Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Amis du Château de Saint Ferriol
Amis du Château de Saint Ferriol
Issue #1 [April 2012] [email protected]
Upcoming Events
This summer’s events at the chateau will include flamenco, poetry, and a baroque orchestra from
2
Local Spotlight
4
A Flame of the Past N ear the towns of Quillan and Esperaza in the Aude department of France lies a small village of some one hundred and thirty inhabitants named Saint Ferriol. The village takes its name from the eponymous fourth century tribune of the Dauphiné armies whom the Romans allegedly killed after he refused to aid the persecution of Christians (though it is more likely that he was executed for desertion). Set high atop a hill overlooking the village and against the backdrop of the Pyrenees Mountains, sprawling fields, and vineyards full of blooming roquette, the chateau Saint Ferriol boasts a long and rich history reaching all the way back to 1570. Michel de
Continued on page 3
Volunteer Program
Raising the Roof
Willow weaving, history and planting. Thanks to our talented visitors.
2
4
We visit two impressive Spring annual events: Artistes a Suivre and Ferme a Ferme.
A report on fundraising for repairs beyond the ordinary.
Contributors
Gary Bateman Matthew Hughes Winnie au Yeung
Penny Kitchen
April in the Garden Once again we have successfully planted our coriander. The secret is to plant it very close together. This does not work for the cress or lamb’s tongue which perish if they are crowded. Our Saint Catherine’s Day planting was also extraordinarily successful. We selected the weekend closest to Saint Catherine’s. That was optimum for the lunar cycle.
Poetry and Dance Sunday June 17
A show of Poetry and Dance performed by Jan Van Der Boes, Guy Sahuc et Simone Salgas, Contemporary dance by Anita de Boer and Sophie Barbaza. Live musical accompaniment by Christophe Argence. The Albigensian Crusade Tuesday June 19 and Wednesday September 19 A presentation by James McDonald author of Beyond Belief Aperitif and tapas included followed by a candle lit dinner in the great hall. 7.30 pm Presentation only: Free to members, 10 euros for non-members. Presentation and Dinner: 25 euros for members. 35 euros for non-members. Rotary club occasion. Please contact [email protected] for more details Saturday 30 June 2012.
Summer 2012 Events
Performance poetry, contemporary dance music entitled: In the Looking Glass. Saturday July 21 With the poets: Jan de Boer, guy Sahuc Contemporary Dance: Sophie Barbaza, Ana Ferrero de Boer Music guitar, drums: Christophe Argence Piano Jazz: Jazzy John
Baroque Quartet from London Tuesday August 14 Visit their web site for more details of this exceptional group http://www.spiritato.co.uk/
Volunteer Program
Some dates will be available in 2012 for members to use the chateau for a family, social, cultural or educational day or evening. Please contact us at
A big thank you to Kristi, Michael, Gary, Winnie, and Matthew. With their help we took good advantage of St. Catherine. We successfully took cuttings from sage, arthemesia, hazel, and we hope box and transplanted many plants including white Toulouse violets. Although it was a windy day, we had a fun plant sweep for St. Catherine which we plan to repeat in 2013. Thanks also to Gary who, we should mention, never gardened before, took right to willow weaving and reinforcing the raised hazel beds not only making them much stronger but also much more beautiful. Having you as a member makes all the difference to us. You can purchase member ship by the year or several years. If you have friends visiting the region you could give a membership as a gift. Thank you for your support.
Michel de Plaigne, the builder of the present chateau, is said to have utilized the stones from the nearby abandoned chateau at Le Dent that would have been the principal stronghold during the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries when the Church focused its purgative anti-heretical enthusiasm on the Languedoc and against those known as the Cathars. The return of domestic peace following the end of the Hundred Years War in 1453 coupled with bursts of architectural activity throughout France in the sixteenth century gave rise to new architectural considerations, namely those related to aesthetics and comfort as military necessities decreased. The chateau Saint Ferriol is an accurate reflection of these stylistic transitions as the numerous mertriers (musket holes), thick curtain walls, large mullioned windows, and wide staircases attest to the structural middle ground between defensive necessity and fashionable comfort occupied by the chateau. Regardless of the time period, the heating of the chateau would have been of utmost
importance. Indeed, one can only imagine just how many trees fell victim in the campaign of keeping this
1000 square meter complex heated throughout the winter. Seven monumental fireplaces still remain today, one of which is particularly revealing in terms of those who built the chateau Saint Ferriol home. On the top floor just next to the staircase is a small room with clay walls and what seem to be the vestiges of a typical plafond francais yet the key feature here is the fireplace located close to the entrance. Etched into the frontal piece of the mantle is a Latin inscription that reads: Noble Anne de Mauleon+ In caleat cor meum
amore Domini 1630 Ferrandus fecit. This can be translated as: Noble Anne de Mauleon. May the love of the Lord burn inside my body. 1630. Made for Ferrandus. Anne de Mauleon lived in the chateau during the early seventeenth century with her husband Barthélémy de Plaigne who died during an outbreak of the plague around 1610. Above the mantle we find a coat of arms depicting a lion and a fortress, the respective heraldic devices of the de Mauleon and de Plaigne families. Thanks to Martín Artheuzo a local of Saint Ferriol who has studied certain aspects of the chateau, we know that the fireplace was built in Marseilles, a city known for its production of certain luxury items where this particular style of fireplace with its colored plaster or gesso was in vogue. Evidence of passers-by during periods of disuse can be seen through graffiti marking both the interior and exterior of the fireplace. On the inner-left panel of the fireplace, for example, is a fascinating depiction of some nineteenth century math that reads “1818-1630=188.” Similar equations can also be found on the wall opposite the fireplace attesting to how this fireplace even generated curiosity in those who lived almost two hundred years ago. The fireplace of Anne de Mauleon is but one of the many fascinating aspects of the Chateau Saint Ferriol. We ask that you join us in the exciting process of uncovering the history of the chateau and the story that it has to tell. Through our campaign of renovation, we hope to not only restore the chateau’s physical beauty of stone and mortar, but to also keep alight the embers of cultural memory within it illuminating the past of not only those who once lived in the chateau but also that of the entire village of Saint Ferriol.
Matthew Hughes
Raising the Roof
Buckets still adorn the attic floor. Thank goodness for the wind and the dry summers. However the roof is in serious need of some TLC. Thank you Diane Fournier for your generous donation!
Membership Application: Friends of Château Saint Ferriol Valid until 1 December 2013
Name:_________________________Membership number: ___Address:________________________
Post code: _____ Town:_________________________Country : _______________________________
Email : _________________________________
Ordinary membership( 10€) : ___ Renew existing membership_______ Overseas member(12 €): ____ Sponsoring Member (25€) : ___
Stay up to date on volunteer projects and find out how you can be a part of the renovation process! https://sites.google.com/site/amisduchateaudestferriol/join-us/student-internships
Your Events Thank you North of Eden who travelled to St Ferriol from Vermont USA and all over the world and brought the château to life for a week of workshops, feasting and music. The group joined Amis en masse and we are looking forward to welcoming them back in 2013.
Don’t miss out on two impressive annual spring events
A Restoring Celebration of the Chardonnay Grape:
http://www.midi-france.info/04120401_toques.htm
An opportunity to visit local farms and taste produce on site. From apple juice to organic hot dogs. http://www.fermiers-audois.fr/de-ferme-en-ferme-en-haute-vallee-de-l-aude/
Local Spotlight
Find us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amis-du-Chateau-de-St-Ferriol/274114615974251
