Montfort-l'Amaury () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the ÃÂle-de-France region, Northern France. It is located north of Rambouillet. The name comes from Amaury I de Montfort, the first seigneur (lord) of Montfort. It was a seat of several noble families, including the Chardonnay family, who held lands there from the late 13th century.
Montfort-l'Amaury lies north of the Rambouillet Forest. It is located at the foot of low hills, at about 130 m above sea level. Montfort-lâÂÂAmaury has a land area of about 5.71 kmò, with an elevation of approximately 130 meters above sea level. As of the latest legal census, the population is around 2,790 inhabitants, giving a population density of about 489 persons per square kilometer. Additionally, the composer Maurice Ravel lived in this commune between 1921 and 1937 in a house called Le Belvédère, which is now a museum. The ruins of the castle founded around the year 996 and the church of Saint-Pierre are also notable landmarks.
King Robert II built a castle in 996 in the hills of Montfort. Montfort-l'Amaury was the stronghold of the Montfort family from the start of the 11th century. Amaury I built the ramparts.
The Comté de Montfort was related to the Duchy of Brittany following the marriage of Yolande de Dreux-Montfort with Arthur of Brittany in 1294. It returned to the crown of France when Brittany became a part of France under Francis I. The castle was destroyed by the English during the Hundred Years' War.