You’ll often see an indication posted on the door: Images Forbidden. Sadly, there are a variety of French websites the place no photographs are allowed inside and it’s a disgrace, particularly when the place is outstanding and distinctive. I prefer to share photographs in my posts as they assist talk why I feel the place is particular. So for this put up, I’ll present photographs of the skin of 6 locations in France which might be price visiting and clarify what’s so particular inside.
Why Is Images Not Allowed In Some French Websites?
Some French websites, whether or not they be museums, church buildings, or caves, have their causes for prohibiting pictures or filming. You will notice the “forbidden to take photographs” signal or “Interdit de photographier” or “Défense de filmer”, so don’t attempt taking photographs or movies. Their causes for not permitting pictures embody:
1. Preservation: for instance, to guard cave work from environmental air pollution. As we speak, our breath, carbon monoxide, the oil and grime from our palms, and the fixed visitors by way of the caves could be dangerous to the work and construction.
2. Copyright Protections: to make sure the artist (or the one who purchases a copyright license) has the unique rights to supply, reproduce, promote, or license a creation. This is applicable notably to trendy works the place the copyright lasts 70 years.
3. Monetary: to earn earnings for the location, typically the one place to get a photograph is within the reward store. They’ve a monopoly on the promoting of reproductions, photographs, posters, postcards, and so forth. and it helps to maintain the gathering maintained and funded.
4. Customer Expertise: it’s essential to maintain the guests shifting by way of an exhibit, particularly in small areas like a chapel.
5. Spiritual Causes: a church or chapel is a spot of worship the place folks go to wish and the very last thing they want is to be interrupted by the sound of digital camera shutters and crowds. So, some locations institute a ban on pictures
6 French Websites The place No Images Are Allowed
Listed here are 6 locations I’ve been to the place I solely have photographs of the skin, not the within. I do know there are others who break the principles and take photographs, however I can’t and didn’t. I respect and observe the principles which were set and hopefully I’ll have the ability to clarify how great every place is to go to.
1. Matisse’s Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence (Vence)
One of many star points of interest in Vence, within the south of France, is the Chapelle du Rosaire (Rosary Chapel). Henri Matisse (1869-1954) helped the Dominican sisters construct a chapel and the stained glass home windows that he designed are famend. The Chapelle du Rosaire is also called the Matisse Chapel, Vence.
Matisse’s reference to the Dominican order occurred as a result of Matisse had main surgical procedure in Good. His night time nurse was Monique Bourgeois who finally grew to become Sister Jacques-Marie and joined the Dominican Order. That they had a particular friendship and it to thank his nurse, he designed the chapel. It took 4 years and was accomplished in 1951.
There are a couple of rooms that showcase his drawings however the actual attraction is the chapel room with the stained glass home windows (one is a picture of Saint Dominic) and a few summary murals that Matisse did. When the sunshine is streaming by way of the home windows all the colors (yellow, inexperienced, and blue) are highlighted and it’s really stunning.
Images are usually not allowed at Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence. I’d think about it is because of the truth that it’s a non secular, spiritual place that could be a place of worship. It’s a chapel, in spite of everything. The distraction of holiday makers taking photographs would intrude with those that are praying. Plus, the Order does earn cash from the sale of posters, postcards, and different souvenirs.
Exterior, there are two summary drawings by Matisse, one above the chapel window and one above one of many doorways. However with out the signal out entrance indicating that the straightforward, white constructing was the chapel adorned by Matisse, you wouldn’t even comprehend it was there or so important. The terrace on the again has wonderful views overlooking the city.
Not solely did Matisse design the chapel, however he additionally designed the monks’ vestments in vivid colors of crimson, inexperienced, black, purple, and rose, and lots of are on show. The reward store is run by the nuns of the Dominican.
Tackle: 466 avenue Henri Matisse, Vence
2. Chapelle Saint-Pierre des Pecheurs (VIllefranche-sur-Mer)
After I visited Villefranche-sur-Mer, I walked alongside the port and on the marina, I stumbled on a well-known church, La Chapelle Saint-Pierre. Why so well-known? The inside had been completely adorned by filmmaker, poet, and artist, Jean Cocteau (1889-1963).
Cocteau lived on the Resort Welcome (simply across the nook) in 1925-1926. The resort faces the ocean and the Chapel Saint-Pierre. He returned to Villefranche-sur-Mer in 1956 to color this very small chapel. Cocteau’s frescoes, murals, trompe l’oeil, and chalk drawings are on the partitions and ceiling. They depict Mediterranean life and the story of Saint Pierre, the Patron Saint of fishermen and this is the reason the chapel is also called La Chapelle Saint-Pierre des Pecheurs.
His work and drawings are devoted to the fishermen and are primarily completed in blue and ocher, very similar to those completed within the Salle de Marriage, situated on the Resort de Ville in Menton (the place you may take images.
There’s a 3 € entrance charge and proceeds from it and the sale of postcards are given to the “Prud’hommie des Pecheurs”, the fisherman’s affiliation. The cash helps the fishermen and their households. It’s a nominal quantity to see some stunning artwork and is price a detour. Images in Chapelle Saint-Pierre des Pecheurs, are forbidden.
Tackle: 4 Quai de l’Amiral Courbet, Villefranche-sur-Mer
3. Maison de la Photograph (Villeneuve d’Aveyron)
Jean-Marie Périer photographed an unbelievable variety of well-known singers, bands, and entertainers from France and world wide within the sixties and seventies-the period of rock ’n roll and the British Invasion. A big assortment of his celebrated photographs are on show at La Maison de la Photograph (also called Galerie Jean-Marie Périer) within the very small city of Villeneuve d’Aveyron. Had somebody not instructed me about this place, I’d have by no means recognized about it. I did an tour to this city from my base in Rodez.
There are a variety of rooms that you simply stroll by way of to see the gathering of photographs…photographs of French singers like Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, American singers like Bob Dylan and James Brown, and lots of different celebrities. There are additionally photographs of bands just like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. These are completely beautiful photographs with vivid colors (as was the case in that period—-think, “flower energy”).
I want I may present you the photographs; nevertheless, I revered the rule that no nonetheless or video pictures was allowed inside Maison de la Photograph for copyright causes. They do promote books about Périer’s work, postcards, and posters. I used to be allowed to take photographs within the store, which is in the principle foyer.
I used to be torn as to what to purchase and determined to buy a poster of French singer, Francoise Hardy as a result of it had particular which means to me, or really to my niece. When my niece obtained married, she walked down the aisle to one in all Hardy’s most well-known songs, “Le Temps de l’Amour”. The picture can also be symbolic of the Nineteen Sixties, when Hardy is sporting a Paco Rabanne costume. I imagine it’s made from metallic.
There’s a nominal entrance charge of 4 € and the girl on the entrance desk was very pleasant however solely speaks French.
Tackle: Pl. des Conques, Villeneuve D’Aveyron
4. Château des Milandes (Castelnaud-la-Chapelle)
Château des Milandes was the house to American singer Josephine Baker within the late Nineteen Thirties to the Nineteen Sixties. She was so in debt that she was pressured to promote it in 1968. As I wrote on this put up about Baker, “Josephine Baker’s Château des Milandes And Her Loopy Banana Skirt” [LINK], she was fairly a outstanding lady who was rather more than simply an entertainer.
The chateau is now owned by the Labarre household and the outside remains to be within the fashion of the fifteenth century when it was constructed. The inside highlights Baker’s life and is fantastically adorned within the Artwork Deco fashion. This era of the design was well-liked within the Twenties and Nineteen Thirties and this was the interval when Baker was particularly well-liked and recognized for singing and dancing in a banana skirt.
A stroll by way of the château is a stroll by way of Baker’s life, with memorabilia from her leisure days when she was a singer and dancer in France. In addition to elevating 12 adopted kids from world wide, right here “rainbow tribe”, she additionally frolicked as a spy in World Struggle I for the French Resistance and in later years was a civil rights activist who marched with Martin Luther King.
It was fascinating studying about Baker and I’ve a lot respect for what she did in her life. Though I loved wandering by way of the grounds and watching the birds of prey present, my principal disappointment was that I used to be unable to take any photographs or movies contained in the château. My understanding is that photographs are prohibited inside resulting from copyright and like Maison de la Photograph, earns some earnings from the sale of photographs/postcards.
Tackle: 24250 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
5. Prehistoric Cave: Font de Gaume (Les Eyzies)
6. Prehistoric Cave: Grotte des Combarelles (Les Eyzies)
I grouped Font de Gaume and Grotte des Combarelles collectively as a result of they each prohibit any pictures or filming contained in the caves. They’re additionally each situated within the Vézère Valley of the Dordogne division. I spent two great weeks within the area and visiting caves is among the enjoyable issues to do within the space. Try the various kinds of caves you may go to right here.
What makes these caves so distinctive is that neither are reproductions. They’re the actual factor and the caves return 12,000 to 17,000 years. I used to be instructed throughout my excursions that guests, even from the center ages, would put graffiti on the partitions, so these caves have been uncovered to hundreds of years of “environmental air pollution”.
So why is pictures not allowed in “actual” prehistoric caves? I’d think about that it has to do with the results of lighting and visitors circulate—-ensuring the quick expertise inside is perfect the place guests don’t get lost (to take photographs).
Clearly, these caves are very darkish and utilizing a excessive ISO would produce low-quality photos. One would wish to make use of a flash (unhealthy for the work) or a tripod to make sure there’s much less noise. However having tripods in a “dwelling” cave can be cumbersome and probably damaging to the inside. It may be a copyright problem, the place folks would promote photographs of the cave work. Upon getting into Font de Gaume and Grotte des Combarelles, we positioned our knapsacks and purses in a locked cabinet.
In an effort to protect prehistoric artifacts and cave artwork, there are strict limits on the variety of guests allowed into the caves every day. I bought tickets to each caves (as they’re solely 2 kilometres aside) and I had an English-speaking information for Font de Gaume. The tour lasted about 1 hour and was very fascinating. I felt very fortunate to have gotten a ticket as a result of, on the time, you needed to line up early and solely a sure quantity (7) have been bought for the day. Publish-Covid, tickets can solely be bought on-line. To study extra about Font de Gaume, take a look at my put up right here.
Font de Gaume Tackle: 1-4 Av. des Grottes, 24620 Les Eyzies
Grotte des Combarelles Tackle: 24620 Les Eyzies
Have you ever been to any French websites the place photographs are usually not allowed however needs to be visited? Please share.
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