My name is Proust, Marcel Proust

The French novelist Marcel Proust turned a very respectable 150 years old in July 2021, and we have plenty in store to raise a glass or two to this writer of rare talent and depth. Eure et Loir has become a place of pilgrimage for the author's admirers who search for sites that shaped the man himself. We begin with the settings of his most famous book, the seven-volume masterwork “In Search of Lost Time” which translates in English to 'Remembrance of Things Past. This novel, as all Proust readers know, draws heavily on the author's own life and experiences.

So how much can we learn about the man behind the books? To fully experience Proustian tourism in Eure et Loir, it is important to know the essential places to visit.

The market town of Illiers-Combray, just southwest of Chartres, is a good place to start because Marcel’s legacy there is as strong as ever. The peaceful little village where his Aunt Léonie used to live was initially a holiday destination for the young Marcel, only to become a temple of his souvenirs. His vivid memories include dipping a buttery little cake called a madeleine into his aunt’s herbal tea, what is called today "Proust's madeleines”.

Let’s go back to where his story began. We are in 1878, in a charming house belonging to Marcel’s Aunt Elizabeth (whom he calls "Léonie" as in his novels). Today this family house is home to the "Marcel Proust Museum", a popular visitor attraction labeled Maison des Illustres and Musée de France. It is also listed as a Historic Monument and is open to the public. This unusual museum displays a large number of personal objects related to the writer as well as an important collection of furniture, objects, portraits, photographs and letters. Ah, if Auntie Léonie knew all this today!

Another key character of Proust’s life was his uncle Jules! He’s the professional landscape gardener behind the majestic garden Marcel used to stroll in as a child. Nicknamed the Pré Catelan, this oasis of greenery is a bucolic hang-out where one can daydream while wandering amidst lush, verdant vegetation, follow its winding stream and marvel at miniature oriental buildings within the garden. So atmospherically romantic!

Marcel Proust often set his books in real world locations, lightly fictionalized. Between Chartres and Nogent-le-Rotrou, the Château de Villebon is a magnificent medieval fortress which his fans know better as "Guermantes" in his novel. This real chateau features crenellated towers, moats and an authentic drawbridge. Needless to say this special place had been a huge source of inspiration for the artist and remains a delightful place to visit in the present day.

Ready to follow in Marcel’s footsteps and explore the very places from which this very French novelist, so universally cherished, sought inspiration?  Are we riding a wave of nostalgia for a way of life now completely lost to us? Or are we finally embracing Proust as a novelist for our own times?

Before you head out and explore his legacy in Eure et Loir, let us introduce you to Marcel first of all. This is Marcel. Marcel Proust.