In the footsteps of Henry

Saint-Esteve

Nearby Thézan-des-Corbières, in the town of Montséret (Aude), vineyard (buildings of the mid-nineteenth century), one of Henry de Monfreid’s younger sons, Eric Latham, winemaker.

The franqui

The beach house « Amelie, » Cap Leucate, a play of Henry’s early youth. Resort developed by Bertrand, maternal family of Henry. Refer mainly to the Cape of Three Brothers (Volume IV), The Exile (Volume V) or the Caroline in the Bourgeois (Volume I),Grasset.
The Salt Box House, built by Henry and where he used to spend the summer since 1947, the year of his return to France.

Narbonne

Archbishop’s Palace,  Art Museum in old apartments with a collection of paintings by George-Daniel de Monfreid (portraits, still lifes, …).

Carcassonne

When Henry Monfreid  was a teenager he went to Grand Street Boarding School. Henry lived with his mother Amelia square Gambetta. Cathedral of Saint Nazaire, where Henry went to play the organ when he was 16. Refering to the Combat (Volume VII).

Leucate

 At the top of the old cemetery is the grave of Henry Monfreid (1879-1974) and his son Daniel (1922-1976). Henry Monfreid Media Library.

Leucate port

Henry Monfreid’s area, very close to the port, with various cultural events.

Corneilla-de-Conflent

Not far away from Prades on the road (N116) from Perpignan to Font-Romeu, St. Clement, and extended family house is arranged as a « castle » by Caroline de Monfreid, the grandmother of Henry. This building is considered the cradle of the Monfreid family. It is there where many local artists came: Bausil, Maillol, etc.. See This Side of Adventure (10 volumes!). Nice view of the Canigou.
At the cemetery, the grave of George-Daniel de Monfreid (1854? -1929).
After leaving St. Clement to Prades, Henry took the train to Marseille and then took his boat to Djibouti. See his letter dated August 11, 1911 and the prefaceof Extraordinary Adventures (Arthaud).

Fulla or Fuilla

A small village of Conflent, a few miles west of Corneilla de Conflent where George-Daniel de Monfreid arranged his mistress (and model) Annette under a false name, hiding from her mother (to 1896). Nice view of the Canigou. See The Fall(Volume VIII).

Canigou

Mythical mountain, climbed by Henry or George-Daniel during the years 1895-1897, and often painted or represented in the paintings of George Daniel, from his property of San Clemente.

Vernet-les-Bains

Monfreid Carolina, Henry’s  original grandmother, often came here to rest. See the crypt of the new church Calvary, which was designed by George-Daniel de Monfreid around 1897 and put in place by the Mallais Carroy in 1930, from casts of the author found by Aristide Maillol after the death of his friend (1929). We will recognize his second wife, Annette, who is on the left of Christ, weeping in Madeleine. Terracotta, height 2.62 m, width 2.65m.

Port-Vendres

Armgart Freudenfeld, the wife of Henry, lived there in Madame Castan’s house right after her marriage (1913) and during the beginning of the First World War. A world maritime who was fond of her husband while he was in Djibouti. Living in a house overlooking the sea, she was accused by the vox populi of spying for Germany by making bright signals at night. But in fact, she got up at night to care for her baby, Gisele (My secrets of the Red Sea, Gisele de Monfreid, France and Extraordinary Adventures in Empire Arthaud).
West of the harbor docks, George-Daniel has moored his cutter in Amelia, on which Henry, at the age of 5 years old in 1884, went on a cruise in Algiers. Refer to the Cape of the Three Brothers (Volume IV). 80 years later (1964), it’s time for Daniel, his grandson, to moor at the same place with his own cutter, the Obock, this time for his own calling. Henry (85 years old), came to visit him.

Llansa (Spanish)

Catalan port and charming village near the French border, where George-Daniel,1896-1897  « hid » his mistress (and model), Annette, with whom he had a daughter (Agnes), Henry’s half sister .. In 1896, Henry and his father undertook an epic journey. They biked in the mountains between Saint-Clement and Llansa, told in Combat, (Volume VII) to find her.
George-Daniel had been there and in surrounding communities, a few years before, numerous photos (collection of glass plates kept at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris)

Perpignan

Museum of Fine Arts, Hyacinthe Rigaud, paintings by George-Daniel de Monfreid, portraits ( in particular: Homage to Gauguin, self-portrait, at the bottom of the canvas there is a reproduction of Paul Gauguin’s self-portrait), landscapes, and still lifes.
In some shoe stores, selling bigatanes, Catalan espadrilles (shoes) with long laces, which Henry always loved until the end of his life, even in Paris. Hometown of his second wife, Madeleine.

Collioures

 Meeting of Painters, Matisse, George-Daniel de Monfreid, etc.. The boats on the Catalan port and the Notre-Dame-des-Anges-painted by George Daniel, among others.

Saint-Laurent

A town of Beziers, on the road to Maureilhan. Residence of Gisele, the eldest daughter of Henry. Henry was here for many years. Henry had egg soup for dinner, went to bed at 8 o’clock, and got up at 4 am, being very noisy so that  everyone would prepare his breakfast.

Abbey Fontfroide: property of Gustave Fayet, friends of George-Daniel de Monfreid, where he often came.