Chateaude Voltaire

A Refuge of Freedom of Expression Located near the Swiss border, Voltaire's Château in Ferney is much more than a stately home: it was the headquarters of an intellectual revolution. Voltaire settled here in 1758 and spent the last twenty years of his life, transforming a modest hamlet into a thriving town. The château, rebuilt according to his plans, reflects the personality of its illustrious owner: elegant, open to the world, and intensely vibrant. It was here, in his study, that he wrote more than 6,000 letters and waged his most famous battles, such as the Treatise on Tolerance and the Calas Affair, making Ferney the intellectual capital of Enlightenment Europe. The tour, completely redesigned by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux (National Monuments Centre), offers a sensory immersion into the philosopher's daily life. Visitors can discover his private apartments, his bed, as well as his art collections and interactive digital displays that bring his thought to life. The estate extends over a vast landscaped park that Voltaire, a passionate agronomist, designed himself. Strolling under the large hornbeam arbor where he liked to dictate his texts, the visitor feels the energy of a man who, between two gardens and two writings, laid the foundations of human rights and modern secularism.