Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Colette Museum was born from the will of Colette de Jouvenel, known as Bel-Gazou, daughter of the writer, who from 1974 wanted to create a place dedicated to her mother in her native village, Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye. As she could not acquire Colette's home or her Parisian apartment at the Palais-Royal, she turned to the 17th century castle, then abandoned, dominating the town. The project stagnates until the death of Bel-Gazou in 1981, then revived by his heirs: Bertrand de Jouvenel (and his children Anne, Hugues, Henri) and Foulques de Jouvenel, his nephew. Despite unsuccessful efforts to buy the Paris apartment, they chose Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, where the town became the owner of the castle.

In 1987, Colette's descendants offered the commune a collection of archives and objects (furniture, books, personal effects) from the Palais Royal, provided that a museum and a study centre were established. In the same year, the GMF became a sponsor of the project, funding part of the work. The museum is entrusted to the plastic artist Hélène Mugot, under the supervision of the Museums of France and the Departmental Conservation of Yonne. The museum finally opened in 1995, 21 years after the initial initiative, in a castle offering stunning views of Colette's home, located below.

The museum now houses literary and biographical collections: a portrait room, a library, and a filmography retracing the life of the writer. The site also includes the Sarrasine Tower, a rare 11th century ovoid dungeon adjacent to the castle. The museum's windows offer a panorama of the Pulay countryside, highlighting the inextricable link between Colette and this territory. The initial project of Bel-Gazou, carried out by his family and the municipality, thus preserved the memory of the author in her native setting, while valuing a remarkable architectural heritage.

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