Gallery

Name: Sylvie · Guide Château de Voltaire
Address: Allée du Château, Ferney-Voltaire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 01210, FR

The château, its gardens and the tours, in pictures.

The salon of the Château de VoltaireRed-and-green striped hangings, a portrait of the young Voltaire in its oval frame, a marble fireplace and game tables laid out: the setting in which the château’s visitors were received.
The dressing table of a bedroom in the châteauYellow silks patterned in crimson, a marble fireplace beneath a tall mirror, matching armchairs and a floral carpet: the dressing table, with its mirror and porcelain pots, recalls the morning rituals of the 18th century.
The salon’s game tables and the portrait of Frederick IICards, a fan and cups on the game table, an inlaid chessboard, a crimson velvet sofa and a gilt-bronze clock on the marble fireplace. On the wall, Frederick II of Prussia, Voltaire’s friend and correspondent.
The “Deo erexit Voltaire” church in the parkBeyond the gravel paths and clipped hedges stands the little church Voltaire had rebuilt in 1761. Its pediment bears the famous dedication “Deo erexit Voltaire”, “Voltaire raised it to God”.
Sylvie walks down to the garden and its fountainA water-lily basin with its bronze statue, cone-shaped yews, gravel paths and, beneath the glazed gallery, a shaded terrace: the ideal spot for a break after the tour.
Voltaire’s bedroomBlue panelling, golden silks and a ceiling of scrolling ornament: a canopy bed and a large imperial portrait whose inscription records that it was “given to M. de Voltaire on 15 July 1770”.
Mythological paintings in the châteauOn the pale green panelling, two canvases in gilded frames: above, the toilette of Venus, surrounded by cupids, with her swan-drawn chariot; below, a mythological scene lit by the candelabra.
Allegorical painting in honour of VoltaireApollo, crowned with light, welcomes the philosopher and his writings; Fame sounds her trumpet beside a classical temple, while on the right his adversaries and their pamphlets are cast into the flames.
Bust of Voltaire and a country mealAgainst grey-blue panelling, a marble bust of the elderly Voltaire and a painting in a gilded frame whose label bears the name Jeaurat: a merry company dining under the trees as poor folk approach.
Statue of VoltaireIn a stone niche, Voltaire stands full-length in his cap, hand on hip, with a cane and a book: the mischievous smile of the “Patriarch of Ferney”.
Sylvie presents the Château de VoltaireWith a cheerful flourish, Sylvie presents the pink-and-white façade of the château Voltaire rebuilt at Ferney: welcome to Voltaire’s home!
The water-lily fountain in the gardenAt the heart of the garden, a bronze statue wreathed in vine leaves rises among flowering water lilies, between cone-clipped yews and the park walls.
Voltaire’s statue at the Saturday marketIn the heart of the Saturday morning market, the bronze statue dedicated “To the Patriarch of Ferney” recalls three dates: 1694, Voltaire’s birth; 1758, his purchase of the Ferney estate; 1778, his death.