Illiers-Combray: a tour of Proust’s inspirations – 10/11/2023 – Tourism

The madeleine is nothing exceptional. Its ingredients are prosaic, things like egg, flour and butter. In Illiers-Combray, however, this cupcake has the symbolism of a relic.

The friendly French village of Illiers-Combray was one of Marcel Proust’s inspirations for writing “In Search of Lost Time”, the great novel of the beginning of the 20th century. The madeleine is at the center of this catatact of seven long volumes and hundreds of characters. It is its flavor that makes the narrator remember the past and, based on that, tell his story.

Illiers-Combray is not on the itinerary of most tourists going to France. It’s worth the detour, however, for those looking for unexpected destinations. Proust readers, in particular, can delight in visiting some of the book’s most emblematic settings — and, in the meantime, dip a madeleine in tea and reflect on the unavoidable passage of time.

Few people pass by there. During the report’s visit, in August, there were no other visitors. It’s a rare opportunity to be alone on vacation and a well-deserved rest after facing the hordes that roam the Parisian tourist attractions.

Proust spent part of his childhood in this village, which was simply called Illiers. It was this place that inspired the fictional city of Combray, the setting for the first volume of the book, published in 1913. The impact of the work was such that, in 1971, local authorities decided to rename the village as Illiers-Combray in honor of the author.

It was no surprise. “In Search of Lost Time” has the not undeserved reputation of being too long and too detailed. But it is also a breathtaking study on the nature of memory, forgetting and the formation of the individual. The narrative, which draws on the author’s own life, is one of the definitive texts on the Parisian belle époque.

Illiers-Combray is southwest of Paris, in the Eure-et-Loir region. The easiest way to get there is by car. Coming from the capital, the journey takes around 90 minutes. There is also the option of taking the train, changing in Chartres — in this case, the journey takes more than two hours and requires more planning. Several cycling routes pass through there, if anyone wants to take the opportunity to exercise.

The first thing that appears on the horizon is the bell tower of the Saint-Jacques Church, from the end of the 15th century. It was built by a knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc. Even in a country full of medieval temples, it is an exceptional church, with an intricate and unexpected wooden roof. The uneven floor and peeling walls give it a royal feel, rare nowadays.

This church inspired that of Combray, in Proust’s book. The descriptions of its construction are among the most eloquent in the work. Proust details, for example, the ways in which his tower contrasts with the blue sky of the village. He also talks about the masses he attended. Its upholstered seat, in fact, is preserved — it is on the left side of those looking at the altar, indicated by a sign.

Across the street is the La Madeleine d’Illiers restaurant, one of the only ones in the town. A meal with starter, main course and dessert costs around 25 euros (R$ 135). It would be a waste, of course, not to order a madeleine. Portraits of Proust watch intently on the wall.

Also near the church is a statue of Proust as a child. He is a friendly and thoughtful young man, with the look of someone who knows he is going to revolutionize literature. Locals probably don’t judge anyone who sits on the bench to take a photo with the future author. It has to be something common.

The highlight of the visit may be the house of Proust’s aunt, Elisabeth Amiot, who lends features to the fictional character Léonie. The place was transformed into a museum, bringing together the author’s objects, such as his bed and some of his manuscripts. You don’t even need to have read the novel to be interested. It’s a house from the end of the 19th century preserved in a French village — a valuable journey back in time.

On the edge of the town, there are two cylindrical stone towers. They are the ruins of the 11th century castle around which Illiers developed in the Middle Ages. Residents looted the rest of the building in the 19th century and used the material to build their homes up the hill. There are also older residences. Some of them date back to the 16th century, with the style known as “pan de bois”, marked by wooden beams intertwined on the facade.

To end the tour, there is the Pré Catelan garden. It was built by Proust’s uncle, Jules Amiot, a wealthy merchant. Jules had spent time in Algeria, and incorporated elements from North Africa into the layout. Anyone who has read “In Search of Lost Time” will understand its importance. It is “Swann’s path”, which gives its name to the first book.

Proust based the descriptions of his protagonist’s walks, fundamental to the plot, on this place. There are even white rose bushes —aubépine, in French— that have such an impact on the narrator. The dried leaves of this plant make a good souvenir, to leave between the pages of a Proust book. It’s at least more touching than the pencils sold in the museum, with phrases from the novel.

There are other interesting points in the village, depending on the length of the visit, which in any case does not take more than a day. One of them is the 1806 stone bridge that appears in the novel as “Old Bridge”, for example, as well as the local cemetery, where Proust’s uncles rest. However, nothing beats the madeleine. It’s what connects the village, the author, the book and the reader, in a miracle of literature.