3 publications on local heritage

Rochecorbon

Claude Mettavant’s book is the second to be published by a member of the PHARE (Patrimoine & Histoire à Rochecorbon et Environs) Association. 

The village of Rochecorbon has always been a welcoming spot popular with holidaymakers, as is evidenced by its châteaux and fine houses, and such vestiges of its illustrious past as the Gallic oppidum, the Lantern (its feudal fortress’s former watchtower) and the many troglodyte dwellings dug into the tuffeau. The arrival of the steam tramway in 1889 accelerated the transformation of local life: first-class compartments brought Parisians and foreigners to sunlit villas on the banks of the Loire and the region’s imposing châteaux, while second-class carriages held locals from Tours come to relax at the village’s restaurants and dances – the beginnings of open-air cafes. Other carriages transported Vouvray appellation wines, which were being given their first champagne-style sparkle. The author takes you on a stroll through this decorative scenery, now listed as a “cultural landscape” by UNESCO, sharing the fruits of his research with you with the help of a detailed text and more than 230 illustrations. 

Editions Sutton , Mémoire en Images series – July 2014 

138 pages €21 

On the web:

• Le blog de l'association PHARE, Patrimoine & histoire à Rochecorbon et environs

“Chaumont-sur-Loire 2013 – Reflets de son Patrimoine”

The “Chaumont-sur-Loire au Fil du Temps” association is soon to publish this boxed set comprising 20 cards from the “Chaumont-sur-Loire 2013, Inventory of its Heritage” exhibition held to mark the association’s 10^th birthday. 

A range of themes is highlighted, including the Loire, architectural heritage, the Chaumont Estate, a farm, cartography, and memories. 

Chaumont-sur-Loire au fil du temps   

Publication date: 20 September 2014 

Box + 20 cards - €19.50 

“Fontevraud” audiobook

Three documentaries from the “Histoires Possibles et Impossibles” series broadcast by France-Inter in 2004 and 2005 have been brought together to provide listeners with all the essentials on Europe’s greatest monastic monument, with a little help from Bertrand Ménard and Jean-Louis Giard. 

Fontevraud, or The Destiny of Stones
From its beginnings to the present day, the Royal Abbey reveals itself through legends and history
The Prison with a Thousand Windows
Jean Genet and a prison guard express their vision of the huge central prison
The Manhunt
The spectacular escape of June 1955, told minute by minute right up to its tragic denouement
Saint-Léger Productions – July 2014 

3 hours - €20