Thanks to my mother-in-law, Aurore and I got the chance visitingIssoudun and - among other sites - the museum mentioned above.
Aurore had earlier passed through this town but never visited it properly and this time it was in association with the organization Les Amis du Vieux-La Châtre (photo above), a local body trying to promote the interest for the town of La Châtre and Indre/Berry. We recently became members.The work within this organization is carried out through different foras and events and one also visit different sites in the region, considered having a historical and cultural value worth preserving and promoting. This day we visited the town of Issoudun and the Museum L'Hospice Saint-Roch.
The latter was a religious medical center or institution ("Hôtel-Dieu"/"Hostel of God") and convent or monastery (for men and women), founded during the 12th century and at first accomodating nuns and monks from the same order, pilgrims and beggars but gradually developing into a hospital for the sick and poor.
The fortunes enabling this work came from the taxes or customs duty the ruler of Issoudun - Raoul III - in 1206 gave them the right to demand from each and every wagon coming into town ("le droit de prendre une bûche par charroi qui entre dans Issoudun"). These taxes and gifts constituted the basic fortune of the institution.
Fearing not being buried under religious forms, the sovereign (Raoul III), had to establish a testament in which all of or part of his riches would be donated to the church, in exchange for eternal salvation.
Before the French Revolution "l'Hospice d'Issoudun" had become a very rich institution, considered as one of the most important ones in the 'county' of Berry nursing the sick and poor but also assuming responsibility for children left at the institution by parents to poor to take care of their offspring.
Through a decision by the municipality in 1864, a museum displaying the history of Issoudun, was created.
First it was located to the mayoral building but in 1908 it was moved to the old presbyteri of the Saint-Cyr church. When this building, during WWII was bombed (18th of June 1940), the museum reopened in the current premises in 1966.
The museum not only displays ancient historical artifacts from Issoudun but also other interesting cultural items from France but also Africa and other parts of the world.
Contemporary artists are also displayed, this time - among others - the Norwegian artist Anna-Eva Bergman (Exposition Anna-Eva Bergman en français).
The entrance is free if charge!
After this we went to Château de Frapesle (information in French through the link) where the current owner, Monsieur Luneau, told us about this property, once bought by Rémy Tourangin, whos dauther, Zulma Carraud, became a close friend of Honoré de Balzac. This lead to that Balzac spent some time during the summers in this house and there writing some of his well known novels.
Later on we continued with a guided tour around the town and among other sites, we visited "La Tour Blanch" ("The White Tower"), a defence tower built in 1198 by Richard the Lionheart, at the time when this part of the town in fact was in the hands of the English.
Not long though, as it was regained by the French in the beginning of the 13th century.
No enemies has ever succeeded in conquer and invade this tower.
Within the walls of this fortress/prison one can find graffiti from prisoners, and from the motives one can see that there have been both Jewish and Muslim prisoners confined in this tower.
On the top of the tower, there were a free space where one had a lovely panorama over the city (below). In this photo one can see one of the churches in town and the red and white wooden house being the most ancient house in town, built during late 15th century and today housing the Tourist Office.
(Photo of Les Amis du Vieux-La Châtre copied from: http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/indre/ACTUALITE/Infos-Departementales/Les-Amis-du-Vieux-La-Chatre-visitent-la-ville)
The latter was a religious medical center or institution ("Hôtel-Dieu"/"Hostel of God") and convent or monastery (for men and women), founded during the 12th century and at first accomodating nuns and monks from the same order, pilgrims and beggars but gradually developing into a hospital for the sick and poor.
The fortunes enabling this work came from the taxes or customs duty the ruler of Issoudun - Raoul III - in 1206 gave them the right to demand from each and every wagon coming into town ("le droit de prendre une bûche par charroi qui entre dans Issoudun"). These taxes and gifts constituted the basic fortune of the institution.Fearing not being buried under religious forms, the sovereign (Raoul III), had to establish a testament in which all of or part of his riches would be donated to the church, in exchange for eternal salvation.
Before the French Revolution "l'Hospice d'Issoudun" had become a very rich institution, considered as one of the most important ones in the 'county' of Berry nursing the sick and poor but also assuming responsibility for children left at the institution by parents to poor to take care of their offspring.
Through a decision by the municipality in 1864, a museum displaying the history of Issoudun, was created.
First it was located to the mayoral building but in 1908 it was moved to the old presbyteri of the Saint-Cyr church. When this building, during WWII was bombed (18th of June 1940), the museum reopened in the current premises in 1966.
The museum not only displays ancient historical artifacts from Issoudun but also other interesting cultural items from France but also Africa and other parts of the world.Contemporary artists are also displayed, this time - among others - the Norwegian artist Anna-Eva Bergman (Exposition Anna-Eva Bergman en français).
The entrance is free if charge!
After this we went to Château de Frapesle (information in French through the link) where the current owner, Monsieur Luneau, told us about this property, once bought by Rémy Tourangin, whos dauther, Zulma Carraud, became a close friend of Honoré de Balzac. This lead to that Balzac spent some time during the summers in this house and there writing some of his well known novels.
Later on we continued with a guided tour around the town and among other sites, we visited "La Tour Blanch" ("The White Tower"), a defence tower built in 1198 by Richard the Lionheart, at the time when this part of the town in fact was in the hands of the English.
Not long though, as it was regained by the French in the beginning of the 13th century.
No enemies has ever succeeded in conquer and invade this tower.
Within the walls of this fortress/prison one can find graffiti from prisoners, and from the motives one can see that there have been both Jewish and Muslim prisoners confined in this tower.
On the top of the tower, there were a free space where one had a lovely panorama over the city (below). In this photo one can see one of the churches in town and the red and white wooden house being the most ancient house in town, built during late 15th century and today housing the Tourist Office.
(Photo of Les Amis du Vieux-La Châtre copied from: http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/indre/ACTUALITE/Infos-Departementales/Les-Amis-du-Vieux-La-Chatre-visitent-la-ville)
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