Artists, philosophers, and Parisian celebrities gathered in Madame Geoffrin's salon to socialize and discuss contemporary issues.

The meetings were held in the homes of noble or bourgeois women in France. The best chefs served wonderful meals, while the guests wrote, discussed, and sometimes argued. In addition, some held concerts, danced, read poetry, and played games.

The salons became the melting pots of the Enlightenment. The intelligent, congenial, well-spoken women hosting the parties had a huge impact on the culture of this era. They brought great minds together and fused people of different sexes, ages, occupations, classes, and educational backgrounds through their mutual passions for learning and progress.

The Marquise de Rambouillet required of her salon guests that "every passion be ruled by reason."

Proper French language and manners were strictly enforced. As a result, the ladies of the salons helped to purify and solidify their native tongue for future generations. Common words and mixed dialects were banned. France was the center of the Enlightenment and, therefore, all were expected to speak and write in French.

The first salon was founded by the Marquise de Rambouillet, Catherine de Vivonne. Her gatherings, which took place in her bedroom, greatly influenced French language and literature for a generation. The "Blue Room" was draped in expensive fabrics and divided into alcoves so that private conversations could be held without interruption. As the philosophes discussed the issues of the day they gazed out over the sprawling garden and sipped tea.

The Marquise de Rambouillet's purpose was to perfect the art of conversation. In doing so she managed to be the first to create an atmosphere of equality between the philosophes, or the "men of letters," and their aristocratic patrons and admirers. She mixed both sexes and encouraged the female members to take a leading role in the conversations.

Her only requirements were that everyone speak properly and that "every passion be ruled by reason." Catherine de Vivonne is thought of as the woman who "taught good manners to an entire generation." Her impact was so great that one of her successors, Mademoiselle de Scudery, once said that "nothing was thought of as beautiful unless she approved it." She created a tradition that would continue for an entire century.

Later salons also had a great impact upon spreading enlightened thought. The hostesses' opinions were highly regarded by everyone from the literary world-to-world leaders. The notions put forth in a popular salon could make or break a writer's career. Since there was no press or literary editor to review new works, the ladies of the salon and their attendees provided the feedback.

One of the most famous hostesses was Madame Geoffrin. She entertained musicians and their patrons on Monday evenings and held literary dinners every Wednesday. Even though she was uneducated, nearly illiterate, and of the bourgeois class, she gained worldwide fame for being the center of the Encyclopedieste movement.

Nicknamed the "Mother of the Encyclopediestes," she was host to many great minds from all over the globe including David Hume, Benjamin Franklin, Denis Diderot, King Gustave of Sweden, and Emperor Joseph II of Austria. Among rulers who hoped to become enlightened, benevolent despots corresponded regularly with Madame Geoffrin and her friends such as Empress Catherine the Great of Russia and Maria Teresa of Austria.