René Descartes in Descartes, Indre-et-Loire (37)

René Descartes (1596-1650) was born in this house, although it only partly resembles the original building, having been altered several times. At the time of Descartes's birth the village was known as La Haye-en-Touraine, which was renamed La Haye-Descartes in 1802, and then in 1967 it simply became Descartes. Descartes himself only spent his childhood here, being brought up by his maternal grandmother. The house became a museum in 1974.

Descartes's statue was erected in the village of his name in 1849, made of cast iron and weighing 2500 kg. It is the work of the sculptor R. de Neuwerke and the founder Pierre Guéritault, who made the mould.