Explore the story of Villa "La Grimpette" during Heritage Days 2026

For this new edition of the Journées du Patrimoine, the 19 and 20 September 2026, the little-known treasures of Île-de-France fling open their doors to carry us back in time. Nestled in Monthyon, in Seine-et-Marne, the villa “La Grimpette” offers a charming cultural and pastoral interlude.

Perched on the village’s hillside, this unconventional house long served as the tranquil retreat of Eugène Boch, a Belgian painter and poet from the renowned Villeroy & Boch porcelain dynasty. Arriving here at the end of the 19th century, the artist fully embraced the Post-Impressionist movement, a school that sheds strict realism in favor of vivid color and the direct expression of emotion on the canvas.

Boch regularly hosts his fellow artists, starting with Vincent van Gogh himself, who would use it as the model for his famous portrait Le Peintre aux étoiles. More than 700 canvases are said to have filled the rooms of this house before being donated or dispersed to museums around the world. Local legend also has it that other illustrious creators, such as Marc Chagall, stayed within these walls to paint the panorama of the surrounding countryside.

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But “La Grimpette” does not merely tell the story of the painting. In September 1914, its perch above the Goële plain made it a strategic observatory during the First Battle of the Marne. Generals Gallieni and de Lamaze set up a temporary command post there to study troop movements through binoculars from the upper floors. Bought by the town of Monthyon in 2010, the building today has the mission of safeguarding this local memory, blending artistic heritage with republican military history. Discover the full program of tours and activities planned on site for the weekend.

The 2026 Heritage Days program at the villa "La Grimpette" in Monthyon

• Opening of the prestigious residence "La grimpette"

  Opening of the prestigious residence known as "La Grimpette"

  Participation terms: Free | No reservation required

  Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM–6:00 PM

• Photo exhibition of Moroccan Tirailleurs and Goumiers who served with the French Army during World War I and World War II

  First strand: Photographic Heritage — Exhibitions of official army photographs, portraying real-life scenarios or propaganda; and before/after images.

  Second strand: Heritage in Peril — The Pavilion of Morocco at the Tropical Garden.

  Participation requirements : Free - Open access - Free | No reservation required

  Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM

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