Musée des Beaux Arts (Carcassonne)
Musée des Beaux Arts de Carcassonne decorado con luces por Navidad
Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, France, Europe
The Musée des Augustins de Toulouse is a fine arts museum in Toulouse, France which conserves a collection of sculpture and paintings from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. The paintings are from throughout France, the sculptures representing Occitan culture of the region with a particularly rich assemblage of Romanesque sculpture. The building in which the museum is sited was built in 1309 in the Gothic style and prior to the French Revolution housed Toulouse's Augustinian convent. The convent was secularized in 1793 and first opened to the public as a museum on 27 August 1795 by decree of the French Convention, very shortly after the opening of the Louvre, making it one of the oldest museums in France after the Louvre. It at first housed the Muséum Provisoire du Midi de la République and the école des Beaux-Arts. The Musée des Augustins de Toulouse was one of fifteen museums founded in provincial centres, by a decree of 13 Fructidor year IX (31 August 1801), which was promulgated by the minister of the interior, Jean-Antoine Chaptal. At the start of the 19th century several medieval buildings (notably the refectory) were demolished and in their place Viollet-le-Duc and his pupil Darcy put up new exhibition galleries, accessed by a Gothic Revival monumental stair offering an interplay of richly complicated vaulting systems. The works continued from 1873 to 1901, when the museum reopened. In effect, Toulouse commissioned Urbain Vitry to ensure remove all the convent's religious characteristics. The archaeologist Alexandre du Mège occupied the cloister and rebuilt it to be able to house the medieval collections gathered from Toulouse's destroyed religious buildings such as the basilique Saint-Sernin. Today the cloister houses a reconstructed medieval garden. The building was classed as a Monument historique in 1840. The progressive concern of the museum's founder Jean-Antoine Chaptal, an early example of cultural devolution, was intended to ensure that each collection presents an interesting series of paintings representing all the masters, all the genres and all the schools. In a series of shipments culminating in 1811, Toulouse was enriched with works by Guercino, Pietro Perugino, Rubens and Philippe de Champaigne. The collections total over 4,000 works and their core derives from confiscation of Church property at the time of the French Revolution as well as seizures of the private collections of emigrés, in Toulouse notably the paintings of the cardinal de Bernis and Louis-Auguste le Tonnelier, baron de Breteuil. The museum's church even houses an organ built in 1981 by Jürgen Ahrend. The French schools of the 15th to 18th centuries are represented by Philippe de Champaigne, Louise Moillon, Valentin de Boulogne, Sébastien Bourdon, Jacques Stella, Pierre Mignard, Jean Jouvenet, Hyacinthe Rigaud, Nicolas de Largillierre, Jean-François de Troy, Pierre Subleyras, Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Claude Joseph Vernet, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun, Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, Jean-Antoine Gros and Jean-Antoine Houdon, as well as painters from Toulouse and its region, such as Nicolas Tournier, Antoine and Jean-Pierre Rivalz, François de Troy and Joseph Roques. Many French 19th- and 20th-century painting are also represented, with works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Ingres, Delacroix, Camille Corot, Gustave Courbet, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Manet, Berthe Morisot, Vuillard, Maurice Denis and Maurice Utrillo. The painting collection also includes works by Spanish, Dutch and Italian artists. The Italian holdings span from the 14th to the 18th century with works by Neri di Bicci, Lorenzo Monaco, Pietro Perugino, Jacopo Zucchi, Guido Reni, Guercino, Bernardo Strozzi, Baciccio, Carlo Maratta, Crespi, Francesco Solimena, Guardi. Flemish and Dutch painting is represented with paintings by Cornelis van Haarlem, Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, Jan van Goyen, Aelbert Cuyp, Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Cornelis van Poelenburgh while for Spain the museum notably displays one painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The museum's sculpture collection is in large part due to the rescue activities of antiquaries and museum curators such as Alexandre du Mège who managed to extricate sculpture from the frequent destruction of religious buildings that marked the 19th century.
Dans les coulisses du musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans : prépa expo
Episode 3 : préparation d'exposition
Dans cette épisode nous découvrons le travail de conception de la prochaine exposition consacrée au peintre Orléanais Antigna. Et pour lequel les documentalistes et bibliothécaires doivent mener une véritable enquête
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Places to see in ( Montauban - France )
Places to see in ( Montauban - France )
Montauban is a historical bastide town situated about 50 kilometres north of Toulouse in the Tarn-et-Garonne department. The town, founded in 1144 by the Count of Toulouse on the banks of the Tarn River, is largely constructed using the attractive pink stone found in the region, like its great southern cousin Toulouse.
The highlight of the town is at the centre of the original bastide in the Place Nationale. Surrounded by grand pink houses in the red-brick that is unique to this part of France, and set above fine arcades, the very attractive central square in Montauban was largely rebuilt in the 17th century after a fire, hence is not the original bastide centre.
The arcades (the arches and walkways that surround the square and historically provided shelter for the market traders) are an unusual 'double' construction with one set of arcades near the house and shop fronts and another closer to the main square. Intact on all four sides, this central square in Montauban is one of the most impressive to be seen in all of the bastide towns of south-west France and some experts maintain that it is also the oldest bastide town in France.
After perhaps stopping for a pause in one of the cafes in the town centre be sure to wander around the surrounding streets a little. For example, if you follow the Rue de la Republique you will see a smaller square called Place du Coq which is also charming. Following the traditional grid pattern of a bastide town, the straight streets of Montauban town centre around the centre now form a lively shopping centre, with lots of interesting features and buildings to discover. Keep exploring along Rue de la Republique until you reach the river and a chance to see the lovely old bridge - and old it is, having being built around 1303-1335.
Among the highlights in Montauban you will discover the Church of Saint Jacques - an attractive 13th century church with an octagonal belfry and an impressive mosaic entrance that survived the fires that later destroyed much of the town centre. Another religious monument, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame (1739) is in a classical - baroque style with four statues on the facde and notable as being one of the few buildings in the centre to be built from stone. Inside the cathedral you can see a 17th century organ and an important painting by Ingres.
One notable attraction here in Montauban is the Museum Ingres (next to the old bridge), where you can see the works of renowned 19th century artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and another local artist called Bourdelle. The museum is found in an impressive palace that has been built on the site of an earlier palace that was occupied by the Black Prince during the Hundred Years War, and you can see remains of the original building in the basement of the Museum.
Alot to see in Montauban such as :
Place Nationale
Musée Ingres
Centre du Patrimoine
Port Canal
Tour of the Old Town
Pont Vieux
Musée Victor Brun
Montauban Cathedral
Complexe Aquatique Ingreo
Église Saint-Jacques
Musée de la Résistance et du Combattant
Moissac Abbey
Bruniquel
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Places to see in ( Caen - France ) Château de Caen
Places to see in ( Caen - France ) Château de Caen
The Château de Caen is a castle in the Norman town of Caen in the Calvados département. It has been officially classed as a Monument historique since 1886. The castle was built c. 1060 by William the Conqueror (William of Normandy), who successfully conquered England in 1066. His son Henry I then built the Saint George's church, a keep (1123) and a large hall for the ducal Court.
On Christmas 1182, a royal court celebration for Christmas in the aula of Caen Castle brought together Henry II and his sons, Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland, receiving more than a thousand knights. Caen Castle, along with all of Normandy, was recaptured by the French Crown in 1204. Philip II reinforced the fortifications. The castle saw several engagements during the Hundred Years' War (1346, 1417, 1450). The keep was pulled down in 1793 during the French Revolution, by order of the National Convention.
The castle, which was used as a barracks during World War II, was bombed in 1944 and seriously damaged. In 1946, Michel de Boüard, an archeologist from Caen, decided to start excavations in the area of the castle to bring to the light medieval traces. The Musée des Beaux-Arts, which was installed in 1967, opened in 1971.
The castle was constructed on a hillock and is now in the middle of the city. With an area of 5.5 hectares, it is one of the largest castles in Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of Norman strategy and policy. Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses
the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen (Museum of Fine Arts of Caen)
the Musée de Normandie (Museum of Normandy) along with many periodical exhibitions about arts and history, in the castle residence;
Saint George's church;
the Échiquier de Normandie (Exchequer of Normandy), used as a temporary hall of exhibitions, which seated the Court of Normandy;
a garden showing plants cultivated in the Middle Ages.
The keep, now razed, had a large square section with round towers at each corner. As the castle, it was also surrounded by a moat. The dry moat still provides a circuit for walkers.
The top of the ramparts offers a splendid view of Caen. Some parts of the curtain walls were built during the 12th century, but most of them date from the 15th century. The castle has two main entrances: the porte sur la ville ('gateway to the town') and the porte des champs ('gateway to the fields'); they are reinforced by two barbicans.
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Places to see in ( Aix en Provence - France )
Places to see in ( Aix en Provence - France )
ix-en-Provence is a university city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France. Aix en Provence was the birthplace of Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne. A walking trail links sites including his childhood home, Jas de Bouffan, and his former studio, Atelier Cézanne. The white limestone mountain Sainte-Victoire overlooking Aix en Provence as well as the surrounding countryside were frequent subjects of his works. Aix en Provence is a city-commune in the south of France, about 30 km (19 mi) north of Marseille.
The Cours Mirabeau is a wide thoroughfare, planted with double rows of plane-trees, bordered by fine houses and decorated by fountains. Deux Garçons, the most famous brasserie in Aix. Built in 1792, it has been frequented by the likes of Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola and Ernest Hemingway.
The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour (Aix Cathedral) is situated to the north in the medieval part of Aix. Built on the site of a former Roman forum and an adjacent basilica, depicting King René and his wife on the side panels, as well as a Merovingian baptistery, its Renaissance dome supported by original Roman columns. The archbishop's palace (Palais de l'Archêveché) and a Romanesque cloister adjoin the cathedral on its south side. The Archbishopric of Aix is now shared with Arles.
Among its other public institutions, Aix also has the second most important Appeal Court (Palais de Justice) outside of Paris, located near the site of the former Palace of the Counts (Palais des Comtes) of Provence. The Hôtel de Ville, a building in the classical style of the middle of the 17th century, looks onto a picturesque square (place de l'Hôtel de Ville). It contains some fine woodwork and tapestries. At its side rises a handsome clock-tower erected in 1510. Also on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is the former Corn Exchange (1759–1761) (Halle de Grains). This ornately decorated 18th-century building was designed by the Vallon brothers. Nearby are the remarkable thermal springs, containing lime and carbonic acid, that first drew the Romans to Aix and gave it the name Aquae Sextiae. A spa was built in 1705 near the remains of the ancient Roman baths of Sextius.
South of the Cours Mirabeau is the Quartier Mazarin. This residential district was constructed for the gentry of Aix by Archbishop Michele Mazzarino brother of Cardinal Jules Mazarin in the last half of the 17th century and contains several notable hôtels particuliers. The 13th-century church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte contains valuable pictures and a recently restored organ. Next to it is the Musée Granet, devoted to European painting and sculpture.
Aix is often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains. Among the most notable are the 17th-century Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins (Fountain of the Four Dolphins) in the Quartier Mazarin, designed by Jean-Claude Rambot, and three of the fountains down the central Cours Mirabeau: At the top, a 19th-century fountain depicts the good king René holding the Muscat grapes that he introduced to Provence in the 15th century; halfway down is a natural hot water fountain (34 °C), covered in moss, dating back to the Romans; and at the bottom at la Rotonde, the hub of modern Aix, stands a monumental fountain from 1860 beneath three giant statues representing art, justice and agriculture. In the older part of Aix, there are also fountains of note in the Place d'Albertas and the Place des Trois-Ormeaux.
To the east of Aix rises the Montagne Sainte-Victoire (1011 m), one of the landmarks of the Pays d'Aix. It is accessible from the centre of Aix by road or on foot, taking the wooded footpath of Escrachou Pevou to the plateau of Bibemus.
Aix has several museums and galleries:
Le Musée du Vieil Aix (Museum of Old Aix)
Le Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum).
Le Musée de Tapisseries (Tapestry Museum)
Le Musée Paul Arbaud (Faïence/Pottery).
Le Musée Granet
Le Pavillon de Vendôme
The Vasarely Foundation
L'atelier Cézanne
Jas de Bouffan
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Places to see in ( Beziers - France )
Places to see in ( Beziers - France )
On a rocky crag beside the River Orb, Béziers is an understated city a few kilometres in from the Mediterranean and its long sandy beaches. These old stone streets are rarely swamped with tourists, but for five days in mid-August the Féria de Béziers brings a program of bullfights, and aficionados pour into the city.
Sightseers should begin with the Orb, which is crossed by a quaintly irregular medieval bridge far below the cathedral. And conversely, the boundless views across the river plain from this church are a real spectacle. The Orb, Canal du Midi and the Haut Languedoc Regional Park all promise outdoor escapades, and winery tours will also be on the menu in the world’s largest wine region.
The town is located on a small bluff above the river Orb, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Mediterranean coast, and 75 km southwest of Montpellier. At Béziers, the Canal du Midi spans the river Orb as an aqueduct called the Pont-canal de l'Orb, claimed to be the first of its kind. Béziers is one of the oldest cities in France. Research published in March 2013 shows that Béziers dates from 575 BC, making it older than Agde (Greek Agathe Tyche, founded in 525 BC) and a bit younger than Marseille (Greek Massalia, founded in 600 BC).
The site has been occupied since Neolithic times, before the influx of Celts. Roman Betarra was on the road that linked Provence with Iberia. The Romans refounded the city as a new colonia for veterans in 36–35 BC and called it Colonia Julia Baeterrae Septimanorum. Stones from the Roman amphitheatre were used to construct the city wall during the 3rd century. White wine was exported to Rome. A dolia discovered in an excavation near Rome is marked I am a wine from Baeterrae and I am five years old; another simply white wine of Baeterrae. It was occupied by the Moors between 720 and 752.
Alot to see in Beziers such as :
Saint-Nazaire Cathedral
The Plateau des Poètes
Beziers Arenas
The Fine Arts Museum (musée des Beaux-Arts)
The musée Saint-Jacques
Le Pont Vieux
Le Cimetière Vieux
The Canal du Midi (17th century)
The canal bridge
The Fonserannes locks
Garden de la Plantade
The Cordier or Bagnols mill
Saint-Jacques Church
The Saint-Aphrodise Church
Church of the Madeleine
Saint Jude Church
Church of the Immaculate Conception and its glazed tile roof
The Capnau quarter
Island of Tabarka, on the Orb
The Municipal Theatre (19th century)
The Art Nouveau former Théâtre des Variétés
The market hall (end of 19th century)
The Saint-Jean-d'Aureilhan estate
The Domaine de Bayssan
Chapelle du Jardin Notre-Dame (18th century)
Chapelle des Pénitents Bleus (18th century)
Oppidum d'Ensérune archaeological site
Étang de Montady
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Recovered Treasures
31 stolen and recovered original works of art from the IVth century B.C. to the XVIIth century will be exhibited including several archaeological vases, two portions of a fresco, a painting by Guercino, another by Ludovico Carracci, a precious XIIth century ivory cross, several pages of illuminated manuscripts, one of the first letters by Christopher Columbus printed in Latin, two XVth century panel paintings by Bernardino Fungai.
The objects had been stolen or illicitly exported from their country of origin and were recovered by the Italian Carabinieri Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, in synergic collaboration with Police Forces and Judicial Authorities of others countries such as Switzerland, France, the United States of America, Greece and Ecuador.
Best Tourist Attractions Places To Travel In France | Annecy Destination Spot
Top Tourist Attractions Places To Travel In France | Annecy Destination Spot - Tourism in France
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Annecy is the largest city of Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.
It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, 35 kilometers south of Geneva.
Nicknamed the Pearl of French Alps in Raoul Blanchard's monograph describing its location between lake and mountains, the city controls the northern entrance to the lake gorge.
Due to the lack of available land, its resident population has remained stagnant, with 52,029 inhabitants living within the city limits in 2013.
However, its urban area, with 221,000 inhabitants, is on the 5th regional position, just behind the Geneva-Annemasse urban area, which counts 292,000 inhabitants in the northern department.
Switching from counts of Geneva’s dwelling in the 13th century, to counts of Savoy’s in the 14th century, the city became the capital of the Savoy province in 1434 during the prerogative of Genevois-Nemours until 1659.
Its role increased in 1536, during the Calvinist Reformation of Geneva, while the bishop took refuge in Annecy.
St Francis de Sales gave Annecy its role of advanced citadel of the Catholic Counter-Reformation.
The annexation of Savoy will link the city to France in 1860.
Sometimes called Venice of the Alps, this idyllic and touristic representation comes from its two canals and the Thiou river lying through the old city and whose initial role was to protect the city and to empower its handicrafts.
The city experienced an industrial development in the 19th century with silk manufacturing.
Some of its industrial legacy remains today within the head offices of NTN-SNR bearings, Salomon, Entremont and Dassault Aviation.
Since the end of the 19th century, Annecy has developed as a tourist center with the proximity of the lake, winter resorts and the renovation of its castle, inaugurated with the opening of its fine art museum in 1956.
The municipal environmental policy managed to keep 40.3% of green spaces and the city and was awarded the Golden Flower in 2015, given to the nine most-flowered French cities.
Since 1960 Annecy has been the organiser of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, hosted at the Bonlieu Cultural Centre.
It has also been a growing educational center since the establishment of the University of Savoy in 1973.
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Languedoc-Roussillon Series
Snapshots & Memories from Languedoc-Roussillon is my newest series of artwork. This series is inspired by my 2011 trip to France. These pieces feature my own photography, printmaking, polymer clay, encaustic medium, and embellishments from the Vide Grenier in France.
France's Dordogne
Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide | The Dordogne River Valley — with its dramatic castles, evocative cave paintings, and prized cuisine — is an unforgettable blend of man-made and natural beauty. We'll take an idyllic canoe ride, and then visit a goose farm and savor the foie gras. We'll also wander through a lamp-lit castle, enjoy a country market, and visit the Sistine Chapel of the prehistoric world. Then we head south to Albi, home of Toulouse-Lautrec, and the imposing fortress city of Carcassonne.
© 2008 Rick Steves' Europe
Toulouse, the pink city (HD)
A visit of the pink city
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In this video :
0:30 : Saint-Sernin basilica (1080- about 1300). In the Middle Ages, it was an important stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, and a pilgrimage location in its own right. Since the destruction of the Abbey of Cluny, it became the largest romanesque church of Europe. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica also contains a large three-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ built in 1888, it is considered to be one of the most important organs in France.
01:30 : The Capitole (Townhall, 17th-19th c.) and its square with the occitan cross.
02:52 : Church of the Jacobins and its cloister (1230-1385). With Bologna (Italy), Toulouse can be considered as the cradle of the dominican order, as Saint Dominic founded the order of the Friars Preachers (lately called the Dominicans) to counterbalance the influence of Catharism in the region. The church, built by the Friars Preachers, is the burial place of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
04:40 : The Pont neuf (New bridge), 1541-1632.
04:52 : The Hôpital de la Grave (12th c.), featuring a copper dome of the 18th century.
05:04 : Church Saint Pierre des Chartreux (17th c.)
05:14 : Carmelite chapel, with wonderful 17th and 18th century frescoes.
05:25 : Church Notre-Dame du Taur (14th c.).
05:28 : Church Notre-Dame de la Dalbade (15th century).
05:31 : Saint-Étienne cathedral, 11th to 16th century. The cathedral consists of two incomplete churches, the first dating from the early 13th century was built in romanesque style, and the other in gothic style, giving it a special and incongruous appearance.
05:55 : The Halle aux grains is a former cereal market. Nowadays it is a famous concert hall, house of the Orchestre National du Capitole.
06:30 : Musée des Augustins, a former gothic convent (1309), is the fine arts museum of the city. The museum displays masterpieces, among others, of Perugino, Rubens, Van Dyck, Toulouse-Lautrec, Ingres, Delacroix, Manet...
07:57 : The Canal du Midi. The construction of the Canal du Midi was considered by people in the 17th century as the biggest project of the day. Even today, it is seen as a marvelous engineering accomplishment and is the most popular pleasure waterway in Europe. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
08:15 : Hôtel d'Assézat (16th c.). The construction of the Hôtel began in 1555, it is an outstanding example of Renaissance palaces architecture of southern France. It houses the Bemberg Foundation, an art gallery which presents to the public one of the major private collection of art in Europe. The large collection of Bemberg features paintings, drawings, sculptures, ancient books and furniture. There can be seen paintings of Cranach, Monet, Pissaro, Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Gauguin, Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Canaletto, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto...).
09:09 : The Stadium, capacity 35,500, house of the Toulouse Football Club.
09:11 : The Ernest Wallon stadium, capacity 19,000, house of the Stade Toulousain.
09:15 : The City of Space.
09:41 : Airbus assembly hall, where are built most of Airbus planes as the huge A380 (not seen in this video).
Aix en Provence France
You're going to find that the city of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France is one of the most delightful places you could ever visit as you’re about to discover out in this detailed movie.
We bring you on a detgailed walking tour of the large pedestrian zone with its charming historic buildings, many shops, cafés, restaurants and the very famous outdoor markets selling fresh produce, clothing, antiques and all kinds of stuff with lots of local characters to observe and interact with. This small city is the perfect size, big enough to keep you busy for several days and yet not too large that you're going to feel lost or frustrated that you can't see everything.
Aix is located in the heart of Provence, a region that has so many wonderful destinations from Avignon to Nice. And you will see that AIX is one place that you must not miss.
You could easily spend a few days here and travel out to visit other nearby destinations, or if you only have one day, it is certainly possible to see most of AIX as we’re going to show you in the movie.
Places to see in ( Narbonne - France )
Places to see in ( Narbonne - France )
Narbonne is a town in southern France on the Canal de la Robine. The Gothic Cathédrale Saint-Just et Saint-Pasteur was begun in the 13th century but never completed. The grand Palais des Archevêques (Archbishop's Palace) houses archaeology and art museums. The Horreum is an underground labyrinth of ancient warehouses left over from the town’s days as a Roman port. The nearby beach and harbor is at Narbonne Plage.
Narbonne as founded as “Narbo”, a Roman settlement on the Via Domitia that grew rich from sea trade via its natural harbour. You can get a feel for the splendour of Norbo’s Roman homes at the Archbishop’s Palace, where wall-paintings retrieved from ancient villas form the largest collection of Roman painting in France.
The medieval palace that contains them is Narbonne’s showpiece, a jumble of towers, halls and courtyards that convey the changing fortunes of the city. That lucrative harbour silted up in medieval times, but Narbonne adapted with the Canal de la Robine, a green belt of water with historic bridges and elegant boulevards on either side, connecting with the Canal du Midi.
About fifteen kilometres to the east of Narbonne, City of Art and History, at the foot of the Clape mountain, in the Regional Natural Park of Narbonne in the Mediterranean, lies the seaside resort of Narbonne-Plage. Carrying the European Blue Flag label, the resort is appreciated for its long beach – no fewer than five kilometres of fine sand – which is great for relaxing, bathing, and for sports activities such as sailing, beach volleyball, jet-skiing, sand yachting, catamaran or sea kayak. There is also lots of entertainment in the summer at Narbonne-Plage, such as evening markets, open-air shows and traditional festivals.
Alot to see in Narbonne such as :
Fontfroide Abbey
Archbishop’s Palace
Archaeology Museum
Musee d’Art et Histoire
Gilles Aycelin Donjon
Narbonne Cathedral
Musée Lapidaire
Gruissan Plage
Horreum Romain
Maison Natale Charles Trenet
Canal de la Robine
Pont des Marchands
La Clape
Les Halles
( Narbonne - France ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Narbonne . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Narbonne - France
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Exposition de l'artiste tibétain d'art contemporain Tashi Norbu à Pau
Grand Hotel La Cloche - Dijon, France
France Travel Skills
Rick Steves European Travel Talk | France travel expert Steve Smith describes scintillating Paris, Normandy's D-Day beaches, Loire châteaux, Dordogne cave art, fortified Carcassonne, Burgundy vineyards, alpine peaks, hill towns of Provence, and the glitzy French Riviera — and teaches skills for traveling in France. Download the PDF handout for this class: goo.gl/lHh0Sd
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Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. The castle is notable for its long association with the English and later British royal family and also for its architecture. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it has been used by succeeding monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish, early 19th-century State Apartments are architecturally significant, described by art historian Hugh Roberts as a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste. The castle includes the 15th-century St George's Chapel, considered by historian John Martin Robinson to be one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic design. More than five hundred people live and work in Windsor Castle.
Originally designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London, and to oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames, Windsor Castle was built as a motte and bailey, with three wards surrounding a central mound. Gradually replaced with stone fortifications, the castle withstood a prolonged siege during the First Barons' War at the start of the 13th century. Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during the middle of the century, and Edward III went further, rebuilding the palace to produce an even grander set of buildings in what would become the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England. Edward's core design lasted through the Tudor period, during which Henry VIII and Elizabeth I made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and centre for diplomatic entertainment.
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France | Wikipedia audio article
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France
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SUMMARY
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France (French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française; French pronunciation: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions (five of which are situated overseas) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million (as of October 2018). France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.
During the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476, who formed the Kingdom of France. France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages following its victory in the Hundred Years' War (1337 to 1453). During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established, which by the 20th century would become the second largest in the world. The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). France became Europe's dominant cultural, political, and military power in the 17th century under Louis XIV. In the late 18th century, the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy, established one of modern history's earliest republics, and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day.
In the 19th century, Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire. His subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. France was a major participant in World War I, from which it emerged victorious, and was one of the Allies in World War II, but came under occupation by the Axis powers in 1940. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War. The Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains today. Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France.
France has long been a global centre of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the world's fourth-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually. France is a developed country with the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, and tenth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of aggregate household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, and human development. France is considered a great power in global affairs, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone, and a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and La Francophonie.
Beaune France • Including the Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy France
Beaune France including the Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy France. We visit Beaune - The Capital of Burgundy Wine Country including the Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune). During our classic Burgundy cruise aboard hotel barge L'Impressionniste we cross the premier cru vineyards into Beaune, capital of Burgundy wine country with a history going back over 2,000 years. We absorb the fascinating 15th century Hotel Dieu Hospice and visit a local winery's cellars to sample some fine local wines.
The capital of the Burgundy wine country, Beaune is one of the best preserved medieval cities in the region. Until the 14th century, Beaune was the residence of the Ducs de Bourgogne. In 1477 it was annexed by Louis XI. First a Gallic sanctuary and then a Roman town, Beaune is now a mecca for wine lovers. This thriving town is surrounded by ramparts and has a labyrinth of caves (wine cellars). During its three-day festival and wine auction in November, free wine-tastings draw huge crowds, many of whom arrive thirsty and leave tipsy. The Hôtel-Dieu, a charity hospital funded by the sale of wines produced on lands donated by its benefactors, was, until 1971, a working hospital. It had been constructed originally to provide free care for men who had fought in the Hundred Years' War. Today, the Musée de l'Hôtel-Dieu displays Flemish-Burgundian art. Its Grand Salle, 165 feet long, has its original furniture.
Burgundy
Burgundy boasts some of the world's finest wines with around 60,000 acres of sunlit vines and arguably the prettiest canals in France. The Burgundy Canal winds its way in smooth curves through the heart of renowned wine growing areas such as Chablis, Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, or rises steeply through a flight of locks that appear like staircases.
The Nivernais Canal meanders alongside the picturesque River Yonne, through a largely undiscovered region near the Morvan Hills, passing sleepy villages and Charolais cattle grazing in the lush pastures. This is the original home of hotel barging with its hand-swung bridges and old logging sites, and where time seems to have stood still for centuries.
The landscape around the Burgundy Canal is one of rolling hills eroded over the centuries and covered in forests of oak, maple and pine and where spring, summer and autumn each leave a unique signature. Medieval towns are surrounded by unspoilt countryside and the wonderful markets have stalls brimming with fresh local products cultivated on the fertile plains.
This is a region with a vast variety of cheeses, in all shapes, sizes and colours, strong in character or mild and fresh and all can be enjoyed with full-bodied red Burgundies, or perhaps with lighter white Chablis wines. Burgundy's gastronomic tradition is certainly rich and diverse and a sedate cruise on a hotel barge along one of its delightful waterways will allow you to indulge in good food and wine, two of the real pleasures in life.
What is hotel barging?
Despite the growing popularity of cruising, especiallly on large river vessels, hotel barging is still a little known niche concept. Most hotel barges started life as cargo vessels but have since been painstakingly converted to offer luxury boutique accommodation for small groups of up to 20 passengers.
This is cruising, but in a very different style to ships plying the big rivers or oceans. The pace is slow, with a 6 day cruise covering maybe just 50 miles along a rural canal. Passengers can walk or bike the towpaths as their floating hotel glides gently along. Guests enjoy an intimate atmosphere, high levels of personal service and immersion into the culture, history and gastronomy of regions of Europe such as Burgundy, the Midi, or the Italian Veneto.
Every day there is an excursion, perhaps to a chateau, a vineyard for a wine tasting, or some other ‘off the beaten track’ location. About half of European Waterways’ bookings are for whole boat charters, ideal for families. Otherwise, clients book a cabin to join other like-minded people. A ‘slow boat’ European Waterways barge cruise offers the ultimate in experiential travel. A truly unique experience!
European Waterways offer luxury hotel barge cruises on the beautiful canals and rivers of Europe, such as through Burgundy, the Midi, Alsace, the Po Valley, Holland and the Scottish Highlands.
The exclusive collection of hotel barges accommodate up to 20 passengers who may charter a whole barge with family or friends, or join a small group of like-minded travellers on an individual cabin basis.
*Music by Crocodile Music