cristo and the Alexandre Dumas' tumultuous life, subscribe to and see my article published at www.literarytraveler.com
Text & Photos ©2010 P.B.Lecron
Click on individual photos to enlarge them.
Extraordinary ! it would be ideal if you continue trying different things with your composition and doing intriguing things! I'm delighting in it. by MGT 311 Final Exam
ReplyDeleteI’ll definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this website.
ReplyDelete