With its pink hued exterior and stiff edges beyond twisting walkways lined by thickly crowned trees, an unbelievably large mansion might be a more appropriate word for the Coppet Castle than a castle in the traditional sense of the word. Corners textured with brick against plaster, the walls of the Coppet castle have heard the whispers down its corridors from at least 8 centuries ago. Its most prominent inhabitant celebrated within its walls till today was Madame de Stael who inherited the property from her father.

Seen in 18th Century portraits, Madame de Stael is a ruddy cheeked lady who at a glance seems to be full of pleasantries and meek gestures. But meek she definitely was not for she, following her exile by Napoleon, chose to gather the greatest minds of the age such as Charles Victor de Bonstetten and Auguste Guillaume Schlegel within the very drawing rooms and dining areas in the castle seen today. Walking through the untouched sets of upholstery, accessories and wall adornments, one can almost hear the rapid exchange of arguments and conjectures, debates on every intellectual topic to be considered in that age echoing off the patterned walls. A figure long dead is revived through her collection of books displayed on ornately carved wooden shelves, marble fireplaces given character by the mantelpieces and the extensive collection of paintings and tapestries proudly hung from the walls, jostling for space. You can even imagine yourself as Sherlock Holmes during event nights at the castle, uncovering inopportune murders that mysteriously take place within the locked doors of Coppet. Though you may not have known Madame de Stael before stepping into the museum, you’ll walk away with a deeper appreciation for a lady who fought for her beliefs and intellectual capacities against the mindsets of the age, even locked up as she was away from the world.