France’s Most Famous Letter-Writer Turns 400

The Château de Bussy-Rabutin in Burgundy is celebrating Madame de Sévigné, cousin and frequent correspondent of its flamboyant owner. 

The marquise behind the letters 

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal was born on February 5 1626, in Paris, into an old Burgundian noble family who lived on the Place Royale (the current Place des Vosges). She tragically lost both her parents when she was a young girl and was brought up by her grandmother and two of her uncles. She received an exceptional education that included multiple languages and a solid base in the humanities, which was a rare privilege for a girl at the time. 

At 18, she married the Marquis de Sévigné, with whom she had two children. It was not a happy match: her husband was frequently unfaithful and was killed in a duel just seven years after the wedding. From that point on, the charming, witty marquise flourished in the literary salons of the capital and the royal court. She moved in some of the most refined intellectual circles of the time, including those hosted by the Duc de la Rochefoucauld and madame de Lafayette. 

She began a regular and rich correspondence, first with her cousin, Roger de Bussy-Rabutin, then with her daughter Françoise-Marguerite, after she moved to Provence. Her letters, often full of humour, offer a rare window onto the reign of Louis XIV that has captivated casual readers and historians for three centuries.  

Cousins’ correspondence 

Madame de Sévigné and Roger de Bussy-Rabutin shared more than a name. They had the same taste for observing 17th-century society with irony and relished in sharing their gossip in sharp and witty letters. Their correspondence lasted for some 40 years!  

Roger had, to put it mildly, a tumultuous and flamboyant life. Born on a Friday the 13th in April 1618, he oscillated between glory and misfortune. A decorated soldier who rose to the rank of lieutenant-general, he was also a libertine who could never quite keep himself out of trouble. He also loved writing and thrived by penning letters to nearly 150 correspondents, including his cousin with whom he fiercely competed to craft the perfect sentence. Their piquant letter-writing even earned its own style: le rabutinage 

He published Maximes d’Amour and was recognised by the Académie Française in 1667. Three months later however, his Histoire amoureuse des Gaules, a wickedly satirical account of romantic intrigues at Versailles, led to his downfall. The book was not supposed to leave the private sphere but it quickly escaped his control, was copied and distributed, and caused a scandal that resulted in his imprisonment in the Bastille for a year, followed by 17 years of exile in Burgundy. 

It was during this long banishment that he began to rebuild the Château de Bussy. His longing for courtly life surely shows in the way he designed the interior of the castle. 

You can take the man out of Versailles… 

The Château de Bussy-Rabutin sits in a wooded valley in Auxois, in the Côte-d’Or department of Burgundy. François de Rabutin, Roger’s grandfather, bought it in 1602 and designed the elegant, symmetrical, classical facade. Roger inherited it and turned it into something much more personal. 

Banished from the glittering world of Versailles, he poured his energy and feelings into the château’s interior. Inside, over 300 paintings adorn the walls and ceilings, drawing an illustrated history of the nobleman. A reflection of his writing, he painted a fresco of his era and the Court of Versailles with impertinence, with portrait after portrait of courtiers, mistresses, and rivals covering the interior. The effect is quite unique: unable to attend Versailles, he brought Versailles to him and laid out all his feelings on the walls of his home. 

The château was listed as a monument historique in 1862 and purchased by the French state in 1929. It is now managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux who undertook major restoration works in 2018 to one of the château’s wings, finally opening up the entire property to visitors. 

400 Years On 

This year, the château takes centre stage in the celebration of Madame de Sévigné’s 400th birthday. Special themed guided tours are taking place on April 6^th, May 7^th and 14^th, June 21^st, July 14^th, August 15^th and October 11^th, starting at 15:00. Shows, concerts, picnics in the grounds and other activities will also take place throughout the season.  

Keep checking this page for more information on the anniversary celebrations: www.chateau-bussy-rabutin.fr/agenda/1626-2026-celebration-des-400-ans-de-la-naissance-de-madame-de-sevigne  

The Château de Bussy is open: 

• May 15 – September 14: 9:15 am – 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm  

• September 15 – May 14: 9:15 am – 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm