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With the proceeds from the Prix Romand, Ramuz acquired La Muette, a winegrower’s house in the heart of Pully’s old town. He moved in with his family in May 1930 Editions Grasset announced that Ramuz had won “the greatest literary prize after the Nobel Prize,” and that the sum was the result of an “international subscription.” In reality, the prize was due to the generosity of a handful of the writer’s patrons and friends, who had set up an association—officially in order to encourage the cultural life of French-speaking Switzerland, but in reality, simply to help Ramuz. He was the sole recipient of the award, a fact which sparked considerable controversy.

Officially endowed with 80,000 Swiss francs, in the end the prize brought only 30,000, as one of the patrons was unable to honor his promise of a donation. This shortfall meant that Ramuz still did not feel free of material worries. Despite the relative security brought by the purchase of the house, he continued to worry about his financial stability.