Cultural outings organised by the association in 2024
▪▪▪ Restoration of the Greek vases at the Antoine Vivenel Museum
Tuesday 3 December 2024
This year, our association has made a financial commitment to the restoration of four Greek vases, which will be returned to the museum in time for the reopening of the fully renovated Mediterranean Antiquities Gallery.
Meeting with Claire Gonnier, ceramics and glass restorer, responsible for the restoration of the Greek vases in the Antoine Vivenel collection.
at the Antoine Vivenel Centre
17 rue James de Rothschild (Parc de Songeons)
17 rue James de Rothschild (Parc de Songeons)
Claire Gonnier presented some stages of her work, illustrated with photographs, and gave a demonstration of filling and retouching on a vase. She answered numerous questions.
The visit, which was free of charge, was organised especially for the Friends.
▪▪▪ From pen to brush: two artists’ studios
Thursday 14 November 2024
Port-Marly: guided tour of the Château de Monte-Cristo.
At the height of his fame following the success of *The Three Musketeers*, Alexandre Dumas had a Renaissance-inspired château built on the hill at Port-Marly. The English-style park, featuring grottos, rockeries and waterfalls, is also home to the neo-Gothic *Château d’If*, where the writer would retreat to work.
St-Germain-en-Laye: guided tour of the Maurice Denis Departmental Museum.
In 1914, the painter Maurice Denis bought a former 17th-century hospital to house his family and his studio. Known as the Prieuré, it was here that he created the bulk of his work. Converted into a museum in 1976, the site now houses a varied collection of works by artists from the Nabis group, of which Maurice Denis was one of the founders. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Nabis (prophets, in Hebrew), all influenced by the work of Gauguin, were part of the avant-garde movement that laid the foundations for modern art.
Surrounding the museum, sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle dominate a vast terraced garden.
▪▪▪ A day in Thiérache
Wednesday 9 October 2024
Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache: guided tour of Saint-Michel Abbey.
Although the abbey was founded in the 10th century, the abbey complex today features architecture ranging from the 12th century to the Classical period, combining stone, brick and slate.
Murals depicting the life of Saint Benedict have recently been discovered in the cloister. The church boasts a remarkable organ, a rare instrument typical of the time of Louis XIV. Offering ideal conditions for the performance of Baroque music, it takes centre stage every year during the festival dedicated primarily to the voice and the organ at the abbey site.
Guided tour of the village of Parfondeval and its fortified church:
Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, Parfondeval is a typical village of the Thiérache region.
The Church of Saint-Médard is one of the region’s many churches, fortified in the 16th century to protect the peasants from Spanish raiding parties coming from the north. We will discover this unique history, which gave religious buildings a defensive structure and a refuge
▪▪▪‘So Greek!’ exhibition
Tuesday 24 September 2024
Private tour of the exhibition.
Greek vases from the Antoine Vivenel Museum’s collection, recently restored, are showcased in this exhibition, which immerses visitors in the world of ancient Greece.
The imagery depicts both the daily lives of men and women and the realm of gods and heroes, the importance of banquets, and scenes of war or games, which inspired those being celebrated in Paris this year.
The tour, which is free and organised especially for Friends, will be led by Sophie Cloart, the exhibition’s curator.
In 2024, the association has made a financial commitment to the restoration of Greek vases, which will return to their place in the museum for the reopening of the fully renovated Mediterranean Antiquities Gallery.
▪▪▪ A day in Versailles:
Tuesday 9 April 2024
The musical gardens and the Trianon estate.
A self-guided walk from the palace to the Grand Canal, through the heart of the French formal gardens of the Palace of Versailles. From pond to grove, Baroque music (Lully, Rameau, Charpentier…) will be on the programme.
Guided tour of the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet.
The Grand Trianon, or Marble Trianon, is the work of Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Louis XIV loved to retreat to this simple yet majestic country palace to escape the hustle and bustle of the Court.
The Petit Trianon, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, was intended for the private use of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour. It was given by Louis XVI to Marie-Antoinette, who made it her favourite retreat, modelling it to her own taste, along with the garden.
The Queen’s Hamlet is a group of eleven houses set in a rural landscape. It served as a retreat for Queen Marie Antoinette, who wished to look after her children there.
Napoleon I had it refurbished and restored to host grand celebrations there.
Napoleon I had it refurbished and restored to host grand celebrations there.
▪▪▪ Craftsmanship and the memory of working-class life
Thursday 21 March 2024
Guided tour of the Maison du Textile in Fresnoy-le-Grand.
The former workshops of ‘La Filandière’ still house 28 Jacquard looms, which are listed as historic monuments. A demonstration will be given by a former weaver. You will also see looms used for machine embroidery.
A reconstruction of a weaver’s home interior will evoke the era of home weaving. A loom that once belonged to the House of Chanel is on display there.
Guided tour of the Familistère de Guise
Self-guided tour of the site: ornamental gardens, J-B. A. Godin’s apartment, theatre (subject to availability), permanent and temporary exhibitions in the central pavilion to discover the social and economic history of the Familistère or the story of an ideal.
Guided tour of the Familistère that Jean-Baptiste A. Godin had built for the families of the workers at his stove and cooker factory. This Social Palace is a listed Historic Monument.
▪▪▪ Visit to the Prosper Mérimée exhibition at the Château de Compiègne
Monday 5 February 2024
Portrait by Mathilde Bonaparte (1869) / Drawing by Ferdinand Bac
Led by Mr Marc Desti, Chief Curator of Heritage at the Château de Compiègne and curator of the exhibition, you will discover the multifaceted personality of Prosper Mérimée: writer, member of the Académie Française, senator, a familiar figure at the imperial court of Napoleon III, but also a tireless Inspector General of Historic Monuments.
A pioneer in this field, we owe him our awareness of the importance of our historical heritage and its preservation.
