The Balzac museum is located in the town of Saché, in Indre-et-Loire, 25 km south-west of Tours.
It is housed in the locality's old feudal castle, built in the Middle Ages and already heavily embellished during the Renaissance. In the 19th century, its then owner, Jean Maronne, had major refurbishments carried out so that the premises were more comfortable and in tune with the tastes of the time.
Seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of Paris but also faced with financial worries, Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) was welcomed a dozen times by Jean Maronne, a friend of his parents, from 1825 to 1848.
In a setting imbued with serenity in the middle of bucolic landscapes, the novelist during his stays in a region he knows and appreciates can devote himself to writing there. We thus recognize the village and the environment of the castle and the locality in several works, such as "Le Lys dans la Vallée".
This is why, in 1951, within the building already listed in the Inventory, a museum dedicated to the writer was created. Now labeled Maison des Illustres, we discover several rooms where the atmosphere and decor have remained those known to Balzac. This is the case of the room he occupied. Other rooms evoke places described in some of his most famous works, such as the room of the "Curé de Tours" or the boudoir of Foedora in "La Peau de chagrin". And as it should be, the route allows you to observe paintings and sculptures that belonged to Balzac or evoke the writer or his novels, manuscripts, prints, photographs, personal objects.
The two-hectare park that Balzac also liked is accessible. You can enjoy a romantic walk there with views over the town of Saché, the Indre valley and the "quiet and solitary valley" as described in "Le Lys dans la vallée". During the summer season, deckchairs and hive-libraries offer the opportunity to recharge your batteries in the shade of hundred-year-old trees. Picnics are allowed here. Finally, a sensory path to take barefoot has been laid out since April 2023 at the edge of the woods of Saché.
Conferences and events are scheduled regularly and events can be hosted (seminars).
Open every day except Tuesday from October to March. Free or guided visit. Price: from 5 to 7 euros. Information on +33 2 47 26 86 50.
