The beating heart ofAuvers-sur-Oise, theAuberge Ravoux is much more than just an old-fashioned restaurant: it's a place of memory, charged with emotion and history. It was here that Vincent van Gogh spent the last months of his life in 1890, painting dozens of works until his tragic death. But behind the walls of this house, which has seen many personalities pass through, lie many stories, often little-known, that give the inn a real soul, full of mystery.
Discover five astonishing anecdotes about the Auberge Ravoux, which may give you a different view of this establishment when you take a trip to Auvers-sur-Oise, a trip we'd definitely recommend, whether you're a lover ofImpressionism, bucolic villages or simply enjoy a stroll in the countryside not far from the capital. From workshop secrets to unusual objects, these little stories reveal all the richness of a place frozen in time, but still vibrant with emotion.
Did you know that one of Van Gogh's paintings is not painted on canvas? While waiting for a delivery from Paris that never arrived, the painter stole some of the iconic tea towels used as tablecloths at the Auberge Ravoux where he was staying, with their famous red border, to apply his brushstrokes.
Among the 74 paintings created during this particularly prolific period, three small ones are on tea towels, two details from " Daubigny's Garden " and one " Bouquet of Flowers," which were later re-stretched. This was common practice at the time for artists without money, but has since become a nod to the past, with some aspiring or established painters having had the opportunity to give free rein to their creativity on this medium.
Long after the Dutch painter's visit, other artists and intellectuals fell in love with the town of Auvers-sur-Oise and the Auberge Ravoux, with its friendly atmosphere. André Malraux also had his favorite table, close to the window, where he regularly ate good charcuterie, especially sausage! As an amusing tribute, a sausage is still placed in the drawer of his table, but we advise against taking it out for an aperitif, as it may not be very fresh after all this time!
It's difficult to sleep in a room where someone has died... After Van Gogh's death, his room, now known as "the suicide room," was never rented out again by the inn. This superstition has worked out well for us in this century, as it has allowed the room to remain in the same condition as it was in Van Gogh's time, preserving its soul.
When Vincent Van Gogh died, the village priest refused to hold his funeral in the church he had painted. As a Protestant and, above all, a suicide, he was denied a proper ceremony. For his final farewell, his friends and family hoisted his coffin onto the tables of the Auberge Ravoux, and paid tribute to him in the place that was so dear to his heart, then in bloom with sunflowers and yellow dahlias, surrounded by his paintings.
The town's parish priest even refused to lend the hearse and equipment for the service, but the parish priest of neighboring Méry-sur-Oise allowed the coffin to be transported to the cemetery where it rests today.
An artist's life is always full of mysteries and coincidences. Van Gogh was born in Zundert, in front of a town hall that bears a striking resemblance to that of Auvers-sur-Oise, in front of which stands the Auberge Ravoux, where he died, 400 kilometers from where he was born 37 years earlier.
Location
Auberge Ravoux
52 Rue du Général de Gaulle
95430 Auvers sur Oise
