The town's own facebook page!

The Richelieu Tourist office has opened its own Facebook page that will give easy access to up-to-date information on the towns activities.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Office-de-Tourisme-du-Pays-de-Richelieu/440856792633342

A putto on the town's church

a putto above the entrance to the church - carved in 1635

She scrubs up well

 BEFORE - a rusty Virgin...

The niche located at the north end of rue Henri Proust, on rue de Jarry, contains a statue of Mary, who is celebrated here as the result of successful prayers of inter-muros parishioners of the Richelieu church, itself dedicated to the Virgin.  

These prayers resulted in the saving of the town of Richelieu from an epidemic of Cholera in the 19th century.

Now re-furbished and de-rusted. 

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'It's him wot dun it' - Cyr, that is,

just in time for the Assumption of 14 August 2012

Thanks Cyr - she is lovely now; as befits the Virgin Mary!

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Cape et Epée 2012 - the movies

the Dark Cavalier...

The little town comes to life with thousands of visitors who enjoy seeing the place inhabited by various bands of historical re-enacters. And having a good lunch together in the market square...

In the evening the jollity continues with dancers and FIRE EATERS?
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Cape and Rapier Festival - Cape & Epée, 2012

and for everything one could possibly need for this event....

Fly over Richelieu

Festival de Musique 2012

Programme Festival 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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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

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.

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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Restoration of la halle de Richelieu - 2

the only contemporary illustration of la halle; but is it accurate?

Project board 1

project board 2

project board

architect in charge - M. Arnaud de St. Jouan

...up there...

underpinning each and every column

the sandy sub-soil exposed - once marshland

underpinning with a new concrete 'footing'

breaking up the former concrete slab

a newly-cast concrete footing

the new scaffold obscures the view of high-level work

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