Notre-Dame-du-Port Basilica in Clermont-Ferrand, one of 10 ‘Major’ Romanesque churches of Basse-Auvergne, strikes by its rich ornamentation and architecture
Month: April 2016
Saint-Clair-sur-l’Elle paintings – Vlastimil Suchý
In the night of June 6, 1944 above Saint-Clair-sur-l’Elle, is one of the stunning WWII paintings by Vlastimil Suchý, a Czech artist and aviation specialist
Lavoute-Chilhac – Notre-Dame Trouvée
Lavoute-Chilhac, a medieval village nestled in a meander of the Allier, is famous for a pebble relic, Notre-Dame -rouvée, kept in Ste-Croix-de-Volte Church
Orchids nursery 20km south-east of Paris
A visit off the beaten track, 20km east of Paris, to a family of horticulturists who have grown and selected hundreds of orchids varieties for 127 years
Fleur de Lys – French monarchy’s emblem
The Fleur de Lys, the official emblem of the kings of France from 1150 to 1830, is not a lily but a yellow iris represented in a stylized form
St Meloir des Bois – Antic Columns – Brittany
St Meloir des Bois near Dinan boasts four antic columns whose origin is unknown but were part of buildings erected when Brittany was under Roman occupation
Garden gnomes – Nains de jardin – Fun facts
Garden gnomes – nains de jardin are among the most common so-called decorative items found in French gardens, loathed by most people, worshiped by a few
Prieure Saint Etienne – Broceliande Forest
The modest Prieure Saint Etienne in the Forêt de Brocéliande, the oldest chapel in the department of Morbihan in Brittany and a listed Historical Monument
Passage du Bourg l’Abbé – Covered gallery
Passage du Bourg l’Abbé, one of the few remaining covered galleries built in Paris during the 19th century, is today listed as a historic monument
Pessales Russian Orthodox Chapel – Sylvanes
Pessales Russian Orthodox Chapel near Sylvanes Abbey, built in Russia, transported by train and re-assembled in Pessales by the young Russians who buil it