Louise de la Vallière, Reugny
A member of the la Baume le Blanc family which owned Château La Vallière in Reugny, Françoise Louise was born in 1644 and was Louis XIV’s first official mistress from 1661 until Madame de Montespan came on to the scene in 1667. A faithful lover to the Sun King, by whom she had four children, Louise became Duchess of la Vallière and Vaujours and seems to have been a sensitive, respectful, devoted and pious royal mistress. She retired to a convent after leaving the court and died in 1710.
Honoré de Balzac
The famous 19th-century French author Honoré de Balzac was a native ofTouraine and left his mark on Vouvrayby setting the scene of his novel “L’Illustre Gaudissart” there – so much so, in fact, that the bust of this fictional commercial traveller still adorns Place Vavasseur. Indre-et-Loire’s commercial travellersdecided to make the character their guiding light and erect a monument to his memory. With the cooperation of the mayor of the day, Mr Vavasseur, a statue was therefore commissioned from the Tours sculptor Camille Garand, and was inaugurated on 15 September 1934. For an extract from “L’Illustre Gaudissart”, follow this link: http://argov.perso.sfr.fr/bal/gaudi.htm. Honoré de Balzac also depicted the Grange de Meslay in his novel “L’Excommunié”.
Jules Antoine Baric
The 19th-century illustrator and caricaturist Jules Antoine Baric (1825-1905) is known for his illustrations appearing in the satirical newspapers of his day, in his anthology “Nos Paysans” and in a number of Maupassant’s novels. His works bear witness to the morals, events and fashions of the second half of the 19th century. He lived in Monnaie from 1881 to 1905, at the famous “Maison Baric”.
Charles Bordes:
Born Rochecorbon 1863, died Toulon 1909. He is buried in the family tomb in Vouvray cemetery.
A talented composer, he founded the SCHOLA CANTORUM in 1894, in partnership with Vincent d’Indy.
The Schola Cantorum was a society devoted to reviving early sacred music.
The Schola Cantorum is a music school that still exists today, located in rue Saint Jacques, Paris.
A monument to Charles Bordes was inaugurated in 1923 and stands in front of Vouvray church.
Emile Delahaye, Vouvray
Émile Delahaye was born in Tours on 16 October. A talented engineer, he took over the Tours company Brethon, a manufacturer of farm machinery and tools, and diversified its activities by creating a department specialising in steam machines and gas engines, and later in petrol engines and in pumps. Delahaye is famous for having designed and manufactured the first 100% French automobile, chassis, bodywork and engine – the celebrated “Delahaye Type 1”.
He retired to his property “La Roche Fleurie" in Vouvray, not far from Tours, and died on 1 June 1905. He was buried in Vouvray in the family funeral chapel, with a large crowd in attendance. Surviving Delahaye cars are among the most sought-after exhibits in today’s automobile museums.
Eve Lavallière, Chanceaux-Sur-Choisille
A great and wealthy actress during the Belle Epoque, performing alongside the famous Mistinguette in the Variétés troop, Eve Lavallière was born in 1866 and, after a triumphant career in Paris, made her home at Château de la Choisille, formerly known as “La Porcherie”, in the 1920s.
Charles Spiessert and the Pinder Circus, Chanceaux-sur-Choisille and Monnaie
Charles Spiessert took over ownership of the Pinder Circus in 1928 and is famed for mounting almost 50 years’ worth of breathtaking shows including his cavalcades, menagerie of animals and renowned processions of motorised floats. He and his family lived at Château de Choisille, formerly known as “La Porcherie”, from 1932 onwards. He became Mayor of Chanceaux in 1962 and died in 1971. The hangers for storing his floats during the winter were located in Monnaie.
Weather
