Southern Seine & Marne section of "The Scandibérique" – from Bois-le-Roi to Souppes-sur-Loing

A building that is particularly well conserved from the second half of the 12th century, the Nemours chateau has escaped several demolition projects.Originally the main part of the defences of the medieval city, it was transformed in the 15th century by the Duke of Armagnac then in the 17th century by the Duke of Orleans. Finally, and the beginning of the 20th century, a group of local artists led by Justin-Chrysostome Sanson (1833 – 1910) started the restoration of the old chateau. Reorganised from 1972, the collections include pieces of Gallo-Roman and Merovingian archaeology, sculptures and religious works and examples of popular arts and traditions. A particular place has been set aside for everywhere from the revolutionary period, nineteenth century paintings and sculptures and twentieth century stamps.

This famous place of pilgrimage celebrates the memory of Saint Mathurin, who was born here in the third century.His family was pagan, but when he converted to Christianity he instructed his parents and soon gained a great reputation of great saintliness. At that time it was rumoured that the Roman Emperor’s daughter Theodora was possessed of a devil that declared it would only leave her if Saint Mathurin intervened. The Saint was therefore ordered to go to Rome, where he healed the Emperor’s daughter but then died. His body was brought back and laid in a chapel at Larchant, where it was venerated by many visitors. Saint Mathurin was invoked for healing of the mad, and this pilgrimage became one of the most famous in France in the Middle Ages, especially as it was also on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Six kings of France made the pilgrimage to Larchant: Charles IV, Louis XI, Charles VIII, François I twice, Henri II and Henri III. Today’s pilgrimage takes place every year at Whitsuntide. The church as it is today was built from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. It had barely been completed when an extraordinary series of catastrophes befell it. It burned twice, struck by lightning in 1490 and again in 1568 during the Wars of Religion. Pillaging and hurricanes added to the list of its miseries, the ultimate disaster being the collapse of the tower in 1675. The Last Judgement door, with its vivid imagery dating from the thirteenth century, gives access to the ruined part of the nave. Access today is by the south door of the transept. Only the choir, the apse and the chapel of the Virgin have kept their roof vaults. The two levels of windows in the apse give it a harmony accentuated by the slim columns set out from the walls. The luminosity of this huge vessel as it must have been when the 46 windows lit it can easily be imagined.

Located in the south of the Seine-et-Marne near the forest of Fontainebleau and its most beautiful climbing sites, Larchant, a village of the Parc Naturel du Gâtinais Français, makes the delight of lovers of nature and heritage.

Open to the public since 1981, the museum shows the prehistory of the Paris region in a building by the architect Roland Simounet.Opening up onto a wooded park and a rocky massif, the rooms are organised around for interior gardens that reconstitute the flora of the quartenary period in the Ile de France. This museum, which was recently listed as a "Historical Monument of the 20th Century", presents the Prehistory and the Protohistory of the Paris region, from the appearance of man to Gallo-Roman times. There are two possible visits. The first circuit, for educational visits, presents the daily life of Palaeolithic age hunters, farmers and breeders in the Neolithic period and then an introduction to bronze and iron metalworking. The circuit can then be completed with a second one dedicated to archaeological sites, stratigraphic geology and comparative typology of tools. A 20 minutes audio-visual presentation is made in interaction with the Pincevent archaeological ground moulding. Guided tours and workshops available for school groups daily except Wednesdays: learning to use tools, fire, throwing sticks. Themed workshops for single-class school groups: themes: habitat, food, fire, and tools. Special programmes scheduled on events days.

What we see today is just a remaining of the origins, monks had to face hard times, wars and realms adversities.Burned by fire, stolen by bandits, ruined during the French Revolution, during centuries the abbey has been refurbished several times. During the reign of Philippe Auguste end of the 12th century, was a main point changing the abbey giving it its aspect of fortress still remaining today. The convent building is linked to its rocky ridge its wide façade towards the valley is supported by mighty bases and buttresses, a round tower, containing a staircase, is protection towards the valley and possible invaders. Later, other centuries, 15th and 16th , left traces of architectures periods of refurbishments. Until the French Revolution, the Augustin monks order stayed here before the abbey was sold as a national good and partially destroyed or transformed into accommodations for residents. Hundred years latter the Ouvré family became owner of the abbey. One of their family members donated the building to the Seine-et-Marne Department in order to use it for elder poor people use since 1892. Today the abbey is a nursing home. There is no inside visit possible to discover the architecture but the park is open to visitors.

La Gâtine was born in the year 2000. We have been farmers for generations and our beers are produced with the barley from our farms, hence our slogan "From Barley Fields to Beer".Our beers are traditional, rich in malt, unfiltered and unpasteurised. The top fermentation, characteristic of old-fashioned brewing, releases the aromas of the Gâtine. It perfects its bouquet thanks to refermentation in the bottle. Gâtine is a light and easily digestible beer on its lees. The yeast at the bottom of the bottle is a symbol of quality. We offer a wide range of beers: - White - Blonde - Amber - Brown - IPA - Christmas They are all available in 33 cl, 75 cl and, for the more demanding, in 5 litre mini kegs. We offer the rental of beer pumps with 20 litre kegs in white, blonde or amber for all your events (weddings, birthdays, festivals, etc.) We produce various beer boxes in 33 cl, 75 cl and trays filled with products from our fellow producers in the Gâtinais, here everything is local! We also produce gastronomic vinegar made from our beers. It goes wonderfully with the most delicate dishes in sauce, deglazing and also on your oysters. Orders, deliveries. Taste tour in October Shop at the farm open by appointment at 06.71.92.98.23 Facebook and instagram : biere la gatine Translated with www.deepl.com/translator (free version)

Château-Landon: the historical capital of the Gâtinais regionLocated in the south of the Seine-et-Marne department, Château-Landon is a surprising village, built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the green valley of the Fusain river, which has earned it the nickname of "Rocamadour" of the Gâtinais. The presence of an exceptional religious and civil heritage demonstrates the prosperity of the city since the 12th century. Château-Landon was indeed a place of passage impossible to circumvent because of its proximity with Provins, and its famous fairs. Strolling through Château-Landon is like strolling through history... As you stroll through the narrow streets, you will discover the ramparts, the 17 wash houses and you will no doubt imagine the life of the people of Châteaulandon in the days of the washerwomen... Yes, Château-Landon is undoubtedly a village of character, an unexpected interlude that is well worth a small detour... Its history : Once the capital of the Counts of Gâtinais, it was given to the king of France in 1068 by Foulques IV le Réchin. Then, it became a royal residence: Louis VI, Louis VII, Philippe Auguste stayed there regularly. Thus, since the 6th century, it has been renowned as a religious and pilgrimage site. According to the legend, a monk named Séverin, who came from Switzerland, miraculously cured Clovis (1st Christian Frankish king), before coming here to die around the year 511. It was to honor his memory that Childebert I, the third son of Clovis, had a first basilica built around 545, which would become the great royal abbey of Saint-Séverin over the centuries. It is for this reason that many people came from far and wide to venerate the relics of the Saint. Thus, thanks to its powerful abbey richly maintained by the kings of France and the popes, the city will become a very important religious center with its 17 buildings including 4 monasteries and priories. Cradle of the Plantagenet lineage... The son of Count Foulques IV, the Rechin, Foulques V, Count of Château-Landon, became the first king of the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem after the Crusades. His son Geoffroy married Matilda of England and became the head of a famous royal lineage, the "Plantagenets", which ruled England from 1154 to 1485. It is this Geoffrey who slipped a small branch of broom to his chief cover, hence the name "Plantagenet" which will make the fame of the family. A draping city... In a royal charter dating from 1381, the city is listed among the 17 "draping" cities of the kingdom. Today, we can find traces of 17 mills along the small river of Fusain, flowing at the foot of the city where the wool was spun. The city produced, in particular, "tabards", large woolen coats, whose memory arises through the name of the park of the "Tabarderie", a green space and leisure bordering the Fusain. Discovery tour of the medieval city of Château-Landon... NEW "Valorization of the heritage of Château-Landon" in Gâtinais Val-de-Loing. Come to discover the 12 tourist panels and the orientation table which decorate the discovery circuit of the medieval city of Château-Landon of 3 km. Installed recently, this set of panels aims to better inform the visitor and guide him through a brief reminder of the history of the site concerned, accompanied by visuals, plans or archive images. All you have to do now is to walk along its streets and paths to see the many treasures that the city has to offer. The little extra! If you walk along the towpath of the Scandiberique (EV3), along the Canal du Loing, you will discover a thirteenth panel telling the story of the canal bridge in Néronville.

Located on the plateau overlooking the Loing valley, here is a charming village in the middle of the plains and woods.The village grew from the 4th century thanks to easily exploitable iron mines that allowed the development of a flourishing industry. Similarly, its location at the crossroads of several ancient Roman roads makes Egreville an important stop, especially thanks to its fairs and markets. But also, with the passage of the many pilgrims who criss-cross the region and find the cottage and the canopy. For this reason, the governor of Castle Landon acquired the estate at the beginning of the sixteenth century and became the first lord of Egreville. First, he built the first chapel of Saint-Martin and a castle around which the village developed. Then, on the order of Saint-Louis, the village was fortified in the 13th century. The village suffered some damage during the hundred-year war. Then, in the sixteenth century, François the first offers the fief to his mistress, Anne of Pisseleu, Duchess of Etampes. The latter, together with her heirs, undertook important restorations and constructions. They will also prosper the village. Witness to the importance of the markets in the villages of Gâtinais since the Middle Ages, Egreville forms a beautiful ensemble with its old houses massed around its hall of the sixteenth century and the large bell tower of its church which also has superb stained glass windows. Moreover, with its magnificent and robust framework and its sloping roof, the old hall surprises with its undeniable beauty. Every year, before the Christmas holidays, she comes to life with a major fat poultry fair.

Situated close to Montereau-Fault-Yonne the 12th century village of Flagy is crossed by the Orvanne creek and forms an enchanting setting.A real nice and romantic feeling gets you as you stroll over the place. Numerous bridges go over the Orvanne. The local church has on its turret top the head of a pig legend has it that the village’s inhabitants refused help to their neighbour village during the great plague of pestilence in the 15th century and the bishop condemned the village not to have a simple weathercock but also a pig head as symbol on the church turret it spins according to the wind directions. A stroll in this village is worth your time.

This open-air museum refurbished by the Departement Council is the setting for 56 bronze sculptures.The garden restoration was directed by the architect-landscaper, Françoise Phiquepal. The landscaping for the estate designed by Michel Dufet between 1966 and 1985 has been totally recreated under this restoration project. The paths and beds have been retraced accurately, terraces and borders have been consolidated, many trees and shrubs have been replaced to create a pleasing balance between the sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) and the plantings that serve as a their showcase. The flowering of the beds will put the finishing touches on the rebirth of this magnificent garden in late Spring. These iridescent plants form the backdrop for the public to discover or rediscover the work of the sculptor, Antoine Bourdelle; Michel Dufet and the artist's daughter, Rhoda Bourdelle, have been seeking to make it known for many years. Have worked on creating the first Bourdelle museum in the sculptor's former studio in the Montparnasse district of Paris, they embarked on achieving a true open-air museum on the Egreville property. All the sculptures have been placed and set off by space, light and the colour of the surrounding plant life. The viewpoints on the works become some of the most spectacular, with the most sheltered locations reserved for the most intimate sculptures. All together they represent a varied route that is ideal for understanding the diversity of the sculptor's works, his most celebrated creations like Hercules the Archer, the Dying Centaur and the equestrian statue of General Alvear. Works from his youth still influenced by Rodin's artistry or moving portraits of his contemporaries and the masters he admired like Beethoven, Daumier and Carpeaux are also exhibited. Michel Dufet and his wife Rhodia, Antoine Bourdelle’s daughter, between 1966 and 1969, built the property of the Bourdelle Garden Museum in Egreville. They acquired several plots of land together making up close to 7,000 m2 and a selection of agricultural buildings standing on them. Immediately after the acquisition of the land in 1966, Michel Dufet started on laying out the garden and converting the buildings. Several old trees were kept in the garden, designed around a complex, very organised layout of lawns and beds bordered by neat box hedges, brightened up with annual or perennial plants with the dominant colours varying from season to season. Groups of conifers were planted to structure the space, whilst curtains of poplars or planted hedges screened off the vistas towards the outside. This creation inspired by traditional French-style parks and gardens from the art deco era appears to be the only work by Michel Dufet in this field. The garden is the setting for a collection of 56 bronze sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle, which were introduced gradually between 1967 and the early 1980s. They are original bronzes* (*Limited number of copies in bronze eight maximum + four non-commercial artist's copies), in the main created specially to be exhibited in this place. Although some bronzes were moved to make way for new works, it would appear that overall the position of each sculpture was decided very carefully, based more on the decorative impact of each bronze than with respect to a didactic presentation of Bourdelle's work. The majority of Bourdelle's major works can be found in the garden, including, to name just a few of the most famous, Hercules the Archer, the Dying Centaur, the bas relief of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the equestrian statue of General Alvear, surrounded by his four allegorical figures. Michel Dufet and his wife Rhodia intended with this garden project to create an open-air counterpoint to the Bourdelle Museum in Paris that they themselves had crafted a few decades previously. Presenting the sculptures in the open air, in a strictly-ordered plant setting playing with colours and the organisation of space, is ideal for appreciating all the vigour of Bourdelle's art, which Michel Dufet wished to heighten with an original landscaping creation.

The Royal Square, the City Walls, the 12th century Keep are proud of their medieval origins and shape the architecture of the old city.Though most of the 1356 meters of walls and the twenty towers have disappeared over the years, the two gateways, Porte de Bourgogne and Porte de Samois, magnificently attest its medieval past. The majesty of the gates, the bridge and the banks of the River Loing as that of the Church Notre-Dame make Moret an exceptional site for history enthusiasts, dedicated walkers and painters. While strolling through the centre of town, you will discover superb Renaissance façades, the House of the Barley Sugar, a speciality of the nuns of Moret-sur-Loing since the 17th century or even the house and tomb of Alfred Sisley, the “Moret Impressionist”, who was the first to capture the majesty of light over the city. Numerous tourists come and see the sites painted by Sisley and these sites have been preserved: the Bridge over the Loing, immortalized by the painter ,the Church Notre Dame, the dominating Keep, the towpaths…To those who come from town or villages nearby, come and enjoy a guided tour and don’t hesitate to wander in the narrow streets or along the banks of the river, before enjoying a meal at one of the best restaurants in town. Enjoy rowing a boat or have a walk, canoe down the river, reach Moret by boat, arriving at the port of call. The “Point Sisley”, the Local Museum, the Bicycle Museum will welcome you. And don’t forget the Festivals! The heart of Moret keeps beating.

The Moret Nuns Barley Sugar has been well-known and appreciated for more than 300 years, It was originally made by the Benedictine nuns who, in 1638, founded a house in Moret, under the name of the Priory of Our Lady of Angels.This sweet, unique in its own way, was the delight of the most important people who carried of large quantities when the Court came to Moret. After having prospered under Louis XIV and gone through a period of glory until 1758, the monastery when through a number of ups and downs and disappeared in 1792. Production also stopped during the Revolution and even the secret recipe seemed to have disappeared forever, washed away with the nuns by the revolutionary tide. Luckily, after the bad days, a nun from the former Moret priory, Sister Felicity, came back with her secret to live in the Moret-sur-Loing region. Before dying, she confided the secret recipe to a faithful friend. Later, when other nuns came to live in Moret, the pious confident, in compliance with the recommendations of the deceased nun, lost no time in handing over the precious formula. In 1853, production started to grow again. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the nuns produced and sold their speciality in a corner of the Place Royale in front of the church. The nuns encountered all kinds of difficulties in the 1960’s. They had to stop production and leave Moret in 1972. In 1970, Sister Marie-André handed the secret of barley sugar to Mr. Jean Rousseau, confectioner. Thanks to the association “Produits et Terroir” this centuries-old speciality has been brought back to life and is being produced again. The Moret Nuns Barley Sugar museum in Moret-sur-Loing recounts the history and production of this delicious delicacy. Free tasting and on-site purchasing.

Au confluent de la Seine et du Loing, le village s’anime contre vents et marées, autour de ces bateliers.Au temps de la splendeur de la batellerie, il y avait le long de la Seine, en aval de Paris, Conflans Sainte-Honorine et, en amont, Saint-Mammès. Les deux villes rivalisaient sur le plan économique depuis le XVIIIe siècle. Si la batellerie n'a plus la puissance économique d'antan elle a forgé la commune à ses besoins, à son mode de vie. Aujourd'hui de ce passé, il reste une structure urbaine originale et un développement touristique privilégiant les activités nautiques. Navigation de plaisance et commerciale cohabitent parfaitement avec notamment la création en 2000 d'un port d'escale de plaisance. Depuis les larges quais, aménagés en promenades, vous pénétrez au cœur de l'ancienne cité par des venelles typiques et pleines de charme. Une église romane du XIe siècle, le château de la Croix Blanche du XIIè et tous les bâtiments liés au monde de la batellerie - bourse, ateliers, ancienne écluse - Saint Mammès a su garder et préserver l'authenticité d'un ancien port fluvial. Alfred Sisley, célèbre peintre impressionniste, avait su, au XIXè siècle, immortaliser les plus beaux sites de cette commune, pleine de vie, de ressources et de secrets.

Welcome to the landscape painter’s village at the edge of the Fontainebleau forest. This charming village between fields and forest was a homestead to many painters who made the place famous throughout the world.Barbizon is the meeting-point of painting and nature. A village where the artists and peasants alike wore sabots, forerunners of a new genre. A small hamlet whose name was given to a famous painting school: the landscape painters. Theodore Rousseau arrived in Barbizon first, Millet joined him two years later, followed by the other Pre-Impressionnists, such as Corot or Daubigny. At the Ganne Inn, they are given meals and lodging in exchange for paintings which decorate the wardrobes, sideboards, fireplaces. These places plunge you back in time, into the atmosphere of the artists who when working on the motifs of Nature, found the most beautiful subjects.

Thanks to it's privileged location on the edge of the forest , Bourron-Marlotte attracts many painters, musicians and writers such as Auguste, Renoir, Cezanne, Corot . Walking through the streets, the houses reveal their antique charm, recalling the atmosphere of the 19th century. The town hall/museum conserves many of the works of the painter's who came to paint for a short while or who came to live here permanently. A tour following the footsteps of the artists allows you to discover their homes.The village has preserved its charms and its quality of life. Those who come to experience the nice ambiance stroll along the small picturesque streets or in the footsteps of the painter’s towards the forest. The artist houses and also the town hall painting collection of 200 works bears witness to an outstanding artistic past during the 19th century and the impressionist era. Literature also had its quarters here Emile Zola wrote in the village and the “Villa chansonnière” was a musical hub. Jean Renoir shot his first movie here and lived for 20 years in the village. Gastronomic venues like the local Bistrot “Le Martingo” which formerly was a meeting point for artists a local honey producer “Delices de la Ruche” sells all kind of Gâtinais honey … Bourron Marlotte in many ways is a delightful village.

The Château de Fontainebleau is a big part of French history! This vast building, in both classical and Renaissance style, is not only famous for witnessing Napoleon's imperial adventure.From the royal charter of 1137 to the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, the Palace of Fontainebleau saw the lives of the greatest French sovereigns from day to day. The original medieval fortress was replaced by a Renaissance palace under the guiding hand of Francois I. At that time, two Italian artists, Primaticcio and Il Rosso vied in talent and founded the first School of Fontainebleau. The Galerie François I, which leads from the royal apartments to the chapel of the Convent of the Holy Trinity, is most original with its décor of frescoes, stucco and carved wood in praise of François I. The Ballroom was completed at the time of the last Valois kings, under Primaticcio’s direction. With Henri IV, the new Bourbon dynasty took over the palace, and built new rooms with interior decoration placed in the hands of the artists of the second School of Fontainebleau. Louis XIII completed the work started by his father. Under the Sun King Fontainebleau continued to be the royal family home, and the Grand Dauphin was born there in 1661. The king’s nieces were married from Fontainebleau, and the Edict of Nantes was revoked there in 1685. Louis XV and Louis XVI would spend the autumn there and initiated new, large scale building works and interior doing-ups. After the French Revolution, Napoleon I found the palace completely emptied of its furniture but intact. He undertook to refurnish the apartments and brought the palace back to its former glory as the home of the sovereign. Napoleon Bonaparte spent his last days there before his abdication in 1814 and departure for the Elba. Louis-Philippe was the first sovereign to order a complete restoration of Fontainebleau. The restoration of the Empire in 1852 gave renewed importance to the palace, and Napoleon III became strongly attached to this home, staying there regularly with his court. Housed in the Louis XV wing, the Napoleon I museum is dedicated to the Emperor and his family, with a large collection of objects from his everyday life, weapons used in military campaigns and gifts he received. The Chinese museum, created by Empress Eugenie, displays works of art from the Far East. The Jeu de Paume court, thought to be the oldest of the three surviving in France, is open to the public with demonstrations and introductory games. Le Nôtre's French gardens, the Queen’s English garden with its Fountain of Diana, the hedge maze and the Cour des Adieux are open to the public all year round. Boat excursions on the Etang aux Carpes or horse-drawn carriage rides are available. The Domain of the Fontainebleau Palace is inscribed at the UNESCO Humanity World Heritage. There is a little train going around the gardens during the touristic season.

“It's not just a forest I want to see, it's Fontainebleau” Marcel Proust. Powerful smells from the undergrowth, the inhabited silence of the forest, shimmering colours and landscapes dictated by the seasons - the visitor delights in the multi-faceted personality of the forest of Fontainebleau.Jumbled sandstone boulders concealing caves with legendary secrets, greenness stretching as far as the eye can see, tinted with golden colours in autumn and bluish with frost on winter mornings - you can almost believe you have joined the immensity of the world! The forest at the dawn of time... The forest of Fontainebleau covers 17,000 hectares, extended by the 3,000 hectares of the massif of the Trois Pignons. Paths have been laid and marked out for 300 km. Sandstone has formed on its silty, sandy soil, throwback to the Stampian sea that covered it at the dawn of time: the grains of sand have cemented over millions of years, causing rock falls and creating caves and boulder fields, gradually eroded by rain and wind. A fresh water lake deposited limestone from shell debris on the sand and the sandstone, protecting the forest sand and keeping it white and pure. Multi-faceted flora and fauna 5,685 species of plant life have been listed: oak, beech, hornbeam, chestnut, locust, birch, maritime and Scots pine and juniper, plus a few curiosities planted by former owners: sequoia, spruce and cedar. Protected wild animals coexist in the seeming tranquillity of the forest: deer and roe deer, wild boar and foxes, squirrels, rabbits, badgers and even reptiles. Although you are unlikely to encounter any wolves, you may perhaps catch sight of some timid elk by penetrating into the depths of the forest, although they are active mainly at twilight and during the night when their kingdom is returned to them. The forest sings with the chirping of 250 different species of birds, but you need patience and a good musical ear to identify them all! Dream landscapes! The forest of Fontainebleau contains a number of outstanding landscapes and sites. Of particular note, perhaps, are the Franchard gorges, the former 12th century hermitage and the viewpoint over the forest and the far-distant plain; the Apremont boulder field and desert, famous for its rock piles; the heights of the Solle, for the panorama at their foot over the racecourse and the magnificent tall beech forest of Gros Fouteau, not forgetting the Croix du Calvaire, dominating the town of Fontainebleau and its château.

Situé dans le sud de la Seine-et-Marne au cœur de la forêt de Fontainebleau et en bordure de Seine, le joli village de Samois-sur-Seine vous accueille pour vous faire découvrir ses multiples facettes…Samois-sur-Seine, la douce : où les doux murmures des clapotis de la Seine vous bercent et vous transportent, où il fait bon venir se ressourcer, siroter un verre au bord de l’eau, contempler les péniches arrimées, ou laisser le temps au temps tout simplement… Samois-sur-Seine, la rebelle : Samois devient le temps d’un week-end un village détonant où chants tzigannes et rythmes endiablés vous feront presque oublier le sage village au cœur de la Forêt. D’une durée de cinq jours, autour du dernier week-end de juin, le festival de jazz Django Reinhardt regroupe chaque année des artistes de grande qualité, de renommée internationale. Bienvenue à Samois-sur-Seine ! Bienvenue dans ce village exaltant !