Franz Liszt and Marie D'Agoult's House of Love

Geneva is a city of creative people. They seemed to like coming here be it for creating, holidaying, or romancing. Quite often for romancing, though. When in the Old Town go to the end of the rue Etienne Dumont - the one opposite to the view of the St Pierre Cathedral and look for a plaque on the wall of the beautiful corner building. The plaque, bearing the profile of the composer, Franz Liszt, has an inscription (in French) which reads: 'Hungarian master Franz Liszt stayed in this house from 1835 to 1836'. The time spent with his lover, Marie d'Agoult, was brief but long enough to have the plaque put up and the square named after the pianist. Countess Marie d'Agoult had abandoned her husband and children, as well as Parisian lifestyle, to run off with the handsome Franz. She was 29, and Franz - 23. The scandalous couple were snubbed by high society of Geneva. One of the rare Genevans to welcome them was the young James Fazy. Marie d’Agoult prided herself on her writing, but at the time a woman had to sign under a male name if she wished to be published. Under the pseudonym of Daniel Stern, she wrote a serious work – History of the Revolution of 1848. After living Geneva, Marie and Franz’s love cooled and then officially ended in 1846.

Bel endroit!