Maison des Jardies in Sèvres: Explore the former homes of Honoré de Balzac and Léon Gambetta in the 92nd arrondissement

Situated in Sèvres (92), on the southern slope of the Saint-Cloud National Estate, the Maison des Jardies is one of those places where history comes to life on a human scale. Quiet and almost hidden, this former vineyard worker’s house recounts a significant chapter of 19th-century France… and is now open to visitors!

Initially, there’s nothing grandiose: just a modest, functional winegrower’s home. But its prime location—close to Paris and surrounded by greenery—quickly draws notable visitors. In 1837, Honoré de Balzac settles in at the estate known as Les Jardies, a large property he plans to subdivide, renting the house to his gardener, Pierre Brouette. The stage is set.

In 1878, it was Léon Gambetta who purchased the house for 40,000 francs, furniture included. He saw it as a retreat from the exhausting demands of parliamentary life, sharing it with his partner Léonie Léon, who had been by his side since 1872. Despite several expansion efforts, the residence remained modest: few rooms, narrow and with low ceilings, and limited natural light. The only exception was the salon, added in the mid-19th century, which provided a more spacious and brighter space. Lacking room, Gambetta even ordered the construction of a kiosk below (now gone) to house his library.

The brief pause is short-lived. After an accidental gunshot wound, his condition worsens. Suffering from peritonitis, Léon Gambetta dies at Les Jardies on December 31, 1882, at just 44 years old.

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The house thus becomes a place of memory. In 1887, Gambetta’s family donated it to the State to preserve his legacy. Two years later, his sister Benedetta Leris gifted additional land behind the house, where the Alsatians and Lorrainers Committee funded a monument designed by Auguste Bartholdi. Listed on the supplementary inventory of historic monuments in 1991 and awarded the Maison des Illustres label in 2011, the Maison des Jardies is now open to visitors.

Open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and every other weekend (exceptions aside), this historic site offers visitors the chance to explore it through self-guided tours or in the company of guided visits led by on-site staff, who unveil the intriguing stories behind this storied landmark. A cultural escape not to be missed, just a short drive from Paris.