Ferney-Voltaire
Ferney-Voltaire is a town and
commune in the
Ain département of eastern
France, between the
Jura mountains and the
Swiss border. Population (1999): 7,083.
It was first noted in 14th century
Burgundian registers as
Fernex. However, two centuries later, the 'x' was to be replaced by a 'y' due to the excessive number of 'x's polluting the region, such as the towns of Maconnex, Gex, Versonnex, Ornex or Challex in the surrounding area.And also the very famous village called Challex where Voltaire used to find his deepest inspiration looking out over the most wonderful view of the area called "Pays de Gex."
Ferney was home of French
writer and
philosopher Voltaire from 1758 to 1778. Voltaire's influence on the town was profound. He built the local church and founded cottage industries that produced some of the finest potters and watchmakers of modern France. After his death, the town was renamed Ferney-Voltaire in his honor.
Voltaire, speaking of the bible, once proclaimed, "In 100 years this book will be forgotten and eliminated...". In his later years (1759) Voltaire purchased an estate called "Ferney" near the French-Swiss border. Twenty years after his death the Geneva Bible Society bought his former home and used it for printing Bibles. It later became the headquarters for the British and Foreign Bible Society. For several years they distributed hundreds of thousands of bibles world-wide, thus Voltaire's home become a major distribution hub for the very scriptures he assigned to extinction. Voltaire's chateau is now owned and administered by the French Ministry of Culture.
It is also interesting to note how 'Voltaire' includes the words 'vol', french for 'to fly' and 'taire' which is translated as 'to shut up', which could be dramatically ironic, in view of Voltaire's own political ideas and conception of freedom, and his subsequent persecution. Indeed, it is rumored that Voltaire used a tunnel dug between his Chateau and neighbouring Switzerland to escape persecution in France.
Attractions include Voltaire's chateau, now owned and administered by the French Ministry of Culture and housing the Institute of the 18th Century; various 18th century houses and artisans' workshops; a lifesize statue of Voltaire; many restaurants, French and foreign; and its proximity to the nearby cosmopolitan city of
Geneva in
Switzerland.
A market is held in the main square every Saturday.
The old road at the centre of the village is very beautiful, and a remnant of the time when Voltaire resided in the chateau in Ferney-Voltaire.Ferney-Voltaire is also renowned for its 'Petit Champion', a traditional and typical French souvenir shop.
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List of places named after people
