The Elsa Triolet-Aragon House, museum and residence of the writer couple in the heart of the Yvelines

Lovers of literature, come and take a little stroll in the Yvelines, at the entrance of the town of Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines, at the home of Elsa Triolet and Louis Aragon, two writers who fell in love in the 20th century. A true haven of peace and greenery, the Elsa Triolet-Aragon House is a small treasure, a former mill of Villeneuve, in the heart of a six-hectare park, where you can walk to the sweet sound of birds and the trickling of the waterfall. If the house can only be visitedaccompanied by a passionateguide with captivating anecdotes, the garden can be discovered independently.

This house, offered by the poet Louis Aragon to Elsa Triolet, who fell in love in Paris, is a former mill, acquired in 1951 to enjoy weekends and vacations in the countryside, far from the hustle and bustle of the capital, in order to create quietly in their little love nest. And it is a success since many poems and recognized writings will be imagined here: Le cheval roux, La mise à mort, or Les yeux et la mémoire. Very attached to this place, the two lovers will take care of the park and redesign it to make it what we admire today, naming the alleys, the lawns and the woods.

Although the mill is unfortunately no longer in operation, its remains can be seen in the couple's living room, thanks to a small window that lets you see the mill's waterfall. The architecture of the place is very impressive, with a high ceiling in the main room and a very rustic charm, the house having been left furnished as it was at the time. Elsa Triolet, who loved to use objects to give them a new life, gives the place a real soul and gives us the impression ofentering the couple's intimacy.

The house is a real museum, where we also find gifts from their friends, who came regularly to see them in the country. Thus, one can admire trivets or plates offered by Picasso, paintings by Fernand Leger, and many others. In 1966, Agnès Varda came to film them in the mill for her short documentary film! A house full of emotions and memories, the house was therefore a place of meetings and artistic exchanges.

Unfortunately, in 1970, Elsa died in the alleys of the park, breaking Aragon's heart. During the visit, we discover with emotion that time stopped for the writer, with an ephemeris near their room, stopped on the day of his death. Elsa wished to be buried in the park, but this being forbidden by law, Aragon asked for a presidential dispensation, while he himself hoped to join her later. This was done, since we find their tomb, which overlooks the garden, where we can meditate to the sound of Bach's music, which Elsa loved, as well as the song of the nightingale, in a restful tranquility.

• To be read
• Tips for the week of December 23 - 29, 2024 in Paris: free or cheap outings
• Free museums and monuments this Sunday: places to visit in Paris on January 5, 2025
• Free Museums and Monuments to visit in Paris and the Ile-de-France region, good ideas for outings

Aragon wanted to leave a legacy and in 1976 he gave the Villeneuve mill to the State so that it could become a place of memory, especially dedicated to artistic creation in all its forms. It became a house-museum in 1994 and since then has hosted many artists fortemporary exhibitions, as well as contemporarysculptures, scattered throughout the park, for an unmissable tour during your visit, especially in good weather! Inaccessible to the public except by request to the librarian, an impressivereserve of exceptional works belonging to the couple rests in the attic of the mill.

In the park, very eclectic, we find the Rémarde, the river that crosses the domain and used to feed the mill, a beautiful vegetation, an old wash house built at the beginning of the 19th century, a dovecote, Elsa's garden and so many spaces conducive to listening to nature, to inspiration and to rest. An unusual blue ceramic barbecue table sits near the house, appreciated by the couple who regularly invited guests to stay in their adjoining outbuilding. Among the contemporary art pieces in the garden, we also appreciate the messages engraved on the bridges of the park by Petite Poissone, with feminist and explosive texts, which juggle words and surfaces.

The house has been listed as a historic monumentsince February 15, 2017, as has the Bal Parquet, an authentic traveling dance hall, which hosted dancers and artists as early as 1946 and still hosts meetings and shows. In front of the house, enjoy a small tea room, with the sound of frogs croaking in chorus in the pretty flowered pond, as well as small amazing picnic tables, decorated with swan heads!

To visit the house-museum, book a guided tour from Monday to Friday at 4 pm or on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 2 to 6 pm. The park is accessible every afternoon. To get there from Paris, shuttles are available on reservation from the Porte d'Orléans. The train stations of Rambouillet or Dourdan, as well as a bus to the house, can also take you there.

Don't hesitate to take advantage of your day in the Yvelines to visit the Château de Rambouillet and its superb domain which is full of enchanting spots, only a few kilometers away!

Discover other artists' houses in Île-de-France :

The most beautiful artists' houses to discover in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
Victor Hugo, Balzac, Gainsbourg, Rodin, Delacroix... All these artists made Paris or its suburbs their home for part of their lives. The homes of these great names welcome you with open arms to discover their worlds. Just follow the guide! [Read more]