|
A Taste of Perigueux By
Arnie Greenberg (A visit to the museum of the art style of Trompe-L'oeil in Perigueux yields the strange "seduction" seen by the eye. Read more about this style of art in Arnie Greenberg's article below) I have written about the Dordogne and Perigord in previous articles, but a recent visit to the region renewed previous tastes and smells and rekindled for me the region's visual splendors. I spent some time in the city of Perigueux, where I tasted black truffles, goose pate -- or confit as they call it. I munched on fresh home-grown walnuts and enjoyed the walnut oil on my fresh salads. I drank Bergerac wines and enjoyed the visual delights that brought me there in the first place. Warm Hospitality and Sense of Welcome I found myself amidst local inhabitants who offered warm hospitality and that sense of welcome that is their tradition. Always
aware of frugality, I selected the local Ibis Hotel because of its proximity to
the L'isle River and the old city. High above me was the giant Cathedral St-Front
with its Byzantine-styled domes. I reserved the hotel, sight unseen, and was immediately taken by its charm and décor. Located just near the Quai on Boul. Georges Saumande, it was a find that I highly recommend. Even the breakfasts served outside, facing the water, added to the wonderful ambiance. My room looked out across the peaceful river and the Vieux Moulin landmark, an ancient structure which once acted as a storage and lookout tower on the ancient river. Today, with its captivating, stately solitude, it stands as a silent sentinel to a lost age.
(The Vieux Moulin is a landmark, ancient structure which once acted as a storage and lookout tower) I roamed the streets, took a tiny tourist train ride around the old city, and snapped shots of the old towers that once dotted the defensive wall. I ate in the tiny squares, away from traffic and noise. I just roamed around, enjoying this oasis from 21st century noise. Of course, there is another area of town with shops, cars and broad streets, but that was hardly why I was there. Discovering Trompe-L'oeil On my second day, I decided to visit the tourist office. Here I learned of the Musee-Atelier du Trompe-L'oeil & Décor Peint. I had just read an article about this ancient form of illusion painting and had seen examples of ceilings that had been decorated in this art form found even in St. Petersburg's Hermitage. So I headed for the museum, where I met Ann-Marie Cherrier, the museum's directrice. It is her vision that gave life to this unique workshop-museum.
(Ann-Marie Cherrier, the directrice of the Musee-Atelier du Trompe-L'oeil & Décor Peint, stands next to another example of Trompe-L'oeil) Cherrier
comes from generations of weavers and a family of oriental-style painters, and
Trompe-l'oeil is her life's passion. After a guided tour, I really came to appreciate Trompe-l'oeil - one that I had seen many times but had never fully understood. It is certainly "art to fool the eye," for I was certain that I was walking on mosaic tiles until I reached down and touched a surface painting. Later I snapped Ann-Marie's picture with my camera. It looked like she was leaning on the shelves, but I agreed with Diderot who said, "The hand touched a flat surface and the eye, always seduced, saw relief…"
(The museum, with its many examples of art to "fool the eye," is housed in a transformed old factory building) The museum is set in a transformed old factory on a quiet street. There is a reading and library area, a training workshop where courses are given, a display and sales area and a patio tea room available in clement weather. There are exhibits by famous artists, including furniture decorations, frescos and canvasses. Museum Also a Workshop The
museum also incorporated a workshop where students learned the various techniques
of imitation stone, lift-off frescoes, mosaics and tapestry, and art form dating
back to prehistoric times. The museum is open April 1 to September 30 from 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. and from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m.Tuesday to Saturday. Sunday hours are from 3 p.m. -- 6 p.m. Times are more restricted from October 1 to March 31. The museum is closed on Mondays and bank holidays. Groups of 25 people can be accommodated, but reservations are recommended by calling 05 53 09 84 40. Disabled access and parking are available. The museum is on one floor for easy access. The
address is 5, rue Emile Combes, 24000 Perigueux, France, near the Eglise de la
City. There is a modest entrance fee. For more information about Perigeux, visit the Office de Tourism at 26, Place Francheville or call 05 53 53 10 63. Where to Start Your Visit to Perigueux Start your visit of Perigueux at the Pont des Barris. Walk up rue Daumesnil and spend some time in the cathedral. Then, with a map, you can wander in and out of the narrow streets and enjoy one of the most charming towns in central France. Perigueux was originally two cities, one ecclesiastical, the other mercantile. The oldest remains can be seen today. The old city is a warren of tiny cobbled streets lined with boutiques, buskers, and renaissance houses. But there is modernity as well, including the greenhouse-like Lycee Jay-de-Beafort. You can see 2000 years of history in one city. And in the countryside beyond there are some of the most splendid and celebrated chateaux in France. One to visit is Chateau Hautefort. It was my enchantment with Hautefort that made me set my latest novel there. To read this work, click here. But Perigueux is only the beginning. There are many visual, culinary, artistic and historical pleasures in the Perigord region of France. Over the next few weeks, I will be reporting on Les Eyzies, Montignac,Brantome and Hautefort with its gigantic Chateau and the Chateau of Mme de Pompadour equipped with stables and a giant hippodrome. (Click
below for more travel).
| ||
 |
