Sévigné, writer of the Grand Siècle • Les Châteaux de la Drôme

The château of Grignan has for ever been associated with Madame de Sévigné, a woman of letters made famous when her correspondence was published. She often described the "magnificent" quality of the château where her daughter Françoise-Marguerite lived with her husband, the Count of Grignan and Governor of Provence. She only stayed for four years but the "Sévigné impact" definitely left its mark on the place and collective memory.

Please note the temperature in the exhibition rooms is 19 degrees celsius - this is essential to ensure the conservation of the art works displayed and lent by various museums and national cultural institutions.

Madame de Sévigné has often described the "magnificience" of the castle where her daughter Françoise-Marguerite, married to the Count of Grignan governor of Provence, was living. She lived at the castle for only four years but the "Sévigné effect" marks the place and the collective memory.

Few exhibitions have been made about this literary figure, except "Les Provençaux de Madame de Sévigné" (1973, musée Cantini, Marseille) and "Madame de Sévigné" (1996, musée Carnavalet, Paris). No exhibition on this topic had ever taken place in Grignan, nor studied in details the links of the writer with the castle.

This exhibition aims at following Madame de Sévigné's footsteps between Paris, Vitré in Brittany and Grignan, highlighting the evolution of her writing and her place in the world of letters. It also shows the way of life and habitat in Provence and looks in particular into the myth around Madame de Sévigné.

Officially approved of national interest by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, it displays over a hundred items illustrating the Grand Siècle - paintings, art pieces, manuscripts, books, engravings - from the collections of the château of Grignan, national museums, cultural institutions and private collections.

Partnerships

Exhibition created by both the Drôme Department/ Châteaux de la Drôme
In association with the Carnavalet Museum – Histoire de Paris et de la Ville de Vitré.
This exhibition is officially considered of national interest by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication/ Direction générale des patrimoines / Service des musées de France. As such and exceptionally, it secured financial backing from the State.
With help from the Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles Auvergne Rhône-Alpes.
With support from sponsor firms: Gerflor, Busseuil Valence, Caisse d'épargne Loire-Drôme-Ardèche, SAS Ganon Valence, Manpower Pierrelatte, Transports Daniel Grignan.
In partnership with the media: France Culture, Télérama.

Sévigné, writer of the Grand Siècle — Grignan