presse file 2015 VESOUL, a town to discover or rediscover… Place du Palais de Justice “T’as voulu voir Vesoul, et tu as vu Vesoul.” Through the charm of a chorus and a song title of Jacques Brel, the prefecture town of the Haute-Saône became famous for French song lovers (and others!). Press contact: Marion HUMBAIRE 2 rue Gevrey – BP 90117 - 70002 VESOUL CEDEX – Tel. +33 (0)3 84 97 10 86 – E-mail. [email protected] – www.ot-vesoul.fr In Vesoul, private mansions of the 16th and 18th centuries remind prosperous times of the town history. A narrow pass or a largely opened porch can lead to a courtyard or a flowered garden, to a picturesque and unexpected detail. Strolling in shops, daydreaming on cafe terraces, walking in the English Garden where thousands of flowers will welcome visitors: beyond suspicion, this is the town of Vesoul that will surprise and charm walkers. The English Garden Table of contents • Summary p. 2 • Location and figures p. 3 • Vesoul in History p. 4 • 2014 news p. 5 • Architectural heritage p. 6-7 • Georges-Garret museum p.7 • Local towns p.8 • Natural heritage p. 9-10 • Cultural life p. 11 • Family tourism p.12 • Gastronomy and local products p. 13 • Accommodation and restaurants p. 14 • Leisure p. 15 • Practical information p. 16 2 VESOUL, location and figures ° Number of inhabitants in Vesoul: 15 637 ° Number of inhabitants in the Greater Vesoul: 32 865 for 20 towns ° Vesoul, prefecture city ° Department of the Haute-Saône ° Region of the Franche-Comté ° 3 hours far from Paris (SNCF line Paris-Belfort, TGV at Besançon Franche-Comté TGV) ° 45 min far from Besançon ° 1 hour far from Belfort ° 1h30 far from Dijon ° Aerodrome VESOUL 3 Vesoul in History La Motte The first houses of Vesoul sprung up on La Motte’s hillside shortly after the fort (or castrum vesulium, as it was called in that day) was built. The hillside afforded protection from the recurring floods on the plains below. The ramparts were built in the 13 th century. And the town’s fairs, merchants and lawyers built the reputation it came to enjoy... The end of the 15 th century brought ruin but the 16 th century saw prosperity return. It became an administrative centre and artisan hotspot – and one of the region’s top winemaking towns. The town was rebuilt around Saint Georges church. The handsome houses dating back to those days are rectangular and flanked by turrets housing the staircases. Their fine gothic cable mouldings, brackets and sculpted coats of arms still bear medieval hallmarks. And give them the charm you can enjoy today. The 18 th century saw the Haute-Saône’s economy and population thrive. Villages rebuilt their churches and public buildings. Vesoul boomed as it had never done before. Its population quadrupled and the town was transformed. The affluent bourgeoisie modernised the family homes or built new townhouses behind elegant symmetrical facades. They also widened the roads, built fountains and opened up squares. Two landmarks, Saint Georges church and the Palais de Justice (Law Courts) were built at that time. Vesoul’s 40 solicitors made it a prominent legal centre. Houses also sprung up outside its walls. The 19 th century saw Vesoul into the Industrial Age. The town grew and railway links put it at the centre of a major local and national network. Factories sprung up around the town centre and working-class suburbs followed. The centre of town, however, changed little. It was a quiet administrative and commercial town, and home to the 11 th fighter pilot regiment. It took pride in the peaceful quiet quality of life it afforded. Handsome Modern Style, Art Nouveau and Art Deco homes started appearing a stone’s throw from the town in 1900. The houses in Rue Gerôme and Rue du Docteur Doillon, and the building housing the Caisse d’Epargne bank branch today date back to that period. 4 2014 news - 11-18 February: Festival International du Film Asiatique - Middle of March: cavalcade - 14-17 March: Habitat Festival at the Parc des expositions - 12-13 April: Parade vénitienne - 20 April: the Foulées de la Motte, race of 5 375m in the center of the town with the climb of La Motte - 15 July to 12 September: summer season animated by the Tourist office, animations from Monday to Friday. Program available at the Tourist office - July: Cox party: Beetle gathering (every 2 years at the lake) - July: night markets on Friday evenings at Place Edwige Feuillère (city centre) and Monday evenings at the lake promenade - Early July: Harley Davidson gathering - 28 July to 3 August: Petanque week (national meeting organised by the USV Pétanque) at the Allées - 16-17 August: triathlon (by the lake) - 30 August: horse races at Coulevon - 13-14 September: world championship of side-car - 14-15 September: European days of heritage - 8-10 October: Industry Festival at the Parc des expositions - October: Jacques Brel Festival, French song festival - 14 September: 13th edition of « Courir pour des prunes » (“run for plums ») which allows to run with family and friends while participating in a humanitarian operation. More than 1 500 people ran in 2013 for this event organised by Vesoul Marathon - Middle of October: semi-marathon of Vesoul - 3rd week of October: animations for the Taste Week by the Tourist office, with a great market of flavours - 25 November: Saint Catherine Fair - Christmas: illuminations in the town - Year-round: several animations organised by the LPO (Bird Protection League) by the lake or at the natural reserve of the Sabot de Frotey-lès-Vesoul - Every Sunday afternoon: dances - 3rd Sunday of every month: second-hand shop on the place de la République - 1st Sunday of every month: old vehicles gathering organised by the Club Nostalgie 5 Architectural heritage Limestone is the most commonly used material in the buildings of Vesoul. A beige and blue limestone stands alongside a more ferruginous limestone, with redder tones. These stones are used to create solid, sober houses which are none the less elegant for that. Its history of having been destroyed several times before the 16 th century has led Vesoul to prefer solidity to fantasy. As if proof were needed, witness the Latin motto written over a doorway "Moderata durant" (that which is moderate lasts). There is also a considerable amount of wood in the buildings, most often in the backyards. From the 17 th century, the mullion windows give way to wide bay windows, letting more light into the interiors. These houses are protected by sometimes very steep roofs, often decorated with varnished tiles. Maison Cariage Hôtel Thomassin Hôtel Henrion de Magnoncourt The church of St George was built on the site of an ancient chapel with origins going back to the 11 th century. It is a fascinating example of religious architecture from the beginning of the 18 th century in Haute-Saône. Based on the model of the market-church, very much in vogue at the time, the internal vaults are all exactly the same height. 6 Animations offered by the Tourist office of the Vesoul area: During summer, the Tourist office in Vesoul offers: - guided tours of the old Vesoul, on Thursdays from 15 July to 15 September, at 4 pm. Meeting point Place Edwige Feuillère (4 euros/person), - heritage Tuesdays at 4 pm, - discovery Wednesdays in the local area, walks and discoveries in the Greater Vesoul, - nature Fridays, - local Tuesdays, with a tour and local products tasting, - themed guided tours in the old town, - night tours on Friday evenings, - a lot of walks and traditional and industrial discoveries throughout the summer. All year-round: - guided tours for groups, on demand, adapted in accordance to the public (disabilities, children…), - discovery rallies in the old town, in teams. Available in French, English or German. Georges-Garret Museum 1 rue des Ursulines. Tél. 03 84 76 51 54 Founded in 1882 and set up in the middle of the old Vesoul since 1981, the local museum exhibits fine arts and archaeology collections in a huge building from 1680 (Ursulines' convent), which conserved its original architecture. It presents, on two floors, fine arts (especially about the 19 th century) and archaeological (from prehistory to Middle Ages) collections. The room Beauchamp of Georges Garret museum also welcomes some temporary exhibitions. Jean-Léon GEROME (1824-1904): Did you know that Vesoul is the birthplace of a number of famous figures? In the field of art, Jean-Léon Gérôme, one of the leading painters of the 19 th century Academic movements, bequeathed the town a number of works, and the Georges Garret museum has an interesting collection. Open every day from 2 pm to 6 pm, except on Tuesdays and holidays. Free entry. 7 Discovery of local towns The area of Vesoul is composed of twenty picturesque towns where fountains, washhouses, calvaries, castles and churches can be admired: - Andelarre - Mont-le-Vernois - Andelarrot - Montigny-lès-Vesoul - Calmoutier - Navenne - Charmoille - Noidans-lès-Vesoul - Colombier - Pusey - Comberjon, - Pusy-Epenoux - Coulevon - Quincey - Chariez - Vaivre-et-Montoille - Echenoz-la-Méline - Villeparois - Frotey-lès-Vesoul - and many others… - Montcey Colombier 8 Natural heritage LA MOTTE (town centre): La Motte hill overlooks the verdant Durgeon Valley which has seen Vesoul grow over the centuries. A chapel, Notre Dame de la Motte, was built in 1857 to give thanks for the 1854 cholera epidemic sparing the town. One of additions to the hilltop’s amenities is a bronze viewpoint diagram by painter and sculptor Francis Panaget (1979). The view from the top of the hill spans the Vesoul plains, Vosges, Jura and even the Alps.