Chateaux in the Nievre
The Triglav Circle met in the Nievre Department in
the Burgundy (Bourgogne) Region of central France on 7-9 July 2017. The
meeting was held in the Chateau of Poussignol in
Blismes in the Morvan Regional Nature Park. It is now run by a Dutch couple
as a hotel. One of the local participants, Jean-Marie de Bourgoing, invited
us to visit his own Chateau of Quincize nearby. The
chateau dates from the time of Louis XIII, with land titles going back to
the 14th century. The gardens are also centuries old, and the whole site is
classed as an historical monument.
Chateau de Poussignol
The roof of the chateau burned and was restored in the 1920s. One third of
the chateau has still not been restored, and the outbuildings are falling
into ruin. The Dutch family with four children has enough to do with some
outside jobs and running the hotel single handedly. Quite a few people from
the Netherlands have settled in the Nievre to escape from their crowded
country.
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Chateau de Poussignol and outbuildings
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Chateau de Poussignol; Pigeonnier
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Chateau de Poussignol chapel
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Chapel; Chateau de Poussignol
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Outbuildings to the Chateau de Poussignol, unmaintained
Chateau de Quincize
As mentioned above, the Chateau of Quincize dates from the time of Louis
XIII (1610-1643), with land titles going back to the 14th century. The owner
shared some of its history, and took us for a tour of the gardens, which are
also centuries old. The whole site is classed as an historical monument. The
estate includes several surrounding farms.
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The chateau from the gardens; Jean-Marie de Bourgoing explaining the
history of the chateau; the carriage house built later
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The entrance to the park lined with old trees; one of two towers; the
dining room, a novelty when it was built.
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The formal gardens
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The orangerie; ancient linden trees (tillieuls); the original garden
plan, still today much as it was centuries ago
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The gardens, including a superb vegetable garden
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Views of the surrounding countryside from the gardens; in the
distance a cloverleaf-shaped pond originally use for fish culture
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The gardens with the orangerie in the background
Triglav Circle
The Triglav Circle was
founded after the 1995 UN Social Summit in Copenhagen by its
Secretary-General, Jacques Baudot, and his wife Barbara, to continue the
discussion of social issues, particularly from an ethical and religious
perspective, and over the years it has involved many leading thinkers and
theologians. The theme this year was Rurality, and the local
participants included a farm couple and their son who will inherit the farm,
a beekeeper, a local priest responsible for 40 parishes, a retired Prefect
(French Government official) now involved in local associations, the mayor
of a village of 27 residents, a local land owner, and other representatives
of rural France. The Nievre is one of the most rural departments in France,
and suffers from depopulation and declining services as young people move
away. The discussion explored these themes and possible solutions and best
practices.
In its discussions of rurality, the Triglav Circle explored many challenges
to French agriculture. The government has professionalized the field, so
that only someone with degrees in agriculture can take over a farm. The long
hours of work are not compensated financially, and regulations are
increasingly complex, requiring lots of paperwork. The prices for farm
products decline continuously from the pressure of imports and supermarket
chains, so only the middlemen really profit from agriculture today. Up to
40% of revenues come from European Union subsidies, but if a farm is too
small it does not qualify. A single family can succeed with a farm of 240
hectares, but becoming much larger will lead to bankruptcy from extra
charges. It costs at least 400,000 euros to buy and equip a farm, which is
beyond the reach of young farmers, and it takes many years to pay off the
loans and begin to make a modest income. When a farmer retires, it is often
impossible to find someone to take over the farm, and it is usually bought
up by a big agrobusiness trying to build a monopoly position. We explored
alternative agricultural models and diversified sources of income, as well
as the important social dimensions of rural communities that need to be
maintained.
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Triglav Circle meeting with local residents and farmers
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Discussing challenges and possible solutions
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Discussions; visiting the Chateau de Quincize