Curiosities of Montigny le Bretonneux !!! 

Posted in France, Versailles

Another memorable post needed to tell you of my former Yvelines , where I spent my first 9+ years in Versailles, but did went all over including this memorable city that I am glad found me new pictures that should be in my blog for you and me, The City of Montigny-le-Bretonneux is located in the department of Yvelines, no 78 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France. Therefore, here is my take on curiosities of Montigny le Bretonneux !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Arcades du Lac are an architectural ensemble located in the Sourderie district of Montigny-le-Bretonneux. Ricardo Bofill was inspired by the Palace of Versailles, hence the nickname “Versailles for the People” attributed to the operation. The Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill was selected by the Public Development Establishment (EPA) of the new town to build a series of housing units in the Sourderie sector. As with all of his projects, he drew inspiration from a classical French Renaissance style. The viaduct, built over the lake, was inspired by the Château de Chenonceau. In addition to its style, the originality of this project also lies in the presence of galleries at the base of the buildings and interior gardens for each block. The Arcades (225 housing units) and the Viaduct (74 housing units) are composed of a series of small three-story concrete buildings, built between 1972 and 1975 and between 1978 and 1980.

Along the edge of the Arcades, a row of buildings juts out onto the artificial lake: this is the viaduct, inspired by the great bridges of Avignon and the Roman aqueduct of Segovia. The whole thing gives the impression of a futuristic city, on the border between two worlds: the architecture of the commune and that of Bofill, but also earth and water, greenery and stone. The Les Arcades du Lac includes “Les Arcades”, located opposite the artificial lake of La Sourderie and, on the lake, “Le Viaduc”. Then, on the town of Voisins-le-Bretonneux side, “Le Temple” and “Les Templettes” complete the ensemble. It consists of a group of buildings forming a large facade on the lake and four square courtyards of 50 meters on each side. In the extension of the street and the central square, the composition is completed by “Le Viaduc” on the lake, a vast retention basin of 16 hectares.

Les arcades du lac are located at 4 Rue Jacques Cartier, in Montigny-le-Bretonneux only about a km from City center ,and Voisins le Bretonneux, 10 km from Versailles, and 453 km from my current home, We came here from Versailles along the Avenue de l’Europe continue on Ave du Général de Gaulle passing the Rive Gauche-Château RER C station, continue into Rue Royale and turn right on Rue du Géneral Leclerc or D10 road past Saint Louis Cathedral and turn left on Rue du Maréchal Joffre or D91 road passing front of Potager du Roi and Parc Balbi continue on ave Clément Ader continue to connect with exit/sortie 4 of the N12 highway,continue to exit/sortie 6 and leave the N12 by Avenue des Garennes into Montigny le Bretonneux, then turn right at rond point into Avenue Joseph Kessel continue to rond point and take left into Bd René Descartes continue in a circling way but same name street into left on Rue Pierre Loti and then quick right into Rue Jacques Cartier continue until les Arcades du lac,It took less than 20 minutes by car,

The City of Montagny le Bretonneux on its heritage : https://www.montigny78.fr/notre-ville/patrimoine/

The City of Montigny le Bretonneux on the arcades du lac : https://www.montigny78.fr/notre-ville/patrimoine/les-arcades-du-lac/

The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on what to do around Montigny le Bretonneux : https://www.destination-yvelines.fr/?s=&_search=Montigny%20le%20Bretonneux&_post_types=touristic_offer

There you go folks, the other side of life in France, not visiting but living the real thing. Maybe just maybe you may feel to want to come to these areas just to take a look at how we live normal life away from the tourist throngs , just maybe ,you will be surprise. As I always said, Ernest Hemingway wrote about A Moveable Feast or Paris est une Fête because he only visited there, if he had gone out, he would had had the need to write a second book, France, is a moveable feast !!!  Again, hope you have enjoy this post on curiosities of Montigny le Bretonneux as I.

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

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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