House Where Voltaire Stayed

In October 1753, Voltaire settled in Colmar to write his *Annals of the Empire*, relying on the resources of the French counselors of the Sovereign Council and their rich libraries. He also wished to oversee the printing of his work at the presses of J.F. Schoepflin. The philosopher found refuge with Madame Gall, wife of the mayor, in a noble house dating from the 15th century, rebuilt in 1609.

His stay, which lasted thirteen months, was marked by tensions with the Jesuit brothers, influential in the city and opposed to his Enlightenment ideas. Despite his criticisms of Colmar, which he described as a town "half French, half German and entirely Iroquois," some passages suggest he appreciated this period.