The topics of this blog are Armand-Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Duke of Richelieu, and the IDEAL CITY built on his command next to his magnificent CHÂTEAU on the borders of Touraine, Anjou and Poitou, in France.

Friday 29 June 2012

Old postcards - la Gare

the 1906 postcard's view today; from a little closer to the station
 a Google Earth version 29 June 2012 - more wide-angle

15 September 1906, a day for your sabots..



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Tuesday 26 June 2012

Pictures of the chapel of the Sorbonne

the location of the Sorbonne
Last resting place of the cardinal, the Chapel of the Sorbonne in Paris, is hard to get inside.  So I hope Peter of http://www.peter-pho2.com/2012/06/sorbonne.html will not mind the Abbé adding these to our collection of images of the Paris world of the cardinal duc himself.
click here for other posts on the Sorbonne and the cardinal's sepulchre.


The external views of the chapel designed by Jacques Lemercier in the 1620s; the minor façade to the internal court of the Sorbonne, the major to the public square without, both in strict Jesuit manner, following Vignola.

the high altar and the cupola from inside

the tomb of the cardinal complete with his magically levitating cardinal's hat

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Expansion of the town's hotel, the Puits Doré

Click on the small blue letters Puits Doré in the 'labels' at the foot of this post to call up photos of the various stages of the reconstruction.

It is impressive that this small rural hotel has had the entrepreneurial courage to expand into this fully 'listed' rear extension and thus increase its commercial viability by increasing the bed spaces.  In doing so, they were obliged to restore the façades, remove the 19th century commercial shop fronts and incorporate facilities for handicapped people within including a lift.

Good luck Puits Doré - we hope tourists will now flood in.

Monday 18 June 2012

La Halle 3 - the works progress...

the slates and battens are removed from the first section of the roof

some of the ridge beam needs replacement

scaffold fills in the interior of the market hall

the end of section A of the roof works


sunlight fills some of the market hall - for the first time for 380 years

exposed carcassing of the market hall's aisle

exposed triangulating stability and wind bracing in x-form


a new replacement footing awaits to be 'scarfed in'

the old sweet chestnut (châteigner) beamage exposed


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