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Château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. Nowadays a ''château'' may be any stately residence built in a French style; the term is additionally often used for a winegrower's estate, especially in the Bordeaux region of France. Definition The word château is a French word that has entered the English language, where its meaning is more specific than it is in French. The French word ''château'' denotes buildings as diverse as a medieval fortress, a Renaissance palace and a fine 19th-century country house. Care should therefore be taken when translating the French word ''château'' into English, noting the nature of the building in question. Most French châteaux are "palaces" or fine "country houses" rather than "castles", and for these, the word "château" is appropriate in English. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castries, Hérault
Castries (; oc, Càstrias) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. Population Twin towns — sister cities Castries is twinned with Volpiano, Italy since 2010. Sights * Château de Castries. There is also a stone aqueduct which originally supplied water to the chateau. See also *Communes of the Hérault department The following is a list of the 342 communes of the Hérault department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Communes of Hérault {{Hérault-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
House Of Castries
The house of la Croix de Castries () is a French noble family from Languedoc. The city of Castries in the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia was named after one of its members. History Their heraldic shield is "Azure (heraldry), azure, on a cross, or (heraldry), or". Family tradition holds that one of the family's members was saint Roch, the pilgrim apostle who dedicated his life to the service of the sick and plague-victims in the 13th century. The La Croix de Castries family, however, was not ennobled until the end of the 15th century, as Nobles of the Sword. It was admitted to the honours of court in 1744, 1753, 1776, and 1786. Duc de Castries The title of duc de Castries was conferred by brevet in 1784, with the promise that the title duc de Guines would revert to them, to Armand Charles Augustin de La Croix de Castries. Under the Bourbon Restoration in France, Bourbon Restoration, on 4 June 1817 he was re-created duc de Castries et Peer of France, Pair de France. *1784-1842 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
André Le Nôtre
André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed the gardens of the Palace of Versailles; his work represents the height of the French formal garden style, or ''jardin à la française''. Prior to working on Versailles, Le Nôtre collaborated with Louis Le Vau and Charles Le Brun on the park at Vaux-le-Vicomte. His other works include the design of gardens and parks at Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Saint-Cloud and Saint-Germain. His contribution to planning was also significant: at the Tuileries he extended the westward vista, which later became the avenue of the Champs-Élysées and comprise the ''Axe historique''. Biography Early life André Le Nôtre was born in Paris, into a family of gardeners. Pierre Le Nôtre, who was in charge of the gardens of the Palais des Tuileries in 1572, may have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aqueduct (watercourse)
An aqueduct is a watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away. In modern engineering, the term ''aqueduct'' is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. The term ''aqueduct'' also often refers specifically to a bridge carrying an artificial watercourse. Aqueducts were used in ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, and ancient Rome. The simplest aqueducts are small ditches cut into the earth. Much larger channels may be used in modern aqueducts. Aqueducts sometimes run for some or all of their path through tunnels constructed underground. Modern aqueducts may also use pipelines. Historically, agricultural societies have constructed aqueducts to irrigate crops and supply large cities with drinking water. Etymology The word ''aqueduct'' is derived from the Latin words (''water'') and (''led'' or ''guided''). Ancient aqueducts Although particularly associated with the Romans, aqueducts we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pierre-Paul Riquet
Stele in Toulouse Cathedral Pierre-Paul Riquet, Baron de Bonrepos (29 June 1609 (some sources say 1604) – 4 October 1680) was the engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi. Background Paul Riquet was born in Béziers, Hérault, France, the eldest son of solicitor, state prosecutor and businessman Guillaume Riquet. As a youth, Riquet was only interested in mathematics and science. He married Catherine de Milhau at age 19. As a '' fermier général'' ("farmer-general") of Languedoc-Roussillon, he was a tax farmer responsible for the collection and administration of the gabelle (salt tax) in Languedoc. He was appointed collector in 1630, and was also a munitions provider to the Catalan Army. Riquet became wealthy and was given permission by the King to levy his own taxes. This gave him greater wealth, which allowed him to execute grand projects with technical expertise. The Canal du Midi Riquet is the man responsible for building the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considered fundamental principles of liberal democracy, while phrases like ''liberté, égalité, fraternité'' reappeared in other revolts, such as the 1917 Russian Revolution, and inspired campaigns for the abolition of slavery and universal suffrage. The values and institutions it created dominate French politics to this day. Its causes are generally agreed to be a combination of social, political and economic factors, which the ''Ancien Régime'' proved unable to manage. In May 1789, widespread social distress led to the convocation of the Estates General, which was converted into a National Assembly in June. Continuing unrest culminated in the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July, which led to a series of radical measures by the Assembly, i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
René De La Croix De Castries
René de La Croix de Castries (; 1908 – 1986) was a French historian and a member of the House of Castries. He was the sixteenth member elected to occupy seat 2 of the Académie française in 1972. He wrote under the pen name ''Duc de Castries'', a courtesy title drawn from his family’s extinct dukedom. Biography Early life René de la Croix de Castries was born on 6 August 1908 in La Bastide-d'Engras, Gard, France. He grew up in a castle in Gaujac, Gard, and attended school in Nîmes and Versailles. He studied Political Science and Public Finance. Career He served in the Second World War. He was sent to Lebanon in 1939, and returned to France in 1940. He served as Mayor of Castries from 1941 to 1950. He moved to Paris in 1951. He gave lectures at the Cercle de l'Union interalliée, and served as Vice-President of the Société des gens de lettres in 1964. He was appointed to the Académie française on 4 May 1972, becoming the 35th Duke to join the institution. Personal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Académie Française
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and Skills, skill, north of Ancient Athens, Athens, Greece. Etymology The word comes from the ''Academy'' in ancient Greece, which derives from the Athenian hero, ''Akademos''. Outside the city walls of Athens, the Gymnasium (ancient Greece), gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning. The sacred space, dedicated to the goddess of wisdom, Athena, had formerly been an olive Grove (nature), grove, hence the expression "the groves of Academe". In these gardens, the philosopher Plato conversed with followers. Plato developed his sessions into a method of teaching philosophy and in 3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Institut De France
The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and châteaux open for visit. It also awards prizes and subsidies, which amounted to a total of over €27 million per year in 2017. Most of these prizes are awarded by the institute on the recommendation of the . History The building was originally constructed as the Collège des Quatre-Nations by Cardinal Mazarin, as a school for students from new provinces attached to France under Louis XIV. The inscription over the façade reads "JUL. MAZARIN S.R.E. CARD BASILICAM ET GYMNAS F.C.A M.D.C.LXI", attesting that Mazarin ordered its construction in 1661. The Institut de France was established on 25 October 1795, by the National Convention. On 1 January 2018, Xavier Darcos took ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
