Jean-Claude Brialy's estate in Monthyon: a piece of French cinema heritage

The Domaine de Jean-Claude Brialy, a fascinating, historic property in Monthyon, a stone's throw from Meaux in the Seine-et-Marne region, is once again opening its doors to you for guided tours of the history of the house and the actor. The story of how Brialy, the famous French New Wave actor, acquired the estate is an adventure in itself. At the age of 26, after suffering an injury on the set of Claude Chabrol's Le Beau Serge, the young actor bought the Château de Monthyon to recover. Although advised against this financial venture, with the help of influential filmmaker friends such as François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Claude Chabrol, he transformed the dilapidated château into a 600m2 splendor.

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In this château sixty kilometers from Paris, many of the stars of the era, including Romy Schneider, François Truffaut, Barbara, Claudia Cardinale and Isabelle Adjani, among others, were Brialy's guests. The château's interior offers a glimpse of the lively atmosphere that reigned within its walls. The dining room, where Jean-Claude Brialy regularly entertained the crème de la crème of French cinema, the salon des angelots adorned with antique angels, and the salon Barbara, which houses a 1930s piano commissioned by the singer Barbara, are just some of the remarkable rooms that visitors will be able to explore.

The estate's facilities are not limited to the château's interior. The estate also houses an exhibition room, which will feature themed exhibitions on Jean-Claude Brialy 's passions and his relationship with the world of cinema. The Les Petits Bouffes theater, once a home cinema set up by Brialy, has also been converted into a professional stage that will welcome audiences for various cultural programs. The estate's immense park, a landscaped marvel carefully tended by Brialy himself, is also included in the tour.

The City of Meaux has also continued to renovate the estate, notably by setting up an artists' residence and a conservatory of old varieties in the kitchen garden. Access to the estate is possible from early April to early November, for the season, every year, and advance reservations are required for guided tours in small groups. For a journey through the history of French cinema and an insight into the world of Jean-Claude Brialy, be sure to visit the Monthyon estate when it opens to the public. Shall we book a visit, folks?