Château de Monte-Cristo
The Château de Monte-Cristo is a writer's house museum located at Le Port-Marly in the Yvelines department of northern France. It was originally built as a residence for Alexandre Dumas, "père". History. The château was designed by the architect Hippolyte Durand and built between 1844 and 1847. Dumas named it after one of his most successful novels, "The Count of Monte Cristo" (French: "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo"), which was completed in 1844. Durand also designed a writing studio on the grounds, which Dumas named the Château d'If after another setting from the  same novel. In 1848, short of money, Dumas had to sell the property. The château fell into disrepair by the 1960s. It was later restored with the patronage of King Hassan II of Morocco, who financed the restoration of its Moorish room. Since 1994, the two châteaux and gardens have been restored. The entire property is operated as a public historic museum memorializing Dumas.