Honoré de Balzac

Birth Name:

Honoré Balzac

Birth Date:

May 20, 1799

Birth Place:

Tours, France

Death Date:

August 18, 1850

Place of Death:

Maison de Balzac, 47 rue Raynouard, Paris, France

Age:

Cause of Death:

Gangrene associated with congestive heart failure

Cemetery Name:

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

Claim to Fame:

Writers and Poets

Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) was one of the most influential writers of 19th-century French literature and a central figure in the development of literary realism. After initially studying law and briefly working in publishing and printing—ventures that left him deeply in debt—Balzac turned seriously to writing in the 1820s. He gained recognition for his ambitious project, La Comédie humaine, a vast collection of interconnected novels and stories that portrayed French society in the decades following the French Revolution and during the Bourbon Restoration. Over his career, Balzac produced more than 90 works, including major novels such as Père Goriot and Eugénie Grandet, which explored themes of ambition, class mobility, wealth, and moral struggle. Known for his intense writing habits—often fueled by large amounts of coffee—Balzac developed richly detailed characters who reappeared across different stories, creating a unified literary universe. Despite constant financial pressures and health problems, he continued writing prolifically until his death in 1850, leaving a body of work that profoundly influenced later novelists and helped shape the modern realist novel.

Fun Fact

The Maison de Balzac is the writer’s house museum in the former residence of French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850). It is located in the 16th arrondissement at 47, rue Raynouard, Paris, France, and open daily except Mondays and holidays; admission to the house is free, but a fee is charged for its temporary exhibitions. The nearest métro and RER stations are Passy and Avenue du Président Kennedy.

The modest house, with its courtyard and garden, is located within the residential district of Passy near the Bois de Boulogne. Having fled his creditors, Balzac rented its top floor from 1840 to 1847, under his housekeeper’s name (Mr. de Breugnol). It was acquired by the city of Paris in 1949, and is now one of the city’s three literary museums, along with the Maison de Victor Hugo and the Musée de la Vie Romantique (George Sand). It is the only one of Balzac’s many residences still in existence.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

16 Rue du Repos, 6ème division, Chemin Lesseps

Paris, , 75020

France

Europe

Map:

Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris, France

Grave Location:

Division 48

Grave Location Description

Using the Porte Gambetta entrance at 55-57 Rue des Rondeaux, walk down Avenue du Père de La Chaise. Turn right onto Avenue Casimir Delavigne and the monument to Honoré de Balzac is on the right side in Division 48. His grave is marked by a tall pillar featuring a bronze bust of the author, sculpted by Louis Marquet, along with a bronze quill and a representation of his Comédie Humaine at the base. Victor Hugo delivered the eulogy at his 1850 funeral.

Grave Location GPS

48.862791320836656, 2.393170604526147

Visiting The Grave:

Photos:

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FAQ's

Honoré de Balzac was born on May 20, 1799.

Honoré de Balzac was born in Tours, France.

Honoré de Balzac died on August 18, 1850.

Honoré de Balzac died in Maison de Balzac, 47 rue Raynouard, Paris, France.

Honoré de Balzac was 51.

The cause of death was Gangrene associated with congestive heart failure.

Honoré de Balzac's grave is in Cimetière du Père Lachaise

Videos Featuring Honoré de Balzac:

How Balzac's Uncensored Novels Defined Post-Napoleonic Life

Le Père Goriot (Honoré de Balzac)

Watch YouTube video titled Exclusive Clip of

Exclusive Clip of "Le Café de Balzac" from The New Yorker Presents

Honoré de Balzac - Grand Ecrivain (1799-1850)

Honoré de Balzac

Watch YouTube video titled Unveiling the Literary Genius: Honoré de Balzac

Honoré de Balzac