Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) is undoubtedly one of the most Parisian writers there is, and not because he was born in the city (he was actually born in the city of Tours).In the Loire Valley). The reason for this is that Paris is not only the setting of most of his great books, but one of the actual protagonists.
Take, for example, the famous quote about Paris from the first chapter of Balzac's book "Father Goriot":
Paris It is a real ocean: throw a probe into it, you will never know its depth. Sail on it, describe it: whatever you invest in exploration and description; however many and interested the explorers of this sea may be, they will always come across a virgin place, an unknown cave, flowers and pearls, monsters, something incredible forgotten by the literary divers.
One day I will try to build an entire itinerary that will show us Balzac's Paris (or maybe even a series of itineraries), but until I do, let me tell you today about the most famous house where Balzac lived in Paris, a house that over the years will become a museum dedicated to this great writer.
Before we begin telling the story of this building, let me provide you with all the “practical” information, for the benefit of all those who have come here to plan their trip to the City of Lights. When we are done with all the administrations, we will dive into the history of the building and of course tell you about what awaits you there.
Balzac House – Visitor Information
Address and directions
The museum's address is 47 Rue Raynouard and it is located in the 16th arrondissement.
The Balzac Museum can be reached by metro (line 6 and get off at Passy station) and by suburban train (RER C and get off at Avenue du Président Kennedy station). The Balzac Museum can also be reached by bus (lines 22, 32 and 52).
Here is a map showing you the Balzac House and the metro and train stations near it, so you can easily get there (I also added some hotels nearby, in case you want to stay in the charming district where the museum is located).
Open the map in a separate window
Opening days and hours
The place is open Tuesday-Sunday between 10:00-18:00. You can enter the museum until 17:30. Please note that the museum is closed on holidays, so it is recommended to enter atMuseum website And make sure it will be open when you want to visit there.
How much does a ticket cost?
This is a free museum 🙂
Balzac's hiding place
Honoré de Balzac was undoubtedly one of the greatest French writers of the century (some say the greatest of all), and at one point he began to earn quite a bit of money from his books. However, this income was never enough for him, and he was chronically in debt. There were two main reasons for this.
The first reason was Balzac's lack of luck or talent in the business field, which was inversely proportional to his talent as a writer. Throughout his life, Balzac tried to engage in a long list of fields, while writing, and almost always failed. One of the best examples is his attempt to establish a printing house in the 6th arrondissement (you can read about it inThe itinerary between the Seine and Saint-Germain), which left him with many debts (miraculously, once he transferred the printing house to the ink of the son of the Countess de Berny, the business began to flourish).
The second reason is his inability to manage his money wisely, and the fact that he felt a constant need to compensate himself for his hard work (he claims to have once worked 48 hours straight). When he wasn't working, he traveled around Europe, courted women, and lived far beyond his means.
All of this led him to debts of 1840 francs (around 242,000 euros today) in 38. As a result, Balzac was forced to flee from his creditors, who threatened to put him in debtors' prison (a very common practice in those days). About three years earlier, Balzac had already been hiding in an apartment inChamps Elysees which belonged to his friends the Guidoboni-Visconti couple, but his creditors found him there and he almost went to prison (he was saved thanks to the fact that Countess Frances Sarah agreed to pay his debt of 3,000 francs).
So now, with the financial situation even more complicated, Balzac decided to find himself a house that would be very difficult to locate. The house chosen was in Passy, which in those days was located outside Paris and had one great advantage – two different entrances, so that if someone unwanted managed to get inside, Balzac could immediately escape through the other.
To ensure that no one except his friends knew he lived there, he changed his name to M. de Brugnol, and anyone who wanted to enter the house had to say two passwords. The first password was “The plum season has begun” and the second password was “I am bringing lace from Bruges.”
Balzac's daily schedule was as follows:
- Waking up at midnight and working until eight in the morning.
- 08:00-08:15 Breakfast
- 08:15-17:00 Dinner, after which he went to sleep and, God forbid, back to sleep.
Is it any wonder that with such a lifestyle he lived only 51 years?
However, there was a reward for Balzac's crazy work, because in this house in Passy he wrote some of his most important books, including "Lost Illusions," "Cousin Pons," "Cousin Bat," and more. In order to work these many hours, Balzac drank an insane amount of coffee, and his famous kettle can be found in the museum, which is located in his house.
Ultimately, after about seven years, Balzac decided to leave this house, both because his financial situation had improved slightly and because his lover, Countess Hańska (Eveline Hańska 1805-1882), could not stand this country house and said it looked like a shabby wine inn (such inns, which are usually located outside Paris and near the river, are called Guingette in French).
Balzac bought a house for himself and the Countess at 14 Rue Fortunée in the 8th arrondissement (now the street is named after him), but he did not enjoy it for long. His intense lifestyle ruined his health, and he died in 1850, a few months after marrying his lover, the Countess Annesque.
After Balzac left the house, it passed through several hands, including that of the Count de Limur (Jean de Limur 1887-1976), who also owned the Hôtel de Lamballe, which can be seen from the garden of Balzac's house. In 1949, the city of Paris bought the house and turned it into one of three museums dedicated to writers (the others being the Maison Victor Hugo and theMuseum of Romantic Life Dedicated, among other things, to George Sand).
What can be found in Balzac's house?
Much of Balzac's original furniture was sold by his widow, but over the years the museum's directors managed to repurchase his desk and the chair on which he sat while writing his works.
Beyond that, you will find, as I wrote earlier, his famous coffee pot and the equally famous walking stick, which he bought in 1834.
Alongside all of this, you will find a photograph of Balzac, pictures of him and his parents, alongside drawings by some of the most famous caricaturists of his time, including Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) and Paul Gavarni (1804-1866).
But in my opinion, the most important exhibits of this house are on the lower floor. There you will find his various books, letters he wrote, pictures of characters from his books, and most importantly, a kind of giant “family tree” that covers all the walls of the room, showing all his characters and their relationships to each other and to historical figures such as Napoleon.
And of course, if you've come this far, don't miss the charming little garden, which overlooks the Hôtel de Lamballe andEiffel Tower Nor the very nice museum shop.
Want to live in Passy, not far from Balzac's house?
Let me recommend an apartment that is about a 12-minute walk away. It is a ground floor apartment suitable for a couple or a small family, fully equipped, and, just as importantly, Israeli-owned.
You are welcome to receive information about it. In this link And if you want to read reviews about it, you are welcome to read the Dr. Orna Lieberman's opinion, who lived there with her partner.
