Paris1972-Versailles2003

We have come quite often to Nantes, a City that needs to be visited more by all. A wonderful historical city with many monuments to see, many wonderful properties. I was again on my local road warrior mode and as bit not back, decided to give it a refresher to this must to visit City of Nantes, Loire-Atlantique dept 44 of the Pays de la Loire region,in my belle France ; even if old Bretagne! Do read my previous posts on the city as well, For now let me tell about the Île de Nantes of Nantes !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Île de Nantes or Île Beaulieu is a river island located on the course of the Loire,and constituting one of the eleven districts of the city. The name “Ile de Nantes”, linked to the major redevelopment project in progress, is recent; This is why some locals continue to use the former name of Île Beaulieu, The island, 4.9 km from east to west and a maximum width of 1 km, enclosed between the arm of the madeleine in the north and the pirmil arm in the south, a results from the meeting of a set of islands or the Nantes archipelago, Some of these islands are the Beaulieu, Île Sainte-Anne, Île de Prairie-au-Duc, Île Vertais ( with the “Prairie d’Aval” and the “Prairie d’Amont”), the Île de Petite Biesse (with the “Prairie Balague” and the “Prairie de Pré-Joli”) or the Île de Grande Biesse, Its a very interesting island which we love to be at and plenty to see, some of our favorites here are the Les Machines de l’île , La Maison des Hommes et des Techniques, parc des Chantiers,  and centre commercial Beaulieu shopping center, You have here the wonderful O’Deck ,Quai West, and LevЯette Café restaurants on a peniche boat !

The Church Sainte-Madeleine is the only parish church on the Île de Nantes. It is dedicated to Sainte Marie Madeleine The current church is on the boulevard Gustave-Roch, The chosen site is on land occupied before by the sugar refinery known as “refinery of bridges” The work of the new church officially began on December 8, 1952. On May 17, 1953, Mgr Villepelet , bishop of Nantes, blesses the foundation stone, before blessing the entire church barely completed, December 12, 1954. The high altar received the blessing of the same prelate on March 27, 1955. If the main entrance of the church has three large doors overlooking boulevard Gustave-Roch, you can penetrate through the east and west sides. In addition to the part reserved for the chapel, three large naves, the three other parts of the cross, will converge towards the altar. Each of these three naves being supplemented by a platform that can receive 500 people. The intersection of the axes of the church is wearing by a lantern lighting the high altar.

Let me give some urban renewal information on the Île de Nantes, a spot worth visiting for many reasons, me think.

From the 17C, a first line of bridges, in the center of the island, allowed economic activities to develop along this axis which now links the north and southern banks of the Loire. In the 19C shipbuilding and industrial activities invest an increasingly conducive territory for their development thanks to the successive attaches of the bras de Loire or arms of the loire, which bring together the different islands. The current physiognomy of the territory, a unique island, is gradually emerging until the middle of the 20C. In the 1960s, the Île Beaulieu island then welcomed a neighborhood project that mixes housing and tertiary activities, soon completed by large public facilities – The Region Hotel, the Regional Music Conservatory and the Palais des Sports. In 1987: Le Bougainville, the last ship built by the island’s shipyards, leaves its launching hold. From a prosperous industrial period, only huge wasteland remains west of the island. The Île de Nantes that is,

As early as 1918, Île Saint-Anne was connected to La Prairie-au-Duc. In 1945, the last river arms which still irrigated the archipelago disappeared: a single island was born. Urbanization continues with the construction in the 1930s of the Cités Conan-Mériadec, Babin-Chevaye and Gustave-Roch. In 1947, the boulevard des Martyrs-Nantais de la Résistance was developed and on Place Mangin set themselves in 1952 two buildings that mark the entrance to the south. In October 1990, the first edition des Allumées ,The ice factory, Quai Wilson, to make it the festive night complex of the festival in the early 1990s by the rehabilitation of the State station and the Ateliers et Chantiers de Nantes (see post) , The central span of lifting and lowering from the Quai des Antilles to the banks of the Bollardière, passing through the Quai François Mitterrand, resumed the Loire while walking alongside it to the south, the Passerelle Senghor allows access to the boulevard de Gaulle. The Beaulieu shopping center participates in the recomposition of the district around the boulevard de Gaulle. Nantes flock to discover the Machines de l’île , new public facilities that mark the identity of the territory and participate to its influence. The emblematic site of the old shipyards, with its launch wedges and naves, turns into urban park while the banana hangar and the Antilles quay are rehabilitated in the place of leisure and culture. The destination of the large industrial halls of the Alstom site is becoming clearer, which starts with the transformation of the hall 13 into a nursery of biotechnologies. To the west, the school of architecture is the first establishment of Higher Education to come and lodge in the landscape, while a multitude of cultural artists and entrepreneurs occupy the Alstom halls. Situated in the heart of the Creation district, the old halls of Alstom;the Halles 4 and 5 welcome the ‘École supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Nantes Métropole (ESBANM) , The Halles will also house a university center dedicated to digital, a hotel of innovative companies, a creative third place and a place of restoration. The grouping of the Hôtel Dieu ( currently in the city center) and Nord-Laënnec (Saint-Herblain) on the Île de Nantes will be on part of the grip of the current MIN (market of national interest) which will move after 2018. All these activities goes on to 2026 for a total transformation of the island, Île de Nantes !

The official information on the Île de Nantes : https://www.iledenantes.com/

The official O’Deck peniche restaurant : https://www.odeck.fr/en

The official Quai West peniche restaurant : https://www.quai-west.fr/

The official LeVrette Café peniche restaurant : https://www.levrettecafe.fr/cafes/nantes-44/

The official Church Sainte Madeleine: https://www.saintemadeleine.org/sainte-madeleine/

There you go folks, do visit Nantes,and its wonderful monuments. A must to visit while in the city ; see the Île de Nantes of Nantes ! Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Île de Nantes of Nantes !!! as I.

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