Paris1972-Versailles2003

Once again looking back into my older posts realised I have several pictures not included and they should. This is again on Angers , a wonderful city in the dept 49 of Maine et Loire and in the region Pays de la Loire of my belle France. There are some nice buildings here that should be mentioned fully and I take this opportunity to offer me and you this new post with older pictures.

France Loisirs is a chain specializing in the sale of books, CDs, DVDs, video games and other cultural products and services. We have use it once in a while, they are a good source for these types of items and the one in Angers is very nice indeed France Loisirs at Galerie le Palace, 16 Rue Louis de Romain , webpage : https://www.franceloisirs.com/boutique-boutique-dangers-6267.html

A wonderful walk to do  as a must in Angers is to climb up and down the Montée St Maurice. The Montée St Maurice was under the Ancien Régime (monarchy), only a steep and winding alley, going up from the rue Baudrière ( nice current Pied-Boulet fountain) to the Cathedral St Maurice (see post) ,wonderful steps. The houses that accompany it date from different periods, between the end of the Middle Ages and the 18C. After several attempts at development in the end ,the decision to pass an expressway along the Maine river led at the end of the 1970s to the complete destruction of all the slums at the foot of the rock of the Cité , and the Montée Saint-Maurice therefore ends on an esplanade (now Promenade Jean Turc) converted into a garden with a large circular basin in the axis of the cathedral, inaugurated in 1986.Walk it is wonderful and great views from the top.

The Place Mondain Chanlouineau next to the Les Halles and not far from the Cathedrale St Maurice, and walking distance to the castle of Angers, A very nice shopping/eataries spot in Angers, Easy for the road warrior in us, parking Ralliement webpage : https://parking-angers.fr/parking-du-ralliement-2/

The Logis Pincé is a Renaissance-style building built between 1528 and 1535.This mansion, located rue Lenepveu, in the heart of the city of Angers. In 1861, the painter Angevin Guillaume Bodinier bought it to offer it to the city of ‘Angers to create a museum there from the collections of the painter Lancelot-Théodore Turpin de Crissé. In 1889, the museum was opened to the public. It is devoted to Greek, Roman, Etruscan and Egyptian antiquities, as well as Chinese and Japanese art. The collections are dedicated to Mediterranean antiques and oriental arts. Greek and Roman ceramics, glassware and bronzes; representations of Egyptian gods, funeral rites, hieroglyphics and everyday life; bronzes, ceramics, prints, lacquers, porcelains and Japanese theatrical masks; bronzes, ceramics, glassware and Chinese art fabrics. The collections come in particular from generous donors of the 19-20C such as Lancelot-Théodore Turpin de Crissé, Edouard Moll, the Count of Saint-Genys or even Le Bault de la Morinière. webpage: https://musees.angers.fr/index.php?id=52335

The Episcopal Palace of Angers, dating from the middle of the 9C, reflects the successive changes made over the centuries to take into account the changes in taste and functions attributed to this building. The residence of the bishops of Angers has been documented on this site since the middle of the 9C. However, the original building was completely rebuilt in the second quarter of the 12C at the initiative of Bishop Ulger , It was perhaps the bishop himself, present in 1131 at the coronation of King Louis VII, who inspired the choice of the Tau-shaped architecture, the only one of its kind with Reims preserved in France. The low vaulted hall and the synodal hall still bear witness to the high architectural and decorative quality of the construction of this time. In the 16C, Bishop François de Rohan had the main staircase on the main courtyard rebuilt, However, it was especially under the episcopate of Mgrs Angebault and Freppel, in the 19C, that the building underwent major transformations, a second entrance courtyard rue de l’Oisellerie bordered by a new wing, and completes the staircase of the main courtyard, commonly called the staircase of Rohan. Thus composed, attached to the cathedral of which it has always been an ornament and complement, this building is a rare witness to eight centuries of history. Webpage: https://www.angers.fr/vivre-a-angers/culture/patrimoine/angers-patrimoines/ressources/fiches-patrimoine/laissez-vous-conter-le-palais-episcopal/index.html

There are more than fifty sculptures in the streets and parks of Angers. Erected on May 31, 1853, the statue of King René was the first to be installed in the city. It is the work of the sculptor David d’Angers who has his gallery-museum a few steps away (see post), The statue was paid for by Count Théodore de Quatrebarbes. The base of the statue is adorned with twelve statuettes of characters who embody history from the province of Anjou: the Gaul Dumnacus, Roland, Robert le Fort, Foulques Nerra, Foulques V, Henri II Plantagenet, Philippe Auguste, Charles I of Anjou, Louis I of Anjou, Isabelle of Lorraine (first wife of the king René), Jeanne de Laval (his second wife), Marguerite d’Anjou (his daughter). The plasters of these twelve statuettes are visible at the entrance to the David-d’Angers gallery. City of Angers on statues: https://www.angers.fr/vivre-a-angers/culture/patrimoine/angers-patrimoines/ressources/fiches-patrimoine/laissez-vous-conter-la-sculpture-en-ville/index.html

The Tour St Aubin at Rue des Lices is part of the former Saint-Aubin abbey, which was founded in the 7C, and which was dispersed during the French revolution. The bell tower of the Saint-Aubin abbey is less old than its adjoining abbey. It was erected in the 12C. It dominates the city of Angers from its 54 meters high. In the Middle Ages, the Saint-Aubin tower served as a watchtower. This tower alone formed a small fortress with loopholes and wells. Like other abbey towers from the same period, it was erected outside the abbey itself. With the ravages of time and the various successive occupations and multiple uses, the tower ended up falling into ruin. During the 19C, the belfry, the campanile and the roof were destroyed. It later became a plumb tower for the manufacture of shotguns. In the first half of the 20C, it housed the Museum of Industry, then a meteorological observatory. Nowadays, it hosts temporary artistic exhibitions. webpage: https://www.angers.fr/vivre-a-angers/culture/patrimoine/angers-patrimoines/ressources/fiches-patrimoine/laissez-vous-conter-la-tour-saint-aubin/index.html

There you go folks, a nice walk to see some wonderful architectural stunning building in pretty Angers. Enjoy the walk, the best way to see a place, and Angers is no difference. Again, hope you enjoy the post as I. And remember, happy travels, good health, andn many cheers to all!!!

What better way to tell you about family then about a nice Church in a nice city of the west of my belle France. I will like to update this older post for you and me, well deserving me think even if the indoor picture did not turn out well, my amateur instincts took over. Anyway, let me tell you about an off the beaten path jewel ,the Church of Notre Dame de Bon Port of Nantes has been renovated and just open again October 21 2021 !! This was my take on it, hope you enjoy it as I.

The Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port (also known locally as St. Louis Church), was built in 1852. Its official name is  the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port Church, but it is commonly referred to as the Church of St. Louis, in reference to Louis-Hyacinthe Levesque,  mayor of Nantes during the construction of the first Church which, as a generous donor, wanted  to bear the name of his  patron Saint. Its main façade overlooks the Place du Sanitat, which is connected by the rue Mazagran to the quai de la Fosse, where the main traffic of the Port of Nantes was held at the time of its construction. The church is framed on the west by Rue Damrémont, and on the east by  rue Mascara, while in the north a group of buildings adjoining the bedside of the Church isolates it from the rue Dobrée.

The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port Church  was a project for the extension of the city in the 19C and the transformation of the neighborhood near the port. The old Church built in 1827, located by the place Eugène-Livet, had become too small to welcome worshippers. The new parish of Notre-Dame de Chézine, founded from the beginning of the 19C and from the parish of St. Nicholas, hosts a modest primitive Church, built at a low cost. In 1843, the decision was taken to rebuild it, because of its early decay, but on a new site; that of the former derelict hospice of Sanitat, The new church was of a monumental square-layout, it reconnected with the Baroque tradition of the Counter-Reformation such as the dome , the façade, and the statue of a golden Archangel stands at the top of the arrow. Mosaics and parquet flooring dress up the floors. The inauguration took place in 1858, but the murals would not be completed until the beginning of the 20C. The organ is restored in 1985 and the arrow tower crowning the Dome remade in 2006.

The Church Notre Dame de Port is in the form of a Greek cross with equal branches, the Church forms a square of 38 meters on the side and 30 meters high, surmounted by a dome. The 30-meters-high façade consists of two levels; a Doric ground floor and a Corinthian first floor. The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port or Saint-Louis Church is primarily dedicated to the Virgin Mary, a trustee figure who protects the sailors. In the center of the pediment, in 1858 represents the Virgin in Glory, assisted by two intercessory Angels, one blessing the sailors departing, the other welcoming them upon their return. In 1860, the Christ comforter appears in the tympanum  and above the central gate is a sculpted group representing Saint Louis and Marguerite de Provence.

This Church Notre Dame de Port ,being the Church of the port, the three symbols of the statues of the Church  done in 1913, are located on the left front pillar, are marine symbols such as the Star, symbol of the faith that illuminates; the Anchor, symbol of Hope (Epistle to the Hebrews), and the ring, symbol of Charity. The Dome is topped by a lantern and a dart whose cross culminates at 60 meters. In the upper part of the Dome, the drum supports large windows separated by twin pilasters supporting a small pediment surmounted by a Cross. Each pediment contains the head of a patron Saint of a Nantes Church. Around the base of the dome 20 meters in diameter a long frieze from 1860. It shows the march of mankind towards the end of time: the characters of the Old Testament and the Saints of the New Testament are heading towards the Virgin in the glory of her resurrection.

The stained glass windows of the Dome are on the Virgin in the glory of her resurrection. The 2 large windows in half circle represent ,the   “Ascension of the Lord”, and “The Coronation of the Virgin” done in 1950.  On the four pillars that support the Dome, the murals evoke women from the Bible prefiguring Mary: Bathsheba, Esther, and Abigail.  Built in 1891 by Louis Debierre, a pupil of Cavaillon-Coll, the Organ is one of the masterpieces of the 19C. After the disaffection of the classical organs, it marked the first return of a neo-classical organ to the mutation games, which heard harmonics characteristic of the instruments of the 17C and 18C. Its electrical transmission was one of the first in France!

Some webpages to help you plan your trip worth a detour me think are :

The official Parish Notre Dame de Bon Port Church : https://notredamedenantes.com/leglise-notre-dame-de-bon-port/

The city of Nantes on the church and its grand opening oct21 : https://metropole.nantes.fr/actualites/2021/culture-loisirs-patrimoine/notre-dame-bon-port-reouverture

The Pays de la Loire region on the church : https://www.patrimoine.paysdelaloire.fr/actualites/toutes-les-actualites/detail-de-lactu/actualites/notre-dame-de-bon-port-a-nantes-44-une-eglise-sur-la-loire/

The Nantes tourist office on things to see : https://www.nantes-tourisme.com/en/visit

There you go folks another jewel in my belle France, and do come to the West of France lovely sights and Nantes is tops. The city has a lot to offer and the Church is one of them, enjoy Notre Dame de Bon Port Church or literally, Our Lady of the Good Port Church!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Another dandy in wonderful nostalgic Tarn dept 81 of the Occitanie region of my belle France. We have come here several times and on my road warrior mode gone to many towns all wonderful and most already mentioned in my blog. Rabastens, sits half way between Toulouse and Gaillac on the D988 or old N88 road, easily done and parking by the long promenade in city center close to Hotel de Ville. One more nice one is the Church Notre Dame du Bourg of Rabastens, and i like to tell you more on the wonderful church which only had touch briefly in previous posts. Hope you enjoy it as I.

The must church in town and listed on the route to Santiago or the road to St James de Compostela is Notre Dame du Bourg, it has wonderful stained glass paintings showing the religious life real or legendary of James the Mayor or St James. The oldest part dates from the 13C completely done in red brick.It is ,also , listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the Routes of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle in France since 1998.

A bit of history I like

During the 12C, a Roman priory was built in Rabastens by the Benedictine monks from the abbey of Moissac. Strongly deteriorated during the Albigensian crusade, the church was rebuilt from the Treaty of Meaux-Paris and the return of peace. The Romanesque portal is preserved but the rest is built in brick according to the Southern Gothic style. The construction took about two centuries. During the Wars of Religion, the monument was looted and transformed into a guardhouse. The statues, furniture and goldsmiths are scattered. After the return to Catholic worship, the church was entrusted to the Jesuits. A chapter was founded in 1547. A restoration began which would last until the 18C. During the French revolution of 1789, the church suffered further damage. It was restored again in the 19C. On this occasion, the northern turret of the bell tower was built in symmetry with the other, from the 16C. Murals are brought to light under the successive plasters. The restorations continued until 1889, with the redevelopment of the south chapels of the nave.

A bit on the construction/architecture I like

The Church Notre Dame du Bourg  is built on the western bank of the Tarn which flows below. It is separated from it by the collegiate buildings and the ramparts. Th e Roman remains of the early church are reduced to the entrance portal with eight carved capitals. It is vaulted with ribs and divided into four bays. The east is closed by the choir made up of a bay and a 5-sided apse. A rose window surmounts the portal on the west facade.

Inside Notre Dame du Bourg Church ,on the right chapel there is the tomb of Jean Auguste de Chastenet de Puységur, bishop of Saint-Omer on June 29, 1775, then bishop of Carcassonne in 1778. In 1788, he became archbishop of Bourges and primate of Aquitaine. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly at the Estates General of 1789. The stele recalling that the heart of Marie-Jean Hercule de Chastenet de Puységur, captain of the bodyguard of Monsieur the king’s brother (future Charles X) and brother of the previous one is also in this chapel. In 1860 were discovered fragments of 14C paintings depicting subjects borrowed from the life of the Virgin, and swastika decorations. The altarpiece of the high altar represents the Assumption of Mary. There are oil on canvas portraits by an anonymous author dated 1644 in a left chapel such as Saint Roch cared for by an angel; in the sacristy of Saint Jerome in the desert an anonymous author of the 17C; in the chapel of the blue penitents An Adoration of the Shepherds oil on canvas anonymous from the 17C; and Saint John the Baptist in prayer these three paintings are exhibited at the Musée du Pays Rabastinois. The tribune organ on the eastern counter-facade by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll dates from 1866.

Some webpages to help you plan your trip and it is a must are

The official Notre Dame du Bourg Church webpage : http://rabastens-notredamedubourg.fr/

The Tarn dept 81 tourist office on the church : https://www.tourisme-tarn.com/uk/patrimoine-culturel/church-of-notre-dame-du-bourg/

The Vignobles Bastides local tourist office on the Church : https://www.tourisme-vignoble-bastides.com/en/notre-dame-bourg-rabastens-en

The roads of Santiago world heritage site on the church : http://www.cheminscompostelle-patrimoinemondial.fr/fr/composantes/eglise-notre-dame-du-bourg-12

A Panoramic visit webpage on the Church Notre Dale du Bourg de Rabastens(beautiful) : https://www.visites-panoramiques.com/Eglise-Notre-Dame-du-Bourg-de-Rabastens.html

There you go folks, another dandy monument of my belle France that must be visited. The Notre Dame du Bourg Church of Rabastens is wonderful and worth it; hope you enjoy the post as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!