Exposition Amies de cour, amies de coeur

The result of collaboration between the Société Voltaire, the MARGE center at Lyon-3 University (EA 3712) and the Centre International d'Etude du XVIIIe Siècle, the exhibition is curated by Ulla Kölving (Société Voltaire), François Jacob (Centre International d'Etude du XVIIe Siècle and Université Jean Moulin-Lyon 3), scenographer Jean-Louis Janin Daviet and château administrator François-Xavier Verger. The exhibition explores Voltaire's relationships with his many friends, whether they were part of his inner circle (Mme Du Châtelet, Mme Denis), or more distant in the various European courts (Catherine II of Russia) or Parisian salons (Mme Du Deffand). Are the personal and the political constantly intertwined? Is this a hallmark of the Enlightenment, or is it, on the contrary, specific to Voltaire? Did this tendency to mix genres increase when the patriarch moved to Ferney? These are the questions that will be addressed in the various scenographic areas of this tour! On the upper floor of the château, visitors are invited to rub shoulders with the many female friends who accompanied Voltaire throughout his life. They'll also encounter some of the most important male figures in Voltaire's life (Frédéric II, D'Alembert).