Having been banned from Paris, Voltaire purchased a home near Geneva that he called Les Délices and in 1758 purchased the Chateau Ferney, leaving Geneva since theaters were banned there during the Calvinist period. From 1759 to 1778 Ferney was home to Voltaire. His influence on the town was profound; he also commissioned Lenoir to build the church. After the French Revolution, the town was renamed "Ferney-Voltaire" in his honor. Ferney's main attraction is Voltaire's house (château), built 1758-1766.