Ainola

About

Ainola (literal English translation: "Aino's Place") is a museum in Järvenpää, Finland, which was the home of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, his wife Aino (née Järnefelt), and their six daughters. Situated near Lake Tuusula, 38 kilometres (24 miles) north of Helsinki, the two-story wooden home was designed by Finnish architect Lars Sonck. The foundation was laid in the autumn of 1903, and the Sibelius family began occupying the residence in September 1904. The second floor of Ainola was finished in 1911. The museum is maintained by Ainola Foundation, which was founded in 1972 by the Ministry of Education and Sibelius Society of Finland.

Overview: The only requests Sibelius had for Sonck in designing Ainola were to include both a lake view and a green fireplace in the dining room. Running water was not installed until after Sibelius's death due to his wishes. Ainola's distance from the hustle and bustle of the nation's capital gave the composer the peace that he needed for his creative endeavours. His biographer Erik W. Tawaststjerna writes that "when Sibelius first left Helsinki, Järvenpää was to a large extent untouched countryside. Foals and sheep almost nosed their way into...