Château de Grignan: Where history meets stories and art

In most French villages you will find a chateau. This past July, I discovered and explored the castle of Grignan where a renown author wrote exquisetely crafted written letters—many of which I had read. In fact, her collection of letters has a permanent place on my bedside table.

Grignan is a village nestled on a sunlit hill in the Drôme Provençale, in southern France. Since 2019, the village has been ranked among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. One of many reasons to visit it!

Upon arriving there, I strolled through the winding cobblestone streets before reaching the main square. Right there, perched on a sunlit hill, the château rose,  a graceful blend of medieval fortress and Renaissance palace. 

Inside, the air was deliciously cool, a welcome respite from the scorching heat outside. I stepped into vast reception halls with ornated ceilings and grand fireplaces. It was easy to imagine aristocrats gathering here for music, games and gossip.

Tapestries lined the walls, gilded chairs sat beside exquisitely crafted wooden desks. Each piece a reminder of the wealth and artistry of the 17th century. In the bedchambers, heavy canopies hung over beds draped in sumptuous upholstery.

I paused at a delicate writing desk and pictured Madame de Sévigné sitting here by candlelight, writing letters.

Most of them were addressed to her beloved daughter, the Countess of Grignan, who resided in the chateau. The marquise visited her often, and, at one point, even lived there.  The château is eternally linked to her.