Marguerite Yourcenar (b. Brussels, Belgium, 1903 – d. 1987, Northeast Harbor, United States) was a writer and the first woman elected to the French Academy in 1980. Known for her erudition and philosophical insight, Yourcenar’s literary career was marked by a deep engagement with historical and existential themes. Her distinguished literary legacy and groundbreaking achievements in the French literary establishment have solidified her place as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. She lived the first ten years of her life in the Cleenewerck de Crayencour family castle, located at the top of Mont Noir. The museum is first and foremost a place of remembrance where photographs, works, and documents relating to the writer’s childhood and visits to Mont-Noir, Saint-Jans-Cappel, and Bailleul are gathered.
