Capital of Light and Perfume PRESS RELEASE 2016 Shopping Leisure "Art de vivre" News and Accommodation Catering major events Visits OFFICE DE TOURISME DE CHARTRES CHARTRES TOURIST OFFICE Maison du Saumon 8, rue de la Poissonnerie - CS 10289 28008 Chartres Cedex - France Contact: Amélie PESCHARD Tel.: +33 (0)2 37 18 50 35 • Fax: +33 (0)2 37 21 51 91 E-Mail: [email protected] Welcome to Chartres Capital of Light and Perfume At the crossroads between Brittany, Normandy and castles of the Loire Valley, the two steeples of the Chartres Cathedral of our Lady rise majestically from the Beauce Plain like a mirage. The cathedral is an unrivalled medieval splendour, catching the attention of the beholder. Beneath its flying buttresses beats the pulse of the old town. Winding streets with fascinating names, lined with old houses, steps that lead you down to the lower town which is reflected in the waters of the Eure River… here you can lose yourself and yet find your way. The hustle of market stalls, the charm of a humpback bridge straddling the river, elegant facades, the colorful stained-glass windows of an old church, the wealth of the museums WELCOME WELCOME with their countless treasures, the magic of « Chartres light Show » (Chartres en Lumières) event which lights up the town, the passion of craftsmanship, the coolness of a terrace next to a watermill… here, all of your senses are aroused! Welcome to Chartres! DISCOVERING CHARTRES Identity Page 2 Chartres, Capital of Light Page 3 Chartres, Capital of Perfume Page 4 History Pages 5-6 Chartres Cathedral Pages 7-9 Chartres: a rich heritage Pages 10-11 Archaeology in Chartres Pages 12-13 Chartres: Experience the City Pages 14-15 Chartres: Curiosity Pages 16-17 « ART DE VIVRE », EXPERIENCE THE FRENCH WAY OF LIFE! Gastronomy (local delicacies) Pages 18-21 Chartres: arts and craftsmen workshops Pages 22-24 Well being in Chartres Page 25 ECONOMY SUMMARY SUMMARY The Cosmetic Valley Pages 26-27 Chartres: industry, shopping and agriculture Pages 28-30 PRACTICAL INFORMATION Events 2016 Pages 31-33 Accommodation and access Page 34 Press contacts and additional information Page 35 1 Identity POPULATION 39, 273 inhabitants (Chartrains, Chartraines). 60 % of the population are under 40’s; the same percentage applies to the working population. Mayor : Jean-Pierre GORGES. The urban area “Chartres Métropole” counts 47 urban districts with a population of 125 751 inhabitants. Media library TWIN TOWNS AND FRIENDSHIP PACTS Chartres is twinned with: Ravenna (Italy) since 1957 Speyer (Germany) since 1959 Chichester (Great Britain) since 1959 Bethleem (Palestine) since 1994 Evora (Portugal) since 2004 León (Spain) since 2009 Chartres has signed friendship pacts with: Sakuraï (Japan) in 1989 Cuzco (Peru) in 2002 Cooperation with: Luján (Argentina) Xi’an (China) Mysore (India) Place de l’Etape au VIn DID YOU KNOW? Around 1 300 000 tourists from DISCOVERING CHARTRES CHARTRES DISCOVERING all over the world, among them 300 000 pilgrims, visit Chartres each year. 2 Chartres light Show: A unique experience to live! A LITTLE FLASHBACK Since 2003, the city of Chartres, member of the international network of cities lights “LUCI” (Lighting Urban Community International), committed to the commission “Light and Tourism”, has become aware of the need to develop events around the Light which could gather locals and invite tourists to an unusual discovery of its entire heritage. "Lights of Chartres" has become one of the major events in the city, through its spectacular night tour, and reveals its monuments and major attractions highlighted and put in music, among them the Cathedral, the Fine Arts Museum, the historical districts, the banks of the Eure river, the media Library, the Theater... © Scénographie : Spectaculaires - Les Allumeurs d’Images NEWS IN 2016 From April 16th to October 8th – 13th Edition this year. April 16th: 4th Urban Trail by night September 17th: The Festival of Light: numerous animations with varied types will be organized: street art shows, plastical installations, interactive and participatory activities walking around with music, final show. New scenographies for the Fine Arts Museum (diocese garden facade (from April 16th), facade of honor (from June 21st), the theater and the Saint-Andrew Collegiate Church (from April 16th). For more information: Chartres Light Show official site: www.chartresenlumieres.com Stay connected and follow us on our Facebook® DID YOU KNOW? page « Chartres en Lumières », on Instagram® , Twitter® , Instagram® and Tumblr® . Every year, 300 projectors and video- Download « Chartres light show » (Chartres en projectors, distributed on different sites and 30 computers, dedicated to the control of the Lumières) application available on Google Play® or projectors, are used. Apple Store®. DISCOVERING CHARTRES CHARTRES DISCOVERING Share your moments ! #chartresenlumieres Dazzling! 3 Chartres: Capital of Perfume In the heart of the Cosmetic Valley, Chartres is home to world’s leading perfume and cosmetic manufacturers. The city is now in its magic scents and precious fragrances with "Autrica" the fragrance by Chartres. AUTRICA, THE FRAGRANCE BY CHARTRES Developed by « Créassence » and conditioned by « Cegedis », both members of the Cosmetic Valley, the fragrance by Chartres is revealed under the name of Autrica. Launched in June 1st 2012, this bottle design recalling the famous stained-glass windows of the cathedral and the inevitable blue of Chartres. It’s a promotional object which reflects all the dynamism and lifestyle of the destination. The fragrance meets a real success with the local public but also with visitors come from France and foreign country. Let you inebriate by a green and tonic departure, which remind the dynamism and the modernity of the floral heart, tenderly rose-coloured, realling the beauty and the elegance of the city. Autrica - bottle of 50ml, water perfume for women. On sale at the Tourist Office of Chartres at the price of €42. Some of Chartres Tourist Office partners also commercialize Autrica in their shops, don’t hesitate to ask us the full list of our retailers. For more information about the perfume in Chartres and especially the Cosmetic Valley: see on pages 27 and 28. DID YOU KNOW? The name of the perfume « Autrica » makes DISCOVERING CHARTRES CHARTRES DISCOVERING reference to the bright city of Chartres, born on the blanks of the river Autura, more than 2000 years ago and took the name of Autricum. 4 History of Chartres ANTIQUITY AND Sacked by the Normans, the town and the cathedral were given HIGH MIDDLE AGES new life by the donation of « Mary’s Veil », a holy relic, by During the period of the Gallic independence, a market/small Charles the Bald in 876. town was founded on the Autura (today’s Eure River): Aurikon, In 911, the Vicking chief Rollon besieged Chartres. The Holy Relic meaning « Port on the Eure ». The town would become a was placed upon the ramparts. The Vikings failed (in their siege) capital for the Carnutes, from whom Chartres derives its name. and beat a retreat. Shortly after, Rollon converted to Christianity. Under the Roman rule, Autricum became an important city and In Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, he signed a treaty with Charles III, king of th was the siege of a diocese at the end of the 4 century. France, granting him the entire crown territory of Normandy. MIDDLE AGES The Earldom of Chartres (also known as the Earldom of Chartres and Blois) reached its peak in the 10th century. Its most famous character undoubtedly remains Count Thibault "The Cheat" (950 to 978). Around 1000 A.D., during the time of Bishop Fulbert, Chartres became an intellectual and spiritual center whose reputation would spread throughout Europe, reaching its height in the 12th century. Several times devastated by fire, the Cathedral was rebuilt starting from 1194 on the old crypt constructed by Fulbert. In 1328, the Country of Chartres, which had been ruled for a long time over by the powerful Counts of Blois and Champagne, was brought within the royal dominion. After the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), Chartres suffered from numerous tragedies, including the Black Death in 1348. As a result, the town got consideraly smaller and the districts lying outside the town walls were abandoned. The war came to a provisional end with the Treaty of Brétigny (7 km from Chartres) signed on 8th May 1360 by the kings of England and France (Edward III et King John II "The Street « des Ecuyers » Good"). FROM THE FRENCH WARS OF RELIGION UNTIL THE 17TH CENTURY The wars of religion and everything that it involves stopped the city evolution. The town was besieged several times during this period (1568-1590). Following the Day of the Barricades (14 May 1588) when the Duke of Guise proclaimed himself King of Paris, Henry III found refuge in Chartres. On 27th February 1594, Henry IV was crowned King of France at Chartres: he was one of the few French kings not to be crowned in Reims. In the literary domain, three Chartres natives gained renown in the 16th and 17th centuries: the poets Philippe DISCOVERING CHARTRES CHARTRES DISCOVERING The coronation of Henry IV Desportes and Mathurin Régnier and the moralist Pierre Nicole. 5 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION The French Revolution would distinguish other Chartres natives: Brissot, leader of Gironde, Pétion, mayor of Paris, Chauveau-Lagarde, lawyer for Marie-Antoinette and Charlotte Corday, and, above all, General Marceau (general at the age of 24, killed at Altenkirchen in 1796 at the age of 27). In addition, it was in Chartres that Siéyès, at that time vicar general, wrote his famous pamphlet "What is the Third Estate?". On 19th May 1794, the cathedral was consecrated to the "cult of the supreme being". It was saved by Louis Sergent-Marceau, General Marceau's brother-in-law ("May it be forever protected from axe and hammer.