Château De Voltaire
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The Château de Voltaire is located in
Ferney-Voltaire Ferney-Voltaire () is a commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It lies between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss border; it forms part of the metropolitan area of Geneva. It is named for Voltaire, ...
(
Ain Ain (, ; ) is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it ...
) in France, close to the border with
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
and the city of
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
. It was
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
's home between 1761 and 1778. It was listed as a historical monument in 1958 and acquired by the French State in 1999.


History to 1778

There are traces of an older manor house dating from the fourteenth century. In the fifteenth century the
Duke of Savoy The titles of the count of Savoy, and then duke of Savoy, are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the House of Savoy held the county. Several of these rulers ruled as kings at ...
established a
seigneury A seigneur () or lord is an originally feudal system, feudal title in Ancien Régime, France before the French Revolution, Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. The seigneur owne ...
here. The domain was acquired by several Genevan families over time, including the Chevallier family in 1594 and the Budé family in 1674. In 1755 Voltaire bought a property in Geneva he called
Les Délices Les Délices ("The Delights") was from 1755 to 1760 the home of the French philosopher Voltaire (1694–1778) in Geneva, Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe ...
. However he soon felt that his position in the
Republic of Geneva The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of forty-five Municipality, municipalities, and the seat of the governme ...
was not secure, particularly after the publication of the article "Geneva" in the
Encyclopédie , better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...
, a project in which Voltaire was a collaborator. He therefore sought a new place to live that would allow him a safe distance from the authorities in Paris while avoiding the inconveniences of living in Geneva. Ferney was a good compromise - Voltaire could remain close to his Geneva doctors and printers. He bought the estate from Guillaume de Budé in 1758 in the name of his niece for tax reasons. Working with Geneva architect Jean-Michel Billon, he razed the existing structure and built the core of the current building before settling there in 1761. Five years later, in 1766, wanting more space, he had the architect :fr:Léonard Racle add the two wings, completing the current footprint of the building and removing the last vestiges of the older structure. On the ground floor were the living rooms. To the south: the antechamber, the living room, Voltaire's bedroom and an impressive library with nearly 7,000 books. To the north, past the main salon, was a small room for paintings and the apartments of Mme Denis (Voltaire's niece and companion). The basement, at garden level, included the kitchens and storerooms. The first floor was for guest rooms and the second floor had servants' rooms. The third floor was an attic.


History 1778–1999

Following Voltaire's death, Mme Denis sold the estate to the
Marquis de Villette Charles Michel, Marquis de Villette (4 December 1736 – 7 July 1793) was a French writer and politician. Life Voltaire's ''protégé'' Charles was born in Paris as the heir of a financier who left him a large fortune and the nobility title of ...
. He transformed the place into a memorial to the philosopher, installing a cenotaph in the living room. The furniture was all sold off, and the library was bought in its entirety by
Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...
and transferred to
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
where it can now be seen in the
Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and holds the large ...
. In the nineteenth century, the Lambert family combined the dining room and library to form one large living room. A fireplace was installed and an adjoining veranda offered a panorama of the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
with
Mont-Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the France-Italy border, Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the List of European ultra-prominent peaks ...
at its centre. Voltaire's bedroom and that of his valet were also joined together to form the current cabinet of paintings. Part of the basement kitchens was turned into a laboratory by a member of the Lambert family who was a chemist.


History since 1999

Bought by the State in 1999, the estate was used for a few years by the Auberge de l'Europe Association as an artists' residence. In 2007 the :fr: Centre des monuments nationaux took over management of the building and undertook a series of restoration works. In 2012 the orangery was restored and in 2013 structural work was undertaken in the chapel. From 2015 to 2018, restoration was ongoing. Parquet floors, doorframes and roofing were removed and a temporary canopy covered the building to protect it from bad weather. Work on the structure and the interior was informed by reference to a very accurate model, made by a servant of Voltaire, bought by Catherine II of Russia and kept in Saint Petersburg, along with measured plans by the architect Leonard Racles and samples of upholstery and fabrics. On May 31, 2018, after three years of closure, the house was formally reopened by President
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
.


Individual structures


Chapel

The main part of the chapel present today was built by Voltaire in 1761. He had demolished an older parish church on the same site to clear the view from the front of his house, but was forced by the church authorities to build a replacement. Annoyed, Voltaire affixed on the pediment a plaque with the motto "Deo erexit Voltaire" ("Erected to God by Voltaire"), with his name written larger than that of God. He described it as "... the only church in the universe which is dedicated to God alone. All the others are dedicated to saints. For me, I prefer to build a church to the master rather than to his servants". He had his tomb built, in the shape of a pyramid, on the side of the building ("Evil people will say that I am neither inside nor outside") though his body was never placed there since he died during a final visit to Paris. The facade with double towers disappeared during the French Revolution and the central bell tower dates from 1806.


Orangery, greenhouse and palmarium

The orangery is made up of two rooms, one of which is in the basement. The main room is entered from the upper terrace of the gardens. Today it is used for art exhibitions, concerts, conferences, theatrical performances and private events. It was renovated in 2012–2013. The palmarium has disappeared, but traces remain of the structure and its ironwork on the ground behind the reception-bookstore-boutique building. The greenhouse is more recent and is still used for its original function by the Jardins de Voltaire, an association for disabled workers.


Caretaker's pavilion

In 1882, the Lambert family obtained permission to reroute the Moëns road, finally making it possible to fulfill Voltaire's wish and to modify access to the chateau. The caretaker's pavilion was built in 1885 near the new entrance by the Geneva architect :de:Jacques-Elysée Goss at the request of Emile Lambert, owner of the castle from 1879 to 1897. It was completely restored between 2007 and 2008.


Theatre

In 1760-61 Voltaire converted a barn near the château into a private theatre. This theatre presented the premieres of various plays authored by Voltaire, and he used this local stage to test his work before making any changes and having it performed in Paris. Following a later expansion it could accommodate up to 200 spectators to the great pleasure of the Genevans, whose Republic had banned the theatre. While Voltaire still resided at Ferney the theatre was repurposed as a silk factory and the entire structure was demolished in 1798.


Park

The park of the estate extends over seven hectares, allowing Voltaire to develop several spaces, including an arbour behind the house, an orchard, and several ponds. Voltaire improved the park throughout his time at Ferney. He had some trees cleared in order to open up the view of the Alps and Mont-Blanc, and also built and planted a number of notable features such as the arbour, a formal garden, and a large terrace. Below the terraces was his vineyard, now undergoing redevelopment. He spent a lot of his time in the park, planting, gardening, and walking the avenue of
hornbeams Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the family Betulaceae. Its species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names The common English name ''hornbeam'' derives from the hardn ...
he had planted, where he sought inspiration and organised his thoughts. In 2018, the estate was certified as a refuge by the League for the Protection of Birds. This initiative supports the promotion of biodiversity, conservation and restoration.


Exhibitions

Since 2018 and the reopening of the castle, exhibitions have been held every year and complete the visit, allowing visitors to discover new spaces such as the garden level or part of the first floor. * Voltaire chez lui (Voltaire at home): from May 30 to November 24, 2019 * Parcs des Lumières, Voltaire en ses terres (Parcs des Lumières, Voltaire on his land): from July 13, 2020 to January 3, 2021 * La
Henriade ''La Henriade'' () is an epic poem of 1723 written by the French Enlightenment writer and philosopher Voltaire. According to Voltaire himself, the poem concerns and was written in honour of the life of Henry IV of France, and is a celebration o ...
: from December 21, 2019, to October 31, 2020 * 100 ans Genève aéroport (Exhibition of photographs - 100 years of Geneva airport): from September 25, 2020, to October 4, 2020 * Histoire dessinée, le XVIIIe siècle dans la bande dessinée (Comic history, the 18th century in comics): from May 29 to September 12, 2021 * 25 ans Dreamworks animation (25 years Dreamworks animation): from May 19 to August 31, 2021 * Ecrire l'histoire : Voltaire et les rois (Writing history: Voltaire and the kings): from September 16, 2021, to March 20, 2022, * Léonard Racle, l'ingénieux (Léonard Racle, the ingenious): from November 18, 2021, to April 30, 2022 * L'humanité au-delà de la couleur, Sabine Jaccard (Humanity Beyond Color; Sabine Jaccard: March 2 to April 30, 2022


18th century guests and visitors to the château

*
Thomas Abbt Thomas Abbt (; 25 November 1738 – 3 November 1766) was a German mathematician and writer. Education Born in Ulm as the son of a wig-maker, Abbt visited a secondary school in Ulm, then moved in 1756 to study theology, philosophy and mathemati ...
, mathematician and writer * John Crosse (priest) *
Axel von Fersen the Younger Hans Axel von Fersen (; 4 September 175520 June 1810), known as Axel de Fersen in France, was a Swedish count, Marshal of the Realm of Sweden, a General of Horse in the royal Swedish Army, one of the Lords of the Realm, aide-de-camp to Rocham ...
, statesman *
Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (6 March 1755, near Sauve, Gard, France – 13 September 1794, Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, Sceaux, France) was a French poet, novelist and fabulist. Life Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian was born on 6 March 1755 in t ...
, poet, novelist and fabulist *
Jean-François de La Harpe Jean-François de La Harpe (20 November 1739 – 11 February 1803) was a French playwright, writer and literary critic. Life La Harpe was born in Paris of poor parents. His father, who signed himself Delharpe, was a descendant of a noble family ...
, playwright, writer and literary critic *
Louis-Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues Emmanuel Henri Louis Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues (25 December 1753 – 22 July 1812) was a French pamphleteer, diplomat, spy and political adventurer during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Early life At the age of 14, d'An ...
, diplomat *
Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston, FRS (4 December 1739 – 17 April 1802), was a British politician. Life Temple was a son of Henry Temple (son of Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston) and Jane, daughter of Sir John Barnard, Lord Mayor o ...
, politician *
Reine Philiberte de Varicourt Reine Philiberte Rouph de Varicourt (1757–1822) was a French woman of letters. The sister of Pierre-Marin Rouph de Varicourt, she was spotted by Voltaire during his stay at Ferney – he made her his adoptive daughter, married her off to th ...
, friend of Voltaire and Mme Denis * Jacob Vernes, pastor *
Charles, marquis de Villette Charles Michel, Marquis de Villette (4 December 1736 – 7 July 1793) was a French writer and politician. Life Voltaire's ''protégé'' Charles was born in Paris as the heir of a financier who left him a large fortune and the nobility title of ...
, writer and politician * Augustin Louis de Ximénès, poet and playwright


See also

* Chateau de Cirey *
Les Délices Les Délices ("The Delights") was from 1755 to 1760 the home of the French philosopher Voltaire (1694–1778) in Geneva, Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe ...
*
The Apotheosis of Voltaire ''The Apotheosis of Voltaire led by Truth and crowned by Glory'' (”), also known as “The Triumph of Voltaire” () is a 1775 oil painting by Alexandre Duplessis. A different painting by Robert-Guillaume Dardel in the Musée Carnavalet is al ...


References


External links


Heritage listing

Official website

3D virtual tour of the house
{{coord, 46.25740, 6.10363, format=dms, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title Voltaire Châteaux in Ain Monuments historiques of Ain