May 8th, known as V-E Day or Victory in Europe Day was declared a day of commemoration and a public holiday in France in 1953, by President Charles de Gaulle. Two historical events took place on May 8, 1945: the victory of the Allied Forces over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in …
Author Archives: avril
La Marquise
This typical French glass and wrought iron canopy is called a marquise though I don’t know why. I love the little topknot! Je ne sais pas d’où vient le nom marquise. J”adore le petit mitre!
Red Rose & Unknown Insect – Rose rouge et insecte inconnu
This year the roses are very early and this climbing rose on our half-timber tower is just perfect! Below is an insect that I found today and that I hope someone can identify for me despite the blurry photo.. Cette année les roses sont très précoces et cette rose grimpante sur notre tour en colombages …
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Irises in a courtyard – Iris dans une cour
Back in Blois where the irises are in bloom. A little courtyard in the old town. De retour à Blois où les iris sont en fleur. Une petite cour dans la vieille ville.
Leonardo in Venice – Léonard de Vinci à Venise
Guess who we ran into in Venice today? Our friend Leonardo da Vinci, who arrived here in 1500 and offered his services to the Senate as an engineer with all sorts of ingenious ideas to overcome the Turks which never came to fruition. As we know, he was a great friend of François I and …
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Love Scallop – Coquille Saint Jacques d'amour
I was intrigued to see a scallop shell on the façade of the 14th century Palazzo Bembo on the Grand Canal as it usually symbolises St Jacques de Compostelle (Santiago de Compostela in France. Further research reveals that it is the convex scallop shell that represents St Jacques while the concave shell symbolises Venus, much …
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Bleach Blonds – Blondes oxygénées
Even during the Renaissance, blond women, whether Venetian or French, were considered more beautiful. The Venetians used to bleach their hair and so did Diane de Poitiers, for example. (Detail from the Legend of Saint Ursula series by Carpaccio). Même pendant la Renaissance, on trouvait les femmes blondes plus belles, qu’elles soient vénétiennes ou françaises. …
Ancient Venetian fireplace – Cheminée venétienne antique
This strange fireplace which is in Palazzo Grimani in Venice, was built in the sixteenth century in the ancient Roman style, and is very different from the fireplaces constructed in Blois and Chambord at the same time. Cette étrange cheminée qui se trouve au Palazzo Grimani, fut construite au seizième siècle dans le style antique, …
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Venetian Sundial – Cadran solaire vénétien
I love sundials and have already published two others in Blois Daily Photo – one in Les Grouets and the other on the Bishop’s Palace. This one is on the Arsenal in Venice, which explains the rope and chain. The Latin motto “Ruit hora: labora” roughly means “Times flies: work!” J’aime bien les cadrans solaires …
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Royal Squares – Carrés royaux
These sculpted stone squares, in the lapidary section of Blois Castle, are both symbolic of François Ier, King of France from 1515 to 1547. The first shows his initial, F, surrounded by a monk’s cord with three knots forming an 8, which was the emblem of his mother, Louise de Savvoie. The second is the …