Architectural features of Chatellerault

And that ends 28 days of postings throughout February!  Whew!

Roman Church 10th Century

Mooching around the back of buildings between the river, the market and the new tourist office area,  I discovered the oldest church in Chatellerault, which I never knew existed. 
I have been visiting this town for 9 years!  How dumb could I be!
The streets and buildings around it have recently received renovation. so maybe as other buildings around it have been destroyed as part of 'new development' perhaps it was that 'we couldn't see the wood for the trees'.

It was the first church founded by the Viscount of Chatellerault in 10th century. It was one of five parish churches of the former establishment. After the Siege of Poitiers in July 1569 when the Huguenots rioted, it was restored. After The Revolution it was converted into habitation. Today the secondary chapels and columns are conserved. It is a National Monument of France.

Extraordinary!

L'Ancien Theatre in Chatellerault: 6

The Peristyle is used as a foyer.

1967 the theatre was deemed to be outside of the cultural life of Chatellerault and any project to renew it was too onerous. 
1973 there was an order for it to be closed because of the danger of fire.
1977 The Maire confirmed it was going to be destroyed. An association to save it was led by Michel Bidron. it has been a long process but I am so very glad the theatre has been conserved and is classed as a Historic Monument de France. Thank you to all those who had faith!
And now....please go to the theatre as part of the audience or have a guided tour.  Treat yourself!
There is a depth to this theatre that I have not been able to relate or reproduce in these postings nor yet uncovered. Over to you!

PS If I am able to read / translate / discover more important facts I will update my blog with new postings! 

L'Ancien Theatre in Chatellerault: 5

These photos are of a maquette on display.

And some other lovely decorative features:

L'Ancien Theatre in Chatellerault: 4

The sets, curtain and allegorical ceiling paintings are the artistry of Emile Vernon, from the École des Beaux-Arts, Tours, France. This is a reproduction of the main curtain which has two oculi to espy if the audience are ready for the show!  It depicts the Henri IV bridge over La Vienne river between Chatellerault and Chateauneuf.  I wonder if all the original has been kept and if so, where? I hope examples of the other artefacts are in storage somewhere.

 This blog shows his paintings in their original state - untouched! Thank you to the blogger!

SPRINGTIME COMETH
Evidently the cranes went over yesterday but I didn't see them! 

L'Ancien Theatre in Chatellerault: 3

I am very fond of this theatre and have been a member of "Les Amis" for several years, offering my humble support for the rescue of this unique building.  It was dilapidated and at its worst when a friend and I had a guided tour. Earlier this week I was rapturous and so happy to see it looking exquisitely beautiful when I attended the AGM.

I don't think my level of French would withstand a performance but maybe if I can find an event that hasn't yet sold out I would love to dress in my finery and be chaperoned as part of the audience, as part of the theatre that the actors may or may not see when all the lights are shining upon THEM.  I would be in the dark in more ways than one!   I would be with the Godesses of Thalia and Mesopmene in Paradise!

You could read: 
http://www.ville-chatellerault.fr/grands-projets/ancien-theatre

L'Ancien Theatre in Chatellerault: 2

 These are images from the electronic presentation available to view in the 'peristyle' / foyer.

1495 Les Minimes positioned outside of the walled moated town of Chatellerault.

The Moat has long since been filled, but how or why or when I do not know!  In this 1495 engraving one can see the churches of St Jacques, the 10th century Roman church and St Jean the Evangelist. I find it Fascinating, the more I look. And when was the wall taken down?

The cheapest seats in the Gods are called Paradise.

The chapel window still exists but is bricked up.

Des baies géminées  can be seen here.

By now those who buy the cheapest seats go to the chicken run! 

Le gril is machinery which controls the raising and lowering of the sets 'de scene'.  I think it is fantastic that these were preserved and now restored.

2014

If you wish to hear in French then go to here

L'Ancien Theatre in Chatellerault: 1

  In future it will be called Theatre Blossac.
L'Ancien refers to the 'former' not 'ancient' theatre.
Now, re-instated it is situated on the Boulevard Blossac.

HOWEVER, it has been restored exquisitely, ambitiously and impeccably. 

It is a working theatre in the Italianate Style.
I recommend everyone to have a guided tour. 

HISTORY:
1495: A theatre was built in the chapel of the Convent of Minimes.
1791: It was purchased by the town council.
1804:  A wooden tower was destroyed.  I don't know which tower is referred to. The wood was recycled to build a simple amphitheatre with apx 400 seats to host meetings and Republican ceremonies.  It was organised by a charitable company whose aims were to "bring relief to poverty, promote the arts and provide residents with pleasant relaxation which would improve their morals." 
(Maybe the translation means morale!) 
1814: It was decided that a new theatre was required for the town.
1839 to 1844: A small neo-classical Italian theatre was built by Michel Delage, who was a mason in Châtellerault, according to designs by Louis Renaudet.
1860: It became a Municipal Theatre. I think it was called La Redoute because until recently that was the name of the hall in front of the concealed theatre and the hall upstairs.  "The cultural space now includes a theatre (in the nave of the old church), a peristyle attached to the front of the church and, upstairs, a fireplace and the room dedicated to La Redoute meetings concerts and balls." 
1899: The theatre was extended to seat apx 600 in the audience. The simple brown, blue and yellow decor was transformed with rich paintings, sculptures and embellishments of red and gold.  The sets, the curtain and the allegorical ceiling paintings and murals are the work of Emile Vernon, of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Tours.  
Émile Vernon, was born in 1872 and died in 1919. He was a student at the School of Fine Arts in Tours, France and received the premier prize for drawing in 1888.  He was taught and influenced by William Bouguereau and Auguste Truphème at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.   In 1898, he participated in the Exhibition of Fine Arts and Decorative Arts in Tours.  He exhibited regularly until 1913, with portraits, landscapes and floral paintings.  He excelled in watercolour paintings of women and children in bright colours and bucolic scenery, and was well known for the portrait of Mrs.Vernon, Under the Lamp.
1945 to 1958:  although there were performances the building began to degrade becoming dangerous.
2012: Restoration began to replicate the Italianate theatre of 1899.  The foundations, roof, walls, stairway, plumbing, electricity, et cetera have all been updated according to current building regulations. Paintings and decorations have been restored: curtains, dressing rooms, benches, seats and theatre boxes, chairs in the balconies, the proscenium, cornices, friezes and IN FACT everything has all been replaced and or restored.  The machinery which operates the theatrical screens and sets has also been upgraded.In addition, a lift has been installed.  
Two stone muses, Thalia and Melopmene were returned to the facade of the theatre.
In Grecian Mythology the Muses were the inspirational goddesses of knowledge, of the arts, of music, song and dance and all were the source of inspiration to poets in the court of Zeus.  In very ancient times there were three Muses, but later there were nine.  
Each inspirational Muse received a name and spheres of responsibility or attributes:-

Calliope (epic poetry) 
Clio (history)
Erato (love and erotic poetry)
Euterpe (lyric poetry)
Melopmene (tragedy)
Thalia (comedy)
Polyhymnia (religious hymns)
Terpsichore (choral song and dance)
Urania (astronomy)

2013: The theatre was re-opened.  It has cost 5.85 million euros to restore.  The Heritage Foundation supported the restoration of the theatre. The work was overseen by Millet Key, an International firm associated with Arnaud de Saint-Jouan, Chief Architect of Historic Monuments. 25 companies were involved.

See next posting for more photographs.

Book Review: Coastliners

I read this 12 years ago when it was first published ... the copy is in my attic.
Q: Why not on a bookshelf?  A: I don't have one as my previous house had an inbuilt library!
A friend bought this copy from a UK charity shop!  Unfortunately, it was a slow and tedious read both readings, however, this time, I would wake in the middle of the night to read a few more chapters and came to enjoy the book.
Today is Saturday but I post this to my blog on Sunday yet moved the posting to Thursday!
I don't know why I am so exhausted.  I was reading before and after sleeping under the duvet, on the settee, in front of the fire. Unusual for me! I think it was a combination of Friday, a headache, THE RAIN, the desire for change and for the pile of chores to disappear!
There are more than enough reviews and it best to go to Joanne Harris' website for all you wish to know.  It's about insiders/outsiders and pessimism/optimism. The frailty of human life which is dependent upon age, employment, lifestyle.  It is about birth/death and how LIFE struggles on, despite all that occurs...well, until we die!  The thread in the story is the belief that if something departs or is lost it will return.  It's a bit of a cliffhanger ... suddenly the tale ends and one wonders.
I have read the 2nd,3rd,4th 5th of her published books. I think I stopped buying when I realised there was a pattern.  I own THE FRENCH KITCHEN which I rather like!
I miss the sea...but probably would not wish to be near the angry 'hungry dog' on the west and south of the British Isles.

On the route de Compostela

Streets in this region of Chatellerault have recently been upgraded and this one pedestrianised.

Chatellerault is on the pilgrimage route of St. Jacques de Compostela. Construction of the Saint Jacques Church began in 1008 on the ruins of the chapel of the priory of Saint-Jacques. The Bishop of Poitiers, Isembert II consecrated the church in 1066.  In 1632, a votive offering celebrated the end of the plague in the town.  The church was restored in 1858 and has a 17th century polychromic, wooden statue of St. Jacques. It has a carillon of 50 bells - the only carillon in the Poitou-Charentes region. 
The restoration of the church was not to the liking of one of the inspectors of historic monuments who refused to give the church any government subsidy because it replicated the facade of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Poitiers.  His power of generosity did not extend to the understanding that sometimes imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery!  "Thou shalt not steal" he quoted from the Bible.  Nor did he survive to hear Steve Jobs say in 1996 that "Good artists copy, Great Artists steal!"

Wikipedia Photo of Notre Dame Cathedral, Poitiers