The year 2026 marks the quadrennial of the birth of the Marquise de SévignéAn emblematic figure of the Grand Siècle, inextricably linked to the history of the Château de Grignan and the Drôme region, she spent long periods there with her daughter and son-in-law, the governor of Provence for King Louis XIV. She eased the painful absence of her daughter Françoise by sending her, from Paris or Brittany, hundreds of letters in Grignan. This abundant correspondence, blending intimacy, court intrigues, and contemporary gossip, would only be published after her death, making the Marquise a valuable witness to her time and a literary myth unmatched.
The Drôme Department and its partners – the Châteaux de la Drôme, the Drôme Attractiveness Agency and the town of Grignan – intend to celebrate this exceptionally intelligent woman with a rich program of events, animations, highlights and partnerships throughout 2026.
This anniversary is also an opportunity to inaugurate a new permanent visitor route at 2e floor of Grignan castle, dedicated to the key figures and events of the 17the century.
Department of Drôme• February 07 and 08 Tribute – launch of the Sévigné year
• 04 April to 03 May The Sévigné Spring
• 30 April to 03 May Grignan 1690 – Reenactment Weekend
• Summer 2026 : 39e Night Festival edition
• September 12 The Grand Ball of Grignan
• 19th & 20th September European Heritage Days
• 03 and 04 October Pen and punchline – words and letters
• October 10 to March 31 Madame de Sévigné and Fashion – Exhibition
• October 17 to November 01 The Nicolas Fouquet affair
• November 28 to January 03, 2027 Madame de Sévigné's Christmas
