Great lakes medieval faire bagpipe band8/23/2023 Plagued by court battles and fraternal squabbles, the 5th Duke put everything up for sale in 1840, and the Château de la Verrerie was bought by the Vogüe family, its present owners. The Richmond family was ‘more London than Berry’ and this contributed to their property being seized in 1792, during the French Revolution, although it was returned in 1803, following the signing of the Treaty of Amiens. Upon her death in 1734, the Duchy was transferred to her grandson, Charles Lennox II, the Duke of Richmond. Pious and charitable, she devoted herself to the town’s inhabitants and extended the castle – the present-day Hôtel de Ville – and its park, which is currently named the Parc de la Duchesse de Portsmouth in her honour and is said to have been designed by André Le Notre. Louise was hated in London and adored in Aubigny. The beautiful Louise had arranged England’s neutrality during the Franco-Flemish War and so it was a double irony that the ‘City of the Stuarts’ now belonged to an English family! Louis XIV transferred the Duchy-Peerage to Louise de Kéroualle, the Duchess of Portsmouth and a favourite of the King of England, Charles II, with whom she had a son. The very last Stuart died in 1672, without an heir, and Aubigny was returned to the French crown, but not for long. Today, many of the town’s outstanding surviving facades date from this reconstruction, including several preserved by the layers of ‘roughcast’ with which they were covered. He made improvements to both Aubigny Castle and the Château de la Verrerie, which were part of his fiefdom, and when a terrible fire broke out in 1512, he helped the town’s inhabitants to rebuild with timber from his forests. Bernard’s cousin, Robert Stuart, who fought in the Italian Wars (1494-1559), was awarded the baton of Marshall of France. John Stuart’s grandson, Bernard the 4th Lord of Aubigny, was called Béraud by the French and nicknamed the “knight beyond reproach”, as was his Gallic compatriot in battle, the Chevalier Bayard. In 1423, in the name of the Franco-Scottish ‘Auld Alliance’, King Charles VII of France awarded Sir John Stuart of Darnley, a Constable of the Scottish army, the town and its surrounding lands, in thanks for his services against the English during the Hundred Years War.Īubigny-sur-Nère then remained under Scottish control for two and half centuries and the Stuart dynasty left a lasting mark. Sited in the historic province of Berry, which is now in the Cher département of the Centre-Val de Loire region, Aubigny-sur-Nère is proud of its Franco-Scottish heritage as the ‘City of the Stuarts’. This charming town is well worth a detour for its half-timbered Renaissance facades, Gothic church, castle – which was extended in the 17th century – and the La Nère River that runs through it. All around are forests, meadows and vales: a symphony of nature. Every day there are special ceremonies attended by the Royal Court.Aubigny-sur-Nère is a delightful town with 5,900 inhabitants on the Route Jacques Coeur, which takes in the Châteaux of Culan, Ainay-le-Vieil and Meillant, amid the étangs (lakes) of Sologne and the hills of Sancerre. Visitors can try games like axe throwing, archery shooting, crossbow, frog catapults, and a gold coin hunt. Food options make for a proper feast with turkey legs, soups, stews, and chowders, fish and chips, corn on the cob, and other traditional dishes. Over 100 shops offer handmade arts and crafts: jewelry, artisan leather, stained and blown glass, candles, and other goods. Over 100 costumed characters roam the streets providing an interactive experience of Renaissance times. Visitors will be amazed by skillful jugglers, aerial silks, acrobats, and musicians playing instruments like harp or bagpipes. The Carolina Renaissance Festival offers entertainment on 14 stages, including live music, comedy, dance, and circus. Each day shows the visitors the Ancient Art of Falconry presentation as well as a Mermaid exhibit with mermaids in a large aquarium tank. The festival features a few jousting tournaments every day with the participation of the Aventail Productions stunt group.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |