Le Puy du Fou, France
On 19-21 July, I joined my son Alex, and grandsons Jérémie and Benjamin and
granddaughter Alie from Quebec, and Jérémie's partner Marianne, for a visit
to Le Puy du Fou, a history-themed park in the Vendéé region of western
France, ranked the best in the world. The park was amazing, attracting
thousands of visitors to a series of spectacles in distinct historical
settings, with live actors and animals and sophisticated special effects
with sound, music, water, light and fire, set in forested grounds with
beautiful landscaping and villages from different periods with craftsmen
pursuing their trades and crafts. We managed to attend 13 spectacles in two
days, not all of which could be photographed. These included persecuted
Christians in a Roman coliseum, a Viking attack on a medieval village, King
Arthur's roundtable, medieval jousting, a display of falconery, a
Renaissance chateau (in the ruins of a real castle from that period), the
Musketeers under Richelieu, the French revolution, the history of the Vendéé
region, water and music displays in a lake, and life in World War I
trenches, among others.
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My son Alex, grandson Benjamin, stepgrandson Jérémie and partner
Marianne, and granddaughter Alie, from Quebec
Roman Coliseum
In a full size coliseum, we saw an enactment of Christians captured by the
Roman Legion, gladiatorial combats, Christians thrown to a tiger and lions,
etc. The commandant of the legion converts to Christianity, wins a chariot
race, and the Christians emerge victorious.
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The coliseum; the Roman governor; captured Christians
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Gladiatorial combats
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The chariot race; lions refusing to eat the Christians
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My family in the audience; the Christians are victorious
Medieval village
Among several period reconstructions was a medieval village with artisans at
work. The park maintains a school for apprentice craftsmen like blacksmiths.
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Visiting the medieval village
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Displays of handicrafts and art, an apprentice blacksmith at work;
playing an ancient carillon
Forest and gardens
The different attractions are set in a forest with winding paths and
beautifully landscaped gardens and ponds.
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Paths and gardens
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A beautiful setting for the entertainment; visits to the sites
between events; my son Alex
Ballet of falconry
The park raises endangered eagles, falcons and other birds of prey for
conservation, and puts on a display with over 200 trained birds who fly over
the heads of the audience from one falconer to another.
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The amphitheatre for the demonstration of falconry; falconers in
costume and on horseback in the middle of the audience
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There is always a story line along with the display of performing
animals
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The precision of the falconry routines and their diversity was
impressive
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There were vultures and other rare birds, and eagles released from a
balloon overhead
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By the end of the show, birds were everywhere, even among the
audience
Fountains and music
There were two displays of dynamic fountains set to baroque music in the
lake, one in the daytime and the other at night with musicians and dancers
in illuminated costumes and coloured lights rising out of the water, and a
giant organ beside the lake. There were even fountains mixing water and
fire.
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The daytime fountain display
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Watching the fountains in the lake
King Arthur's roundtable
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The middle of the lake descends to reveal the roundtable and its
knights underwater before rising up; mounted knights
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Merlin emerges from the castle
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Many ancient breeds of animals are raised in the park and used in the
performances; me with my grandshildren
Viking attack on 10th century village
Another site showed a 10th century village, starting with a wedding but
ending with a Viking attack. A first Viking ship comes up the river, but a
second rises out of the middle of the lake, complete with Viking warriors.
However a patron saint arises from his tomb to quell the attack and convert
the Vikings to Christianity, so everything ends well.
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The village wedding; scenes of hunting and village life, with an
ancient race of pigs
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Warnings of a Viking attack from fleeing monks; ancient cattle; the
first Viking ship arrives to attack the keep
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Viking warriors; a second Viking ship rises out of the lake
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The village is torched as the fighting continues, until the
intervention of the resurrected saint
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Peace returns to the village; the actors take a final bow
Knights defending a castle
Another spectacle was knights defending a castle during the Hundred Years
War between the French and the English with their Burgundy allies.
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The knights show off their riding prowess with amazing feats of
horsemanship, and their skill with the lance
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While the knights are off defending Orleans, the troops from Burgundy
attack the castle, but the lady of the castle drives them off with a magic
lance from saint Joan of Arc.
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The castle wall suddenly disappears, leaving the donjon (castle keep)
exposed
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Joan of Arc emerges from the keep on horseback and reclaims her
lance; a new wall arises, and the keep rotates to show its Renaissance
facade
The knights and pages celebrate their victory
Renaissance chateau
The renaissance chateau of Puy de Fou was burned in the revolution, but part
has been restored with enactments of life in the chateau, a ball, the
library, and a chapel with the ring of Joan of Arc.
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The Chateau of Puy de Fou
We left exhausted but elated and enlightened by the quality and realism of
the spectacles, bringing history alive. Our next stop was Paris.