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 15 December 2017

The Voie Verte

The new voie-verte ; a touristic device to link Chinon and Richelieu


Chinon-Richelieu voie-verte or greenway
Don't get stuck fast on the  old railway platforms!

The rehabilitation works of the stations that mark the route will start on Thursday, 14 December 2017. It is an important step before the complete opening planned for the spring 2018.

The railway itself has not run since 2004 as a consequence of the rail traffic ban on the dangerous old sub-standard rail track alignments.

This Thursday the first rehabilitation works on the stations strung along the old Chinon-Richelieu railway line are due to begin. It is an important next step in the exciting project, costed at 1.3 million euros*, for the Greenway expected to open in the spring of 2018.

The asphalt surface of the 20km long track linking the cité idéale of the Cardinal to the mediaeval town of Chinon has now been laid, and it already allows pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy the complete  route. However, there is still some way to go to see this ambitious project keep all its promises, as it has been originally conceived by Hervé Novelli, the mayor of Richelieu.

'More than a bike path'

Ten 'stations' must be created and equipped located between the Royal Fortress of Chinon and the model town of Richelieu. Staging points with themes - each one interactive - celebrating the historical inheritances,  local products and the lush Touraine landscapes.
'We will make sure to 'add value' to this Green track, so that it ends up much more than a simple bike path' says Isabelle Pain, Vice-President of tourism for the Community of Communes, Touraine Val de Vienne (TVV)
And that will apply to each of the stations. If the project for renovation of Ligré-Rivière has fallen a bit behind for the moment - for lack of agreed current operators - the other three - Richelieu - Champigny-sur-Veude - Coutureau - will be 'deliverable' for June 2018.

50,000 people are expected from the first 2018 cycling and walking season along the rivers Veude and Vienne.

Snacking in Richelieu
The hospitality activity sheltering in the old Richelieu station will be let by the municipality. It should be a easy location for a quick snack. Neither the name of the operator nor the exact nature of the proposed service are known at the moment. A bike rental service is also anticipated there.

A 'Tea Room' in Beauvais
The manor house of Beauvais in Ligré, which actually borders the Greenway, might well profit from the much increased tourist traffic. A concept of a tea room is being studied. One thing is certain: 'the cycle track can only be an advantage for us' rejoices François Dumarçay. At present only 15% of its clientèle comes from cycling tourism.

Coutureau, showcase for the Château de Rivau. 
The stop of Coutureau 'would give a foretaste of the universe of the castle'. This is the scenario created by Patricia Laigneau, châtelaine of the mediaeval Rivau castle nearby, which sees a showcase simultaneously giving 'economic benefits both for the monument itself and its territory'. Hopefully sufficient to boost even further a 2017 attendance figure  of 55,000 visitors.
'Everything will depend on the promotion that will be made concerning the Greenway' responds Patricia Laigneau. The Rivau team is waiting for an answer in January.....

An extensive gîte in Ligré.
How to welcome twenty people or so in the old adapted station of Ligré-Rivière? Work should begin here in January to result in the opening of a half-distance gîte. It will be run by Touraine Val de Vienne, in partnership with the municipality of Ligré.

*From of a total of 3.6 million euros, of which 740,000 € is borne by TVV.

Posted on 14/12/2017 at 04:55 | Updated on 14/12/2017 at 04:55


Voie verte Chinon-Richelieu : ne pas rester à quai



Les travaux de réhabilitation des gares qui jalonnent le parcours démarrent ce jeudi. Une étape importante avant l’ouverture prévue au printemps.



Le train n’est plus passé là depuis 2004 et l’interdiction de circulation sur la voie.



Ce jeudi, les premiers travaux de réhabilitation des gares qui bordent l’ancienne voie ferrée Chinon-Richelieu doivent débuter.

Une étape importante estimée à 1,3 million d’euros (*) pour une voie verte censée ouvrir au printemps.

L’enrobé des 20 km de parcours reliant la cité du cardinal à Chinon a été posé, qui permet déjà aux piétons et cyclistes de profiter du tracé. Il reste toutefois un peu de chemin à parcourir pour voir ce projet ambitieux, pensé par Hervé Novelli, tenir toutes ses promesses.

“ Plus qu’une piste cyclable ” Dix « stations » doivent être aménagées et équipées entre la forteresse royale et Richelieu. Des étapes à thèmes – intéractives notamment – de valorisation du patrimoine, des produits locaux ou des paysages.
« Nous veillons à apporter des plus-values à ce parcours, pour qu’il soit beaucoup plus qu’une piste cyclable », explique Isabelle Pain, vice-présidente chargée du tourisme pour la communauté de communes Touraine Val de Vienne (TVV).
Et cela passera par les gares. Si la rénovation de Ligré-Rivière a pris du retard, faute de candidats, les trois autres (Richelieu, Champigny-sur-Veude, Coutureau) doivent « être livrables » pour juin.

50.000 personnes sont espérées dès la première saison entre Veude et Vienne.

Snacking à Richelieu. L’activité abritée par la gare de Richelieu sera confiée par délégation de service public. Il devrait s’agir d’un espace de restauration rapide. Ni le nom de l’opérateur ni la nature exacte du service proposé ne sont pour le moment connus. Un loueur de vélos est également évoqué.
Salon de thé à Beauvais ? Le manoir de Beauvais, à Ligré, qui borde la voie verte, profitera-t-il de l’affluence annoncée ? Un concept de salon de thé est étudié. Une chose est sûre : le parcours « ne peut être qu’un avantage pour nous », se réjouit François Dumarçay. 15 % de sa clientèle provient du tourisme à vélo.

Coutureau, vitrine du Rivau. La halte de Coutureau « donnerait un avant-goût de l’univers du château ». Tel est le scénario échafaudé par Patricia Laigneau, châtelaine du Rivau tout proche, qui y voit une vitrine synonyme « de retombées économiques pour le monument et le territoire ». Suffisant pour booster un peu plus une fréquentation 2017 de 55.000 visiteurs ?

« Tout dépendra de la promotion qui sera faite autour de la voie verte », répond Patricia Laigneau. Le Rivau attend une réponse en janvier.

Un gîte à Ligré. Il est question d’accueillir vingt personnes dans la gare de Ligré-Rivière. Les travaux devraient démarrer en janvier pour aboutir à l’ouverture d’un gite d’étape. C’est Touraine Val de Vienne, en partenariat avec la commune de Ligré, qui en aura la gestion.
(*) Sur un total de 3,6 millions, dont 740.000 € à charge de TVV.

Publié le 14/12/2017 à 04:55 | Mis à jour le 14/12/2017 à 04:55



Comments
Christine Chichery Quoi de la petite gare de Champigny-sur-Veude ! 
La commune a également de beaux projets pour les visiteurs de ce lieu réhabilité !
Faire découvrir notre patrimoine architectural, artistique et végétal. 
Des expos seront prévues sur notre Sainte Chapelle, Le peintre Soutine, notre jardin d’Iris de Collection et bien d’autres encore !...See more

Image may contain: sky, house, plant, tree, grass, cloud and outdoor



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Wednesday 29 November 2017

Christmas lights are switched on in the streets and squares of Richelieu

La Mairie or Townhall

la halle, or market hall
original photos by A.Proveda - thanks AP; hope you don't mind!

and here is an older picture of the Grande Rue,
empty of traffic, and with an added hornbeam 'avenue'...



same day, different view...

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Gustav Eiffel's Chinon railway bridge


Seen here through the autumnal mists hanging over the Vienne river at Chinon, this 1874 bridge was designed by the office of Gustav Eiffel, creator of the lattice-steel Eiffel Tower in Paris. It leads the railway line that came from Tours either to Loudun or towards the cité idéale of Richelieu along the valley of the little river Veude.






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Monday 20 November 2017

rue Sainte Anne

rue Sainte-Anne - Paris 1er

in Paris I!
full of Japanese restaurants, apparently...

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Friday 3 November 2017

Louis XIII - our King of France

Portraits of Louis XIII at the Musée Carnavalet, Paris

Portrait of Louis XIII, King of France (1610-1643)
Philippe de Champaigne, about 1640

Department of Paintings of the Carnavalet Museum – History of Paris

You can currently discover this painting at the Musée du Luxembourg during the exhibition “Rubens, royal portraits” until the 14th of January 2018.


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Saturday 21 October 2017

The restored façade of the town's church, Our Lady of Richelieu

in sunshine


overcast
The Eastern front of the church has been restored, and recently the extensive scaffold has been struck, showing off the fine tuffeau façade,
 including the four statues of the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke &a mp; John.

Unusually, the church’s altar faces West - away from the sunrise and the holy city of Jerusalem  - whats that all about, Cardy & Jacques?
Do we need a Dan Brown to write a mystic story as justification?

A Jesuit-style façade based on Il Gesù in Rome, design by Vignola.



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Monday 9 October 2017

Can it really be true?

At least two thirds of the main road by-pass of the cité idéale have been completed and are in operation.

The remaining one third segment has been long delayed by environmental battles concerning vegetation loss, although the actual new road alignment itself has been established for a while - Henri P. has ridden the grassy route on a bicycle - and the rights of acquisition settled.

This current situation means that a main traffic artery, recently upgraded for heavy trucks over many kilometres, is only un-up-graded exactly where it passes one of France's national treasures of urban design. Enormous euro-trucks rattle the foundations of the town's 17th century girdling walls, and their raucous engines deafen the inhabitants on the western side of the town as lorries cruise past at any old time, day or night.

So we are gagging with excitement that France's cumbersome bureaucracy seems to have finally 'pulled its finger out' and started this much delayed project.....
But we may be mistaken....
We need confirmation from someone on the ground, at the heart of local politics, that it is really true....
We are sceptical....
But hopeful....

the alignment of the last segment of the town's bypass is started?.....
- a view from the Knauf works roundabout towards Loudun -
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All comments will be gratefully received below....

Thursday 14 September 2017

Views of the 'Dome' in the cardinal's park

a panorama of the 'Dome'; last existing fragment of the cardinal's palace
download to peruse a high definition version 5000 pixels wide

eastern elevation

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Saturday 12 August 2017

Big trees fall in the park

a new clearing in the parc

the foresters tidy up the huge fallen trees

how old, dendochronologists?

the 'electro mill' race, a bit encumbered...

a branch still in the roof of the Bollée ram building

another fallen tree on the grand canal

Wednesday 9 August 2017

The new gardens at the Château de Chambord

the view at the garden door
The gardens in front of this famous Loire château have been reconstructed. They were opened to the public only on 20 March 2017.  They counter-balance the overbearing scale of the old building as can be seen in these pictures, and help us imagine the leisure of the occupants in their day. The gardens are truely VAST in scale. So are the numbers of trees and plants.

Worth a visit.
Imagine how impressive were the similar gardens of the now-absent château de Richelieu

the Château de Chambord

from the new garden





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Friday 7 July 2017

Fête de Musique de Richelieu

Here is the programme of this, the eleventh, Festival

Wednesday 24 May 2017

Thursday 11 May 2017

Mayor Novelli seeks to lead his troops to the election!


The current mayor of Richelieu encourages his party faithful 
in the Auditoire of the 
cardinal duc's
cité idéale.

p.s. nice box balls, Milady P!

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Wednesday 3 May 2017

Pasta problems......


or


....that is the question.

France decides....

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Some 'jetons' from the 1640s - showing the cardinal duc


These coins from the 17th century, minted during the life of the cardinal duc, are called 'jetons';
a word that means a non-monetary token, such as one might use in a shopping cart today


They have marine scenes on the reverse face celebrating the 'great helmsman' Richelieu, 
who was in any event Head of the royal navy of his day.
They incorporate the coat of arms of the dukes of Richelieu, and the symbol of the Sainte Ésprit, a chivalric order of the ancient régime.







The last jeton (of 1974!) celebrates the foundation in 1640 of 
the Royal Printing Works 
by the cardinal duc and Louis XIII.

Thanks to Wolfgang Roth 
of the ideal city's twin town Schaafheim
in Germany

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Wednesday 26 April 2017

Wine festival in Richelieu

A short movie of the recent 2017 wine festival held on
23 April 2017
(St.George's Day: Shakespeare's birthday in 1564)
under the roof of the market hall.



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The Dome by night in the parc



Thanks Gala!
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Tuesday 25 April 2017

A new wine bar for Pascale and François Plouzeau


14 place du Marché - Cave à vins Plouzeau
 The local wine growers,Pascale and  François Plouzeau have opened a shop in the place du Marché to offer their bio-dynamic wines. The boutique replaces the former estate agent Archard in a rather pretty shop adjacent to the tourist office.

the facade to the square


try a wine here at the zinc bar!



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