Alexandre Dumas the Elder (1802-1870) is undoubtedly the most prolific artist of the Romantic movement in French literature, with 91 plays, hundreds of volumes of fiction (The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and more), a biography, and a cookbook (which he considered the pinnacle of his literary work). However, there was another area in which Dumas was considered a particularly prolific person (literally) – the area of love.
Alexandre Dumas the Elder never rested for a moment.
From the moment he lost his virginity at the age of 17 until his death at the age of 68, Alexandre Dumas never stopped for a moment. Since he could never remain faithful to one woman, he also did not demand the same from his partners. It is said that one day he found his wife and his friend Roger de Beauvoir in bed together. Since it was a cold and rainy night, he suggested that Roger share his sorrow. In the morning, he told his friend, “There is no reason for two good friends to fight over a woman, even if it is the wife of one of them,” and shook the hand of the surprised Roger.
Alexandre Dumas Jr. surprises his father (and then goes his own way)
Alexandre Dumas himself was often surprised by “delicate situations,” and more than once the one who surprised him was his son, Alexandre Dumas Jr. Hence, the scene in which Dumas runs around his house hiding his mistresses in wardrobes while a servant announces the arrival of his son, occurred more than once.
Dumas' son initially disliked his father's lifestyle and called him a "grown-up boy," but as time passed, father and son came to an understanding and even became close friends. Just how close their relationship was can be seen from the following conversation, which one of their friends overheard:
“You know, Dad,” said Alexandre Dumas Jr., “it kind of annoys me that you give me your old mistresses to sleep with and your new shoes to wear until they get soft.” “I don’t understand why you’re complaining,” said Dumas Sr., “take it as a compliment that you have a thick dick and a narrow foot.”
Dumas doesn't stop until the bitter end.
As can be understood from the stories so far, Dumas did not believe in the institution of marriage and the only time he married was as a result of blackmail. Although he earned quite a bit of money from the many works he wrote, Dumas, who loved the good life, was often mired in debt.
Ida Ferrier, an actress with whom he had a romantic relationship, asked her friend to buy up all of Dumas' debts and threaten him that if he did not marry her he would have to go to prison for non-payment of a debt. The Vicomte de Chateaubriand, who was a witness at their wedding, glanced at the bride's chest and whispered to his friend, "You see, my friend, everything I bless falls."
Indeed, after 4 years, Dumas's marriage collapsed when his wife ran away with an Italian nobleman (much to his delight). Ida Freya was not the only actress with whom the writer had a love story, and once an embarrassing situation even arose when 3 actresses with whom he was having an affair simultaneously participated in a play he wrote and directed.
Even in his 60s, Alexandre Dumas continued to lead a turbulent life. His last lover was Ada Isaacs Menken, a Jewish actress from New Orleans who, as a “literary groupie,” had affairs with quite a few famous writers of her time, including Mark Twain.
Ada, who became famous as the “Naked Lady” because in one of her plays she appeared on stage riding a horse and wearing only a transparent leotard, was everything the writer was looking for in a woman. Love blossomed between them and the actress managed to convince Dumas to take a picture with her, and the photo quickly became the talk of the town in Paris, destroying what little prestige Dumas had left.
Shortly afterwards Dumas died of syphilis, which he contracted from one of his many mistresses. However, the Franco-Prussian War, which was taking place at the time, meant that his death passed almost unnoticed. One of his friends eulogized him with the following words: Alexandre Dumas continued to pursue women until the last moment, when the disease paralyzed both his mind and his legs”…
Chateau de Monte Cristo
The Château de Monte Cristo, built by Alexandre Dumas the Elder in 1844 and named after his famous book “The Count of Monte Cristo,” is undoubtedly one of the lesser-known secrets of Ile de FranceIt is located in a small town called Porte de Marly (near the palace of the beloved Louis XIV, which has long been destroyed).
It's a bit difficult to get there, and you have to pass a hospital on the way, but, as you'll see in the video below, it's definitely worth it.
This is a Neo-Renaissance building that serves as a kind of museum for the writer's literary and design heritage, which, like Victor Hugo, also a sin in interior design. Here you will find photos, letters, paintings and various other things related to his work. It is a “bis museum”, that is, a not-so-big and not-so-comfortable place, which you can see in about an hour or two (and you can of course also stroll through the charming park around it).
As such, it can be a great option when traveling to Ile-de-France (especially if you've already seen some big palace that day and are looking for another small attraction to "close the corner" for you for the day). Here are some of the things you'll find there:
- The Dumas family crest
- A Maori-style room that will make you think you've returned to Spain during the Muslim Golden Age (built by craftsmen who were specially brought from Tunisia).
- A small house surrounded by a moat in the palace garden. It is where Alexandre Dumas used to write his books.
Unfortunately for Dumas, he was not as good at managing money as he was at writing or cooking, and in 1848 he was forced to sell his house. He remained there for a few more years, with the buyer's consent, but in 1851, pursued by his debtors, he was forced into exile in Belgium.
The Château de Monte Cristo passed through many hands and over the years it deteriorated until in 1969 it was decided to demolish it and build hundreds of housing units on the site. Fortunately for us, two preservation societies (one associated with the Château de Monte Cristo and the other the Society of Friends of Alexandre Dumas) decided to buy the palace and renovate it. I highly recommend seeing the result on your next trip toFrance.
For more information about the Chateau de Monte Cristo, please visitThis site.