Pontivy. Napoleonic Heritage Discovery Trail. For young visitors aged 8 years and over

Transcription

1 Pontivy Napoleonic Heritage Discovery Trail A puzzle book offering a fun way to explore the Napoleonic quarter! For young visitors aged 8 years and over

2 Hello, I m Bee and, along with Eagle, I was one of the favourite symbols used by Napoleon I and his nephew, Napoleon III. They ruled France in the 19 th century and, while they were in power, Pontivy was called Napoléonville. At that time, the town underwent major changes and I would really like to rediscover today what those changes were. But it is such a long time since I ve been here that I m a bit lost! Perhaps you could come with me on my tour and keep me right? Rue François Mitterrand The trail visits 15 major sites in the town that were created in the 19 th century. You can use the maps in this booklet as a guide and don t forget to keep your eyes peeled! Trail sites 1 to 6 2 3

3 Site 1 Rue Impériale Look carefully at the buildings and match each description with the corresponding photo. When Pontivy was called Napoléonville, the street named rue Nationale was known as rue Impériale. Today this street still links the Old Town with the new Napoleonic quarter built in the 19 th century. The buildings constructed in this quarter are very different from the older houses in Pontivy. Irregular Built mainly of stone A house in the Old Town Relief Flat Built mainly of wood An apartment block in the Napoleonic quarter This large square was designed in the 19 th century and became the heart of the town. To the east side of the square you can see a statue of Frédéric Le Normand de Lourmel. Can you see what he s wearing? Lourmel was a soldier who served under Napoleon III. r Napoleon III ordered all French streets to be called after his generals. r General Lourmel was born in a house on this street. r General Lourmel liked to stroll along this street. Site 2 Place Napoléon le Grand Passing by the chateau, I noticed a street bearing the name of this soldier rue de Lourmel. Why do you think the street was called after him? 4 5

4 Site 3 The Law Courts Compare the Palais de Justice in front of you with this drawing of a Greek temple. Can you find the features they have in common? Circle the corresponding words. Look at how the architecture of this building, the Palais de Justice, which houses the law courts, is austere and imposing. The architect deliberately designed it to impress all those coming to face trial here. Like many law court buildings in the 19 th century, the style of this Palais de Justice is inspired by Greek and Roman temples. Acroterion Triangular pediment Triglyph Metope This building, known as the Hôtel de la Caisse d Épargne, was constructed to house the town s first savings bank. The people deposited their money here and left it with the bank for a while in the hope of withdrawing more than they had invested Site 4 The original Savings Bank (Number 18 rue Carnot) Oh dear! I ve mixed up all my photos. Help me find which ones show details of the old savings bank by circling the corresponding numbers. Step Column 6 7

5 Site 5 The Cavalerie Quarter What do you think this building was used for? Clue This building encloses the west side of the square. Do you see how austere, regular and symmetrical its architecture is? It has practically no decoration. If you look closely at the inscription above the doorway, you ll see that it s also called the Quartier Clisson, or Clisson Quarter, after Olivier de Clisson, a great soldier of the Middle Ages. r As lodgings for firemen r As barracks for soldiers and their horses r As a prison for horse thieves This building was constructed to house Pontivy s town hall ( Hôtel de Ville ) and government offices ( Sous-préfecture ). Unlike the Palais de Justice (see Site 3) that was built to impress, this building was designed to make the town s inhabitants feel welcome. Its architecture is therefore not intimidating, but resembles that of a small palace or chateau. Motte and bailey castle Stately home Fortified castle Site 6 The Town Hall and Government Offices Which type of chateau architecture do you think was the inspiration for this building? Circle the correct number. 8 9

6 6 Mitte 11 rran d 10 7 In 1858, Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugenie, made a grand tour of Brittany and stayed at Pontivy. It was a huge honour for the town. During the tour, the emperor gifted a sum of money for the building of the church in front of you. Unfortunately, it was not enough to cover the building costs and the church was never finished! You can see this in details such as the unfinished capitols (tops of the columns) which have not been sculpted. 8 Sculpted capitol 9 10 Sites 7 to 11 Unfinished capitol Site 7 Church of Saint Joseph Look closely at the bell-tower columns. How many unfinished capitols are there? 11

7 Site 8 The Provisions Store This building, known as the Magasin à Fourrage, was constructed to store fodder and provisions for the horses of the soldiers lodged in the Clisson Quarter (see Site 5). What exactly do you think was stored here? It was during the time of Napoleon III that the railway arrived in Pontivy. Most stations built in Brittany at that time are similar. The architects used the same materials in their construction. Site 9 The Railway Station To find out, fill in the blanks with the letters underlined in the following words that the official in charge of the fodder store might well have spoken. What the devil! Don t you dare strike that match! It might set f ire to the fodder and burn down the whole building. Only once you re home can you sit back and smoke your pipe! and Montaigu Station (Vendée region) Red brick Wood White render (coating) Tiles Slates Stone (granite) Look at this photo of Montaigu Station and compare it with the station in Pontivy. Can you help me find which materials were used in both buildings? Circle the words that correspond

8 Site 10 The Bank of France (Number 83, rue Nationale) Formerly offices of the Banque de France, this was one of the first houses to be built in the Napoleonic quarter. Its architecture is quite austere and symmetrical. Only a few small rectangular features located beneath the overhanging roof lighten the style a little. This wide, tree-lined avenue was laid out in the 19 th century. Did you notice the two statues at the entrance to the boulevards? They are a more recent addition dating from the middle of the 20 th century. They are dressed to represent a man and woman from Pontivy. Granite r Wood r Schist r r Marble Site 11 Boulevards Alsace- Lorraine Drat! I can t remember the name for these small decorative features. Can you remind me? Find the missing letters from each of these words describing features on a house to spell out the name. Do Dorm S s himney r oof alcony r ate Look carefully at the statues. What are they made of? 14 15

9 This house was built for the commanding officer of the garrison stationed in Pontivy. If you turn round and look back, you can see the Clisson Quarter at the far end of the square (see Site 5). Do you see how the road runs straight up here? This was rather handy for the commander who could keep an eye on that part of the town just by looking out his window Sites 12 to Site 12 The Town Commander s Residence As a souvenir of this handsome house, I ve drawn a picture of the main facade. There s something not quite right about it though. Can you spot the errors? (5 in all) 17

10 Site 13 The Imperial School I can t quite remember what each feature on the coat of arms is called. Help me find the words I m looking for by answering the questions and solving the coded messages. Just imagine! This secondary school, called the Lycée Impérial, was one of the very first to open in Brittany. Above the door you can see a coat of arms that was used to represent the town of Pontivy at the end of the 19 th and beginning of the 20 th century. 1 2 Made up of towers and walls, this feature indicates that the coat of arms represents a town. What do you think this feature is called? r A royal crown r A crown of laurels r A mural crown The blank diamond or lozenge shapes are taken from the coat of arms of the Rohan family whose members were overlords of Pontivy from the Middle Ages until the French Revolution. Find out what the shapes are called This feature is a reminder of the town s origins. Find out what it is called in French. Key to code: = n; = o; = p; = t Did you know that the town is said to have been founded in the 7 th century by a monk called Ivy (pronounced eevy ). According to tradition, he had a bridge built over the Blavet, known as the pont d Ivy (Ivy s bridge), and hence the name Pontivy. This decorative feature is a symbol of Brittany. Rearrange the following syllables to find out what it is called: Key to code: 1 = a; 2 = b; 3 = c and so on MI ER NE 18 19

11 Site 14 The Food Markets- Theatre The architectural features were chosen to suit the use made of the building. What do you think each floor was used for? Match the floor with its corresponding use. This building was designed to house two institutions the market ( Les Halles ) where goods were bought and sold and the theatre ( Le Théâtre ) where various types of shows were put on. Look at the building carefully and you ll see that each floor has its own particular features. The ground floor has wide arcades and the first floor has small, rectangular windows. Ground floor Theatre First floor Food markets Pontivy The two canals that pass through Pontivy were laid out in the 19 th century. This basin is where they meet. In the past, canals provided a practical way of transporting goods. Hennebont Paris Nantes Brest Rennes Site 15 The Canal Junction Basin Do you know where you can travel to by canal from Pontivy? Find out by helping me get through this maze! It should lead us to 3 possible destinations

12 A brief timeline and some dates from French history Antiquity Middle Ages Renaissance Modern period 19 th c. 20 th c First Republic First Empire Emperor Napoleon I Restoration April 1814 March 1815 First Restoration of the monarchy Louis XVIII March-June 1815: The Hundred Days Napoleon I June : Second Restoration of the monarchy Louis XVIII and Charles X : July Monarchy Louis-Philippe Second Republic Second Empire Emperor Napoleon III Third Republic st c. Today Site 10: The rectangular features beneath the overhanging roof are CORBELS. ( Modillons in French). Site 11: The statues are made from granite. Site 12: The five errors are from top to bottom: Chimney on the left is missing, central dormer has a triangular pediment instead of a semi-circular one, part of the left side of the central dormer is missing, the right-hand dormer has a square instead of a round window and the projecting decorative stonework (known in French and English as bossage ) on the upper left-hand corner of the facade is missing. Site 13: The four features on the coat of arms are: Mural crown, Mascles, Pont (bridge) and Ermine. Site 14: The food market was on the ground floor where the wide arcades made it easier to come and go, and the theatre was on the first floor. Site 15: The two canals that meet in Pontivy are the Blavet Canal and the Nantes-Brest Canal. The possible destinations are therefore Brest, Hennebont and Nantes. Site 1: Descriptions matching the half-timbered house: Irregular, Relief, Built mainly of wood. Descriptions matching the 19 th - century apartment block: Flat, Built mainly of stone Site 2: General Lourmel was born in a house on this street. Site 3: Words to circle: Triangular pediment, Column, Steps. Site 4: Details in photos number 2 and 3 belong to the building. Site 5: The building was used as barracks for soldiers and their horses. Site 6: Answer 3: The architect was inspired by the chateau designed as a stately home. The wings forming the sides of the U-shaped building are like arms outstretched to welcome the visitor. Site 7: 8 capitols have been left unfinished. Site 8: STRAW and HAY. Site 9: The two stations have the following materials in common: Red brick, White render, Slates and Stone (granite). Answers 22 23

13 Design: Ville de Pontivy, Direction Education-Animation, service patrimoine Town of Pontivy - Education and Activities - Heritage Services, 2009 Translation: Anne Withers Graphic design: nuancesgraphiques.com Bee illustrations: Gwendal Le Bayon Printing: IBB Hennebont Printed on paper from sustainably managed forests Illustrations: Sites 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and15: Ville de Pontivy. Site 6: Drawings of the chateaux of La Tusque at Saint-Eulalie (Gironde) and of Sully-sur- Loire (Loiret) by Eugène Viollet-Le-Duc, Dictionnaire raisonné de l architecture française du XI e au XV e siècle, Drawing of the chateau in the style of a stately home Ville de Pontivy Sites 8 and 14: Talairach, François Ville de Pontivy, Site 9: Ville de Montaigu Site 11 (statues): Le Divenah, François Ville de Pontivy, This booklet belongs to: Comprising fifteen challenges, this booklet was devised to enable young visitors (from 8 years upwards) to explore Pontivy s Napoleonic past in an entertaining way. This booklet and the accompanying guide for adults provide specially designed materials that allow parents and children to enjoy a walk together that is rich in historical, natural and cultural heritage. Acknowledgements: Michel Tatard, Auriane, Cyndie, François, Laura, Marion