NORMANDY – 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings
June 5 and 6, 2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the launch of the crucial Battle of Normandy, which paved the way for Europe’s liberation and the end of WWII. The anniversary will also include military parades, fireworks, giant picnics, concerts, airdrops, and of course, a great international ceremony attended by the Allied heads of state on June 6. For details click here.
Anniversary or no, the moving D-Day sites remain: from Utah Beach and its museum, to the U.S. Army Rangers Monument and the bomb craters at the Pointe du Hoc, to the poignant Normandy American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach.
Normandy Tourism Board website.
Related events:
In Caen, Normandy
In honor of this historic milestone the Caen Memorial will inaugurate a new high-tech wing, which will feature a 360 degree immersive film experience on Europe’s 20th century.
It will also host Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms from June 10 to October 27, 2019. This exceptional traveling exhibition of 70 works—paintings and illustrations of Rockwell and some of his contemporaries, will feature the iconic Norman Rockwell paintings including the Four Freedoms collection: “Freedom of Speech,” “Freedom of Worship,” “Freedom from Want” and “Freedom from Fear.” More on the exhibit.
Also, the city of Caen will host on June 4 and 5, The Normandy forum for Peace, an international symposium and debate on how to build a peaceful world together. It will take place at Caen’s magnificent “Abbaye aux Dames.” Caen Tourist Office
In Rouen, capital of Normandy – Armada of Liberty
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Armada of Rouen, the Armada of Liberty, will take place June 5 to 16, 2019. Over 50 tall ships will sail in and dock along the Seine river banks of Rouen, Normandy’s capital city. This impressive gathering will include parades, balls, concerts and unexpected festivities. Among the tall ships: the replica of the Hermione, the frigate that ferried the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1780.
LOIRE VALLEY – 500th Anniversary of the French Renaissance(s)
Known as the playground of the Kings of France, and remembered as the cradle of the French Renaissance, the Loire Valley will shine even brighter in 2019. The region will be celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the French Renaissance, which coincides with the anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death in France. During the first year of Francois Ier’s reign in 1515, and following his victory at Marignano, the French King met Leonardo Da Vinci. Awed by the genius, and by Italy’s artistic and architectural renewal, France’s great Renaissance king invited the artist to live in France. In 1516 (with the Mona Lisa, The Virgin and child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist, all now at the Louvre) Museum), Leonardo left Rome for Royal Amboise, settling at the Château du Clos Lucé, where he spent the last three years of his life.
Since the year 2000, a huge portion of the Loire Valley has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This glorious 200-mile stretch along the river, from Sully-sur-Loire to Chalonnes-sur-Loire will celebrate its Renaissance heritage, including its iconic cities Orleans, Tours, Amboise and Angers. The building of majestic Chateau de Chambord, whose staircase and design was inspired by Da Vinci’s ideal city, began in 1519. This inspired later Renaissance gems like Chenonceau--of Catherine de Medici fame, Azay-le-Rideau, Valençay and Villandry. The program of events will include a large traveling digital show, an international architecture competition, banquets, and a wealth of exhibitions, including a virtual exhibit of Leonardo’s 17 masterpieces at the Chateau du Clos Lucé. For updates, click here.
From June 7 - September 8, 2019: Château of Clos-Lucé (Centre-Val de Loire) presents Tapestry of The Last Supper for Francis I by Leonardo Da Vinci: A Masterpiece in Silk and Silver. To mark the anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death at the Château du Clos Lucé on 2 May 1519, the tapestry of the Last Supper, a reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, will be presented for the first time outside of Vatican Museums and Italy. The tapestry was woven for Louise of Savoy and her son, the future King of France, Francis I, some time before 1514. In 1533, Francis I presented it as a gift to Pope Clement VII to celebrate the marriage between his son Henri II and the Pope’s niece, Catherine de Medici.
EXCITING EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TOP FRENCH CITIES
While the Top French Cities of Orleans and Tours celebrate the French Renaissance year round:
- In late March the city of Saint-Etienne will hold its 11th Design Biennial, curated by American Lisa White.
- Starting April 27, 2019 and through early December, the great Northern city of Lille will be effervescent —indoors and out—with contemporary art exhibits, installations and other events. A great open-air kick-off will launch “Eldorado: Lille 3000,” a huge citywide fete held every three years.
Lille will also host March 13 to June 11, 2019 a major Giacometti retrospective featuring over 150 works at its Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
- Sports fans must know by now that France will be hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup from June 7 to July 7 in 9 cities. Six of the 9 host stadiums are in in the Top French Cities: Grenoble, Le Havre, Montpellier, Nice, Reims, and Rennes; from which of course the French team will try to match their male counterparts and win. Updates on the FIFA website.
- Elegant Montpellier will welcome a new contemporary art center in July which will be known as Le MoCo.
- That opening will be followed in late 2019 by the inauguration of the City of Gastronomy and Wine in a new and centrally located neighborhood of delicious Dijon. November 9, 2018 update - its opening has been postponed to 2020/2021
- Nice, capital of the French Riviera will now be accessible via non-stop flights from New York on Business Class-only La Compagnie from May through September 2019 - See more information.