Driven from Paris after penning an article critical of Napoleon's despotism, Chateaubriand (1768-1848) acquired Vallée-aux-Loups, then little more than a simple cottage. In this place that he was to make famous, he regaled his friends with first readings of his works. Bankrupt, he sold the estate to Mathieu de Montmorency, who rented it out to Madame Récamier in 1818. Today, the interior recreates the life of the period, including fine antique furniture, such as the meridienne sofa on which Madame Récamier posed for David.