mercredi 13 janvier 2021

The Dôme in the parc - part of the chateau's original horse 'manège'

Originally this structure was a gateway to the equestrian exercise area
 and was used as a covered horse training hall (or manége).
It was flanked, east and west by other matching buildings that together enclosed the inner court.

From the east through the trees

The avenue of trees from town to château in autumn

from the central axis of château's symmetry, looking south.


 ***

in Covid-19 lockdown - January 20221

lundi 27 janvier 2020

Maire Novelli stands down before the mayoral election in March

The former minister and Mayor of Richelieu ends his local political career. A chapter of thirty years of his life which closes, not without emotion.

Emotion sequence. The speech of the ceremony of the wishes of the Mayor of Richelieu, Saturday, ended with a long ovation of a room, standing in front: a Hervé Novelli who could no longer hide his tears. And many friends of the former minister also took out the handkerchiefs, sharing a highlight: the end of a chapter of more than thirty years.

It must be said that memories jostled in the memory of the one who had arrived in Richelieu, after the sudden death of his father, at the end of 1982, to take over the small family business of manufacturing prostheses, which he will manage and develop during a quarter of century.
Pass the torch
Even if he managed to lead a departmental, then national, political career, spending even three and a half years in government, the creator of the statute of the self-entrepreneur will always have kept in his heart his adopted commune, there engaging for four terms, as an advisor, then an assistant, then a mayor since 2008.

Unfinished dream of the famous cardinal, Richelieu is a city on a human scale, which seduces with its "magic side", but requires a lot of energy, to keep its charm and its tourist appeal. And, at the time of the balance sheet, Hervé Novelli has many memories, he who waited for the completion of the renovation of the village hall to organise his vows ceremony, the day after the construction site was closed. As if to tick one more box in the list of achievements.

And, even at a time when the countryside is depopulating, it is not easy to act in a municipality of 1,800 inhabitants, with 118 monuments registered or classified, the balance sheet turns out to be positive, especially without an increase in taxes. Richelieu, who had already succeeded in creating, after Avoine certainly (but without the same financial windfalls), an innovative multidisciplinary health center, has just seen his deviation finally completed, the fruit of a battle of almost fifteen years.

The greenway connecting Richelieu to Chinon will also remain an important achievement, such as the construction of the new EHPAD, to cite only a few significant files of this mandate.

On the strength of this assessment, Hervé Novelli therefore decided to bow out, locally agrees, he who has some other responsibilities, in particular for the development of wine tourism. But, having passed the milestone of the seventies spring, he feels the time has come to pass the torch, aware that there is still much to do.

It is certainly not a farewell. "I will always be available to serve Richelieu," he had to conclude, moved. Very touched.

vendredi 3 janvier 2020

The first stone work is repaired


repaired window cills

New door reveal stones placed

New doorway reveals

lundi 15 juillet 2019

The interior is cleared out!


The old wine press bath has been removed, as with the general detritus of the years. The overall state of the fabric is now visible, and one can perceive the scale of the guard room itself.  The first floor is still inaccessible as the staircase is entirely missing, and the floor boards and the beams beneath look pretty 'dicky', if picturesque!


dimanche 24 mars 2019

Permission granted for the restoration

After a wait of four years...

24 Mars 2019

Chers amis,

   Nous avons le plaisir de vous informer que Frédéric Aubenton, Conservateur régional des monuments historiques, nous a signifié par lettre du 28 février 2019 l'autorisation des travaux de restauration du Pavillon d'angle. Philippe, Patrice et moi-même recevront à déjeuner le 10 avril prochain les cinq chefs d'entreprise pour lancer officiellement le début des travaux.

   Par ailleurs, le maire de Richelieu a donné son accord pour la mise en place de la bâche pendant les travaux de restauration aux dimensions (3 m x 4 m) que nous avions proposées.

Bien amicalement,

Bernard Gaborit
Fonds de Dotation
Ville cardinale

***

24 March 2019

Dear friends,


    We are pleased to inform you that Frédéric Aubenton, Regional Conservator of Historic Monuments, has sent us by letter of February 28, 2019, the authorization of the restoration work on the Corner Pavilion. Philippe, Patrice and I will have lunch on April 10 next with  the five entrepreneurs to officially launch the start of work.



    In addition, the Mayor of Richelieu agreed to the installation of the project tarpaulin during the restoration works of dimensions (3m x 4m) that we had proposed.



***


jeudi 1 octobre 2015

TOUR SAINTE ANNE 
RESTORATION

…when the moat was flooded...

To raise funds to help a restoration project in our beautiful local town, we would like to sell you a 'Richelieu Christmas Card'.

Tour Sainte Anne is an iconic 17th century vestige of cardinal-duc Armand-Jean du Plessis'  Richelieu - untouched, architecturally perfect but now dilapidated. As friends of Richelieu, we would like to ask you to help by buying this wonderful and evocative Christmas/Greetings Card.

Alan Halliday, an acclaimed professional artist who lives nearby, has kindly donated the use of his painting free of charge.  The interior of the card will be blank to enable its use for Christmas but also all year-round.

'Richelieu in the snow'
All the profits from the sale of the card will be donated to the restoration of Tour Sainte Anne.

 The restoration of the tower continues the work of Le Fonds de Dotation - Ville Cardinale which has already restored the gates at the Porte de Chinon


The card will be quality produced with a full colour front page and supplied with an envelope included. The minimum order is for 20 cards and envelopes at £20/€26 (plus p&p if required.)

To ensure that we can get the most competitive printing costs and ensure we raise as much money for the project as possible, if you are interested, please could you give an indication of the number of cards you would like to purchase in an e-mail to Alison Kimber-Bates.

Should this idea be widely embraced, Alan Halliday has a number of other wonderful images that could be used to create further greeting cards. We would like to encourage other local artists to also consider donating the reproduction rights of their images to be used to fundraise for this and other projects in the future.

If you know anyone who you think would like to purchase these cards, please feel free to forward this e-mail to them and help us to restore the Tour Sainte Anne. If you could indicate how many cards you would like by 15th October 2015, that would be very helpful so that we can get the order placed.
We look forward to hearing back from you to place your order.

Ali & David Kimber-Bates    alikimberbates@yahoo.co.uk


 ***



jeudi 27 septembre 2012

Sortie de la Tour Sainte Anne

porte de sortie

derrière du depôt jardinier

en passant le depôt

derrière la Salle des Fêtes

direction sud rue Jarry

en passant la maison Salle des Fêtes

approchant rue Jarry

position de portail neuf?

mercredi 26 septembre 2012

Accès à la Tour Sainte Anne

la tour se trouve derrière le garage
Deplaix - Renault
point d'accès potentiel - grand portail?
le champ à coté de la Salle des Fêtes,
avec depôt jardinier
accès le long du mur enceinte
dépot jardinier Ville de Richelieu
par la Salle des Fêtes



lundi 10 septembre 2012

Ceux qui ont travaillés dans les tours guets

Veritable costume anglais de l'époque; George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham?

Gardes de Richelieu
scènogaphie pour Alfred de Vitry et sa 'Cinq Mars'

Trompette des gardes de Richelieu;
scènogaphie pour Alfred de Vigny et sa 'Cinq Mars'

Officier des gardes de Richelieu
scènogaphie pour Alfred de Vigny et sa 'Cinq Mars'

dimanche 9 septembre 2012

samedi 8 septembre 2012

Deux coupes au rez-de-chausée

rez-de-chausée - coupe ouest-est

rez-de-chaussée - coupe nord-sud

L'interieur - septembre 2012

Position de l'éscalier original; perdu!

La fenêtre rez-de-chausée sud

La fenêtre rez-de-chausée nord

Foyer rez-de chausée avec linteau

'Embrasure flêche', direction sud

'Embrasure flêche', direction nord

Par l'étage au charpente du toîture

Les solives au dessus le foyer

Foyer rez-de-chausée

'Embrasure flêche', direction nord au douves

Porte d'entrée et mur d'enceinte

Poutre et solives au premier étage A

Poutre et solives au premier étage B

Le mur et embrasure nord