Balzac Museum - Saché Castle

The Balzacian Imagination:
In the heart of Touraine, the Château de Saché was Honoré de Balzac's preferred source of inspiration. From 1830 to 1837, the most prolific years of his career, the author of *The Human Comedy* found there, at the home of his friend Jean de Margonne, the ideal refuge from his creditors and Parisian life. In his small second-floor room, he wrote several masterpieces, including *Father Goriot*, *Lost Illusions*, and *The Quest for the Absolute*. The Indre Valley, Saché, and the surrounding châteaux form the setting for his famous novel *The Lily of the Valley*.

The alterations made from the Renaissance to the 18th century gave the residence a unique style and charm. In the 19th century, the reception rooms were decorated in the latest style: the famous "lion wallpaper" in the grand salon, a trompe-l'œil tapestry installed in 1803, and the frieze wallpaper in the dining room dating from 1825 have been preserved in their original state.
Balzac's bedroom is presented today as the writer knew it. On the ground floor, a 19th-century printing press evokes Balzac's first profession, while another room is dedicated to the statue of the writer created by Auguste Rodin.
The three-hectare park, where lilies, peonies, and delphiniums bloom, invites visitors to a romantic stroll.

Photo copyright: M. Jamoneau-cg37