Christmas Jig-saw Puzzle 2014

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Click here for the clever jig-saw puzzle on the Facebook page of the Office de Tourisme of the little town of

 RICHELIEU

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Jean Marot - engraver and architect

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Marot_(architecte)

http://www.wga.hu/html_m/m/marot/jean1/index.html

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/books-manuscripts/marot-jean-le-magnifique-chasteau-de-5156011-details.aspx

le magnifique chasteau de Richelieu

Marot is thought to be the design architect of the town's elegant gates.

Jean Marot, (born c. 1619—died Dec. 15, 1679, Paris), French architect and engraver who was one of a large family of Parisian craftsmen and artists.

Although he was a Protestant, Marot was named architect of the king. He was also the architect of various private houses, including the Hôtel de Pussort, Hôtel de Mortemart, and Hôtel de Monceau, but he is chiefly renowned for his two great series of architectural engravings known as “Le Petit Marot” and “Le Grand Marot,” which are essential for the study of French 17th-century architecture. In addition he engraved a large number of ornamental designs for chimneys, ceilings, etc., a practice in which he was followed by his son Daniel Marot, who became a celebrated decorative designer.

Jean Marot - Engraver + Architect - 1619-1679

English: Portrait of the French engraver Jean Marot (1619–1679) 

Unknown date [circa 1679]. A scan from the original book: Mauban, André (1944) - 'Jean Marot, Architecte et Graveur Parisien'. Paris: Les Éditions d'Art et d'Histoire. OCLC 7057275.

N. de P. Montagne Pinxit, J. Gole Sculpsit

Text about the Chateau of Richelieu

Endowment Fund committee members

Jacques Lemercier - archit.

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Members of the Conseil d'Administration of the Fonds de Dotation at December 2014.

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• Président              NAUDEAU      Philippe         ph.naudeau@gmail.com
• Vice-Président     GABORIT        Bernard            gaboritb@wanadoo.fr
• Trésorier              DELANNOY     Alcyme        alcymedelannoy@yahoo.fr

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• BONNET                 Laurent
• COPPING                Howard          en Anglais / in English           howardcopping@gmail.com
• DETREZ                  Jacques
• EYGUN                   Guilmine
• DAVONNEAU          Jean Luc
• Maire NOVELLI      Hervé
• SAVOIE                  Patrice
• SIMONY                  Marc
• TERRIEN                Marie-Pierre

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JLL takes a circular panoramas from the centre of the place du Marché, Richelieu

JLL, hope you don't mind the Abbé Proust re-blogging this exercise in photography!

HERE IS THE BIGGER VERSION

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TRY THIS ONE - ITS EVEN BETTER

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squaring a circle

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JLL's blog

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The Chinon Gate - restoration of the gates themselves

The first project of the Fonds de Dotation - the newly formed Richelieu Endowment Fund

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The northern Chinon Gate in the town's encircling walls

The two leaves of the historic Porte de Chinon have been restored to working condition by the company Menuiserie Guérin Frères of Pouzay - a village 10km away from Richelieu.  The gates have been rehung and the ensemble opened in a ceremony led by Richelieu's Mayor Novelli.  The detailed restoration work took the old broken fragments of the original 17th century gate leaves and incorporated new work - of 200 year old Normandy oak - to rebuild them back to more-or-less original condition.

before 1

before 2

2013 painted ochre...

             

This is the first project that represents works helped by the new Fonds de Dotation.  Half of the 30,000€ cost was met by the state and 50% by the town itself, including finance from the newly established endowment fund.

roads blocked off while the doors are installed

half original, half new - careful piecing in

Installing the doors

Refurbished metal work from the original doors

White van men do their stuff

Erecting the two tonne door leaves

Patched in Normandy oak added to the 17th C  original

Oak and masonry, in 17th century style

Frères Guérin finish off the exterior

Mayor Novelli cuts the ribbon with Mme. Bartelémy of Bâtiments de France

Madamoiselle Bartelémy tries the wicket gate for size - in wellies!

a panorama of the porte de Chinon from the North

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How was the porte de Chinon intended to be?
Archit. Henri Proust speculates on behalf of architects Jaques Lemercier and Jean Marot.
Marot is thought to be the design architect of the town's elegant gates.

drawbridge down

drawbridge up

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The Fonds de Dotation document complete (in French, but hey!…)

Merged PDF

The new Endowment Fund for the cité idéale

The Endowment Fund

The little town of Richelieu has recently established an Endowment Fund - Le fonds de Dotation - for the support of restoration projects within the town.  This policy follows the second 3-year agreement with the French state for the support of the stewardship of the huge cultural patrimony that the cité idéale represents at a French national and even European scale.

While the town receives subsidy for redevelopment projects from the French state through organisations like the DRAC and Bâtiments de France, the town council led by Mayor Novelli now seeks to allow others to make their contribution to a series of detailed and costed restoration and redevelopment proposals.  These contributors might range from individuals to private companies, large and small.  There are significant advantages in making such a contribution, such as allowances of 60% against taxation.

pages from the official documents

projects past and future

Restore - enhance value - redevelop

contribution pro-forma

A committee has been set up by the mayor to press this policy forward and this group has prepared a list of prioritised projects for consideration and execution.  The first projects are already underway while companies - from the largest to the smallest - are being approached for their patronage.

• the gates of the porte de Chinon
• the pavilion à l'angle in the town walls' north-west corner
• the Vincent de Paul Library located behind the church, with its famous book collection.

e-mail the organiser and Président of the Fonds de Dotation

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SWAT training in Richelieu

The good Cardinal was originally educated in the most famous of Paris' military and riding training schools - the Sandhurst of Henri IV:

Academie d'Equitation de M. Pluvinel

So it is not surprising that the Cardinal Duke's ideal town of the 21st century should accommodate a similar institution to that of M.Pluvinel.  SWAT training!

The Positive Stress Center

The old grain silo works overlooking the town's wall from the north west, along the rue de Quebec has been converted into a training school for SWAT teams.  Here one can pass a HIGH STRESS weekend leaning to cope with the worst that the 21st century can throw at one.  

A sort of 'Three Musketeers School'.

All looks bit spooky and modern in this old lost town.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Positive-Stress-Center/649328411762974

http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/Indre-et-Loire/Loisirs/Sports-et-loisirs/n/Contenus/Articles/2014/04/20/Des-stages-de-l-extreme-pour-positiver-le-stress-1879405

the refurbished grain works

tough-guy transport

the anonymous front door of PSC

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POSITIVE STRESS CENTER

19 rue du Québec 37120 - RICHELIEU

Directeur : CARRERO Romuald, Tel : 06.65.93.44.23

Conseiller technique : M.Kato, Tel : 06.15.45.91.75

Adresse e-mail : contact@positive-stress-center.fr

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A new shop opens on the place du Marché

The new shop, called 'Contance's Wardrobe', replaces an antique and brocante shop that had been there for many years.

The premises have been refurbished and a new mezzanine is now accessible from the floor of the shop.  Originally the 17th C building had full-height rooms on the ground floor, as exemplified by the Office de Tourisme across the square in the symmetrical position.

Bâtiments de France seem to have been quite compliant with the new owners, as the façade of the hôtel particular - which has recently been fully restored from the first floor string course upwards to the roof - has not been 'correctly' restored to its original elevation.

Ummm……

The villainous Cardinal (from the BBC!)

Queen Anne of France, Infanta of Spain

King Louis XIII of France and Navarre

Milady de Winter

Mousquetaire M. Aramis

4th-time Mayor of Schaafheim - Well done our chum Reinhold!

Victory at the polls - 89.3%! A happy Inge with her Reinhold

On Sunday, 14 September 2014 the incumbent mayor of Schaafheim, Reinhold Hehmann, was spectacularly confirmed for the fourth time for the office of Mayor. 89.3% of all electors voted for him. The turnout was 41%. As Reinhold Hehmann was the only realistic candidate, many voters stayed away from the polls. In the Löwen the CDU member of parliament and general secretary of the Hessian Union, Manfred Pentz, the two mayors Carsten Helfmann (Eppertshausen) and Jörg Lautenschlager (Modautal) and administrator Klaus Peter Schell Haas all cheered along with the candidate Reinhold Hehmann, his family and several Schaafheim town guests at these election results. At the subsequent election party at the clubhouse, the singers of the Evangelist Church and well-wishers from Großostheim who came with Mayor Herbert Jacob were in the fore.

the victory chorus

The results were recorded in the Löwensaal. When at last the final result came (at 7.14pm), we saw a very content 'old-and-new' Mayor Reinhold Hehmann. The best result came from Mosbach, where 95.7% voted for him. Councillor Schellhaas commented pointedly: "Even the Bavarians are jealous." Reinhold himself laid the result on his many doorstep visits. 

From the Löwen they went to the great hall of the Singers Union in Old School Lane. Here the Schaafheimer Union congratulated their own successful candidate, Reinhold Hehmann. Chairman Ralph Reinhold Hehmann Pittich thanked him for his dedication, commitment and closeness. It showed that he, as before, had made ​​many home visits in the various districts for all the election campaigns. In this he was accompanied him several other CDU members. It is a exemplary list and a dedicated campaign team for the next municipal election in 2016, as Reinhold Hehmann has continued to have a very good partner for his ideas in the council of the Schaafheimer CDU. 

Reinhold Hehmann thanked the Schaafheim CDU for their strong support. Together they could achieve a lot. A special thanks to their coalition partner, the FDP community - here chairman Otto Dill worked hard for the support of this candidate. Together they have both achieved a lot for Schaafheim since 1977. 

Our member of parliament Patricia Lips came to congratulate the successful candidate. The friends of the CSU came from Großostheim. Mayor Herbert Jacob, and the local councillors Stefan Kraus and Thorsten Rollman congratulated our 'old and-new' Mayor, Reinhold Hehmann.

Schaafheim's swing-o-meter'

WELL DONE REINHOLD!
Schaafheim is twinned with the Cité Idèale of RICHELIEU

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Why not click here to listen to the histories of Germany...

long live the BBC!

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Boule marquetry in Richelieu

Who says that Richelieu hasn't got any industry any more?  Look at the video and marvel….

The Sainte Chapelle at Champigny-sur-Veude

the classical frontage to the Sainte Chapelle on a mid-summer's evening

The next village north of Richelieu, as the little river Mable runs towards the broad Vienne, is called Champigny-sur-Veude, although the little river has by now changed its name to the river Veude. The King's brother Gaston d'Orléans formerly owned a major castle here, most of which was finally demolished after the cardinal duc had acquired the property from the Bourbons as he established his huge ducal domaine.  The Pope himself intervened to protect a fragment, the as-called Sainte Chapelle. This building is one of the few that were constructed as reflections of the famous mediaeval Sainte Chapelle in the centre of Paris.  While the Champigny chapel, with its famous stained glass windows telling the history of Saint Louis for the family of the Bourbon-Montpensier, is in a late gothic manner, the family constructed this rather strict Roman porch modelled as a triumphal arch.

A fine crash of Gothic and Neo-classical taste.

All evidence of the castle itself, with the exception of the 'commons', has since disappeared.

a remnant of the castle walls

a concert within the chapelle showing the stained glass windows

the vaulting and support columns

some of the stained glass windows

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Cape and Rapier 2014 - the procession

17th century citizens

girl musketeers (whatever next!)...

the King's carriage

pony sandwich

Daddy Longlegs and Mummy Longlegs
[Order Phalangida: numerous genera and species, including the common Phalangium opilio.]

a set of hurdy-gurdies