Maison Julien Gracq

What Maison Julien Gracq does

Maison Julien Gracq is a French non-profit cultural association (Association déclarée, SIRET 754069441) founded in 2012 and headquartered in the medieval Grenier à sel building at 1 rue du Grenier à sel, Saint-Florent-le-Vieil, 49410 Mauges-sur-Loire. The organization was established following writer and geographer Julien Gracq's donation of his family property to create a writer's residence. It operates a single heritage site on the banks of the Loire River, comprising the family home (dedicated to residencies), gardens, and a medieval salt storage building (Grenier à sel) that houses a remarkable library of approximately 2,400 books belonging to Julien Gracq and a temporary exhibition space known as the Chambre des cartes.

The institution's core offerings include writing and creative residencies (hosting 100+ writers, artists, and researchers since 2012), the annual Festival Les Préférences, temporary exhibitions, cultural mediation (workshops, guided tours, family activities), and venue rental of the medieval building. The site is open to the public seasonally from April 8 to November 14, 2026, with group visits available by reservation from 10 persons. Product offerings are event-driven and resident-curated rather than modular; the digital infrastructure is a WordPress/Elementor website with WPML multilingual support (French, English, Spanish) and Stripe/HelloAsso for ticketing. Pricing is mostly free for public events, with paid workshops at 5–16 euros and concerts at 10–15 euros.

The business model is grant-dependent and non-transactional at its core. Primary revenue consists of public funding and grants from DRAC Pays-de-la-Loire, Région des Pays-de-la-Loire, Conseil Départemental du Maine-et-Loire, and Centre National du Livre, supplemented by ticketed events, venue rental, individual memberships (adhésion), and individual patronage (mécénat) processed through HelloAsso. The organization holds the national "Label Maison des Illustres" designation and is a member of national writer-residence and literary-heritage federations. The core team comprises a Director, Coordinator, Communication/Tourism Officer, and Artistic/Cultural Mediation Officer, augmented by civic service volunteers and residency selection via the Literary, Artistic and Scientific Committee (CLAS).

Name

Maison Julien Gracq

Legal name

Maison Julien Gracq

Website

https://maisonjuliengracq.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maison Julien Gracq is a French non-profit cultural association running a writer's residency and cultural center in the medieval Grenier à sel building in Saint-Florent-le-Vieil, Mauges-sur-Loire. It serves writers, artists, visitors, and cultural tourists through residencies, festivals, exhibitions, and heritage visits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Heritage and Cultural Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Literary residency programs
• Cultural heritage services
• Writer residency hosting
• Literary festivals
• Cultural mediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Florent-le-Vieil

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Grants: Major revenue stream from institutional partners including DRAC Pays-de-la-Loire, Région des Pays-de-la-Loire, Conseil Départemental du Maine-et-Loire, and Centre National du Livre.
2. Event Tickets and Workshops: Revenue from ticketed events including workshops (5-16 euros), concerts (10-15 euros), and festival activities.
3. Venue Rental: Rental of the Grenier à sel medieval building and facilities for private events and cultural activities.
4. Membership and Individual Patronage: Individual membership (adhésion) and individual patronage (mécénat) programs through HelloAsso platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maison Julien Gracq is a non-profit cultural institution operating writer and artist residencies in the family home of French writer Julien Gracq on the banks of the Loire River. It offers the annual Festival Les Préférences, temporary exhibitions in the medieval Grenier à sel building, cultural mediation programs for visitors and families, venue rental, and access to a remarkable library of approximately 2,400 books. The site is open to the public seasonally and hosts over 100 writers, artists, and researchers since 2012.

Product overview

Maison Julien Gracq operates as a cultural institution offering writer residencies in the family home of French writer Julien Gracq, supplemented by a literary festival (Festival Les Préférences), temporary art exhibitions, cultural mediation programs, and venue rental services. The institution also maintains a remarkable library with the writer's personal book collection. It functions as a single integrated cultural offering rather than a modular platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Résidences d'écriture et de création (Writing and Creative Residencies) Temporary residency programs for writers, artists, and researchers hosted in the family home of Julien Gracq. Since 2012, over 100 writers, artists, and researchers have been accommodated in residence or creative stays. Selection is conducted through a formal call-for-candidates process reviewed by the Literary, Artistic and Scientific Committee.
• Festival Les Préférences Annual literature festival inspired by Julien Gracq's 1961 essay collection 'Préférences', featuring readings, meetings with authors, and artistic events. The festival is a core programming element attracting authors and audiences annually.
• Expositions (Exhibitions) Temporary exhibitions in the medieval Grenier à sel building, featuring works from private collectors presented through the lens of literature. The ground floor houses the Chambre des cartes, a discovery space about the writer and a temporary exhibition space.
• Médiation culturelle (Cultural Mediation) Cultural mediation services including guided tours, workshops for families and children (cyanotype, drawing, storytelling, creative arts), and educational activities for school groups and visitors during school vacations.
• Location de espaces (Venue Rental) Rental of the Maison Julien Gracq spaces, including the medieval Grenier à sel and gardens, for events, gatherings, or private functions.
• La bibliothèque remarquable (The Remarkable Library) Remarkable library housing approximately 2,400 books that belonged to Julien Gracq, located on the first floor of the medieval Grenier à sel building. Open to visitors during public opening hours (April 8 to November 14, 2026).

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ writers, artists, and researchers hosted since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mauges-CommunautécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community of municipalities providing local support and partnership for cultural activities in the Mauges region.
• Ville de Mauges-sur-LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government providing local support and partnership for cultural programming.
• COMPA, Communauté de Communes du pays d'AncenisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-municipal community partnership for cross-territorial cultural events and programming.
• Bibliothèque municipale de NantesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor public library in Nantes collaborating on literary events and author appearances.
• Librairie ParChemins - Saint-Florent-le-VieilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal independent bookstore partnering for book-related events and author readings.
• Festival Atlantide - NantesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiterary festival partnership for cross-promotion and joint programming.
• Maison de la Poésie - NantesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoetry house collaborating on poetry readings and literary programming.
• Le Lieu Unique - NantesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural center in Nantes partnering for cross-disciplinary cultural events.
• Scène de Pays, scène conventionnée de Mauges CommunautéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated stage for performing arts in Mauges region, partnering for events and performances.
• Radio G, l'émission Entre les pagesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio program 'Between the Pages' providing media coverage and promotion of literary events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MEET – Maison des Écrivains Étrangers et des Traducteurs: French residency house dedicated to foreign writers and literary translators in Saint-Nazaire. Directly comparable as a writer residency institution in western France with similar residency selection processes and cultural mediation work.
• Maison de Balzac: Parisian literary house museum of Honoré de Balzac, offering public visits, exhibitions, and writer-focused cultural programming. Operates under the same 'Maison des Illustres' model and serves an analogous function of preserving a French author's heritage through public access.
• Château de La Napoule – Fondation de France: Historic château on the French Riviera hosting artist residencies, cultural events, and public visits. Comparable as a heritage property combining artist residencies with public cultural programming and festival-style events in a unique historic setting.
• Maison Victor Hugo: Paris-based writer's house museum dedicated to Victor Hugo, offering public visits, literary exhibitions, and cultural programming in the author's former residence. Directly comparable as a heritage site / literary house / museum hybrid under French cultural recognition frameworks.
• La Chartreuse – Centre national des écritures du spectacle: French national writing residency center in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon hosting writers, artists, and researchers for residencies and cultural events. Closely comparable as a national-scale literary residency institution with public cultural programming.

Regional players

• Maison de la Poésie – Nantes: Regional poetry and literary center in Nantes, an active Maison Julien Gracq partner. Operates literary events and readings in the same Pays-de-la-Loire region, overlapping audience but focused specifically on poetry rather than general literary heritage.
• Abbaye de Fontevraud: Major Loire Valley cultural heritage site operating as a cultural center with exhibitions, residencies, and public programming in a historic monastic building. Comparable as a heritage-driven cultural venue in the broader Loire region with similar public-visit and event programming models.
• Le Lieu Unique – Nantes: Cultural center in Nantes housed in a former LU biscuit factory, presenting interdisciplinary arts including literary programming. A Maison Julien Gracq partner with overlapping cultural-mediation audiences in the Pays-de-la-Loire region.

Broad incumbents

• Centre Culturel Irlandais: Irish cultural institution in Paris offering literary residencies, exhibitions, and cultural events. Comparable as a national-scale cultural institution combining residency programming with public heritage exhibitions in a French context.
• Villa Médicis – Académie de France à Rome: French Academy in Rome hosting artists and writers for residencies in a historic Italian villa. Comparable as a prestigious French-affiliated residency institution with heritage setting and public programming — though at significantly larger scale and broader artistic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/maisonjuliengracq
• Instagraminstagram.com/maison.julien.gracq/?hl=fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maison-julien-gracq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maison Julien Gracq