Puy du Fou
Encyclopedia
Le Puy du Fou is a historical theme park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

 in Les Epesses
Les Epesses
Les Epesses is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...

 (between Cholet
Cholet
Cholet is a commune of western France in the Maine-et-Loire department. It was the capital of military Vendée.-Geography:Cholet stands on an eminence on the right bank of the Moine, which used to be crossed by a bridge from the fifteenth century...

 and La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is the capital of the department. Its inhabitants are called Yonnais.-History:...

) in the heart of the Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...

 region of Western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The park brings in some 1.5 million visitors every year, making it the second most popular attraction in France after Disneyland Paris.

History

The history of the Puy du Fou as a theme park started in 1977 when Phillippe de Villiers, a twenty-seven-year-old student (now a French politician) decided to create an original show named the Cinéscénie which means "the stage in moving".

When he discovered on the 13th of June 1977 the ruins of an old renaissance castle in the village of Les Epesses near Cholet, he wrote a good scenario very quickly about a local family named Maupillier (the real name of a soldier of Vendee at the time of the conflict between Vendee and French Republic during the French Revolution), spanning from the fourteenth century until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Phillippe de Villiers organised an association of 600 members (more than 3000 today) named "l'Association du Puy du Fou" which has as president today Phillippe de Villiers' son, Nicolas de Villiers.

When the first representation of the Cinescenie began in June 1978, the show didn't have great success, but that quickly changed by the end of the first season, and with that success the show grew into a huge spectacular. It has since spawned its own micro-industry of actors, prop-makers and trainers for the featured horse riding and sword fighting, which, since 1998, has been due to the efforts of the "Académies Junior" who organized shows every year outside the Cinéscénie, such as the Paris Paname in the "Halle Renaissance" of the Grand Park, in March 2008.

The Grand Park of the Puy du Fou was opened near the Cinéscénie in 1989 and is today one of the most popular theme parks in France; in 2004, 98% of visitors were happy or very happy with their visit.

In 2011, the Grand Park of the Puy du Fou hosted the team presentations prior to the Tour de France
2011 Tour de France
-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...

, which was set to begin in the Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...

.

Attractions

The park is split into five separate attractions, each running for approximately 30 - 40 minutes:

The Secret of the Lance is set in front of the battlements of a Middle Age Castle. It relates the story of a young shepherdess who must defend alone her donjon from the English knights, helped by a lance with supernatural powers. It is the new show in 2010, replacing The Battle of the Keep.

The Vikings is set in a reconstructed 1000 year old fortress that is attacked by a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...

 Longship
Longship
Longships were sea vessels made and used by the Vikings from the Nordic countries for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship’s design evolved over many years, beginning in the Stone Age with the invention of the umiak and continuing up to the 9th century with...

.The story begins with a marriage in the village, just before the arrival of a Viking Longboat. Special effects include the emergence of a Longboat from underwater, and a saint walking on the water.

Triumph's Sign (2) (new 2011) is set in a replica of an amphitheater that is 115 meters long and 75 meters wide. It replaces the previous Gladiators (synopsis following) It recreates the Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...

 atmosphere during Roman times
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

. It features a traditional parade of people and animals, gladiatorial combat
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...

, chariot racing
Chariot racing
Chariot racing was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine sports. Chariot racing was often dangerous to both driver and horse as they frequently suffered serious injury and even death, but generated strong spectator enthusiasm...

 and executions. It is set during the time of Diocletian, when there was great unrest.

The Phantom Birds Dance is a show set to a mysterious story. Dozens of birds of prey surge from the ruins and swoop low over the heads of the visitors. The falcons are placed on the heads of some visitors wearing hats by the falconers. Many of the larger birds are released from a balloon floating far overhead. This ends with around a hundred birds flying at once around the audience.

Richelieu's Musketeers features Musketeers performing swash-buckling sword fighting and Gypsy girls Flamenco dancing in water. Horses also perform special trotting/ jumping techniques. Performed in complete darkness, this is the only show that is staged indoors.

During April, July and August 2010 after sunset the Grand Park presents Les Orgues de feu (except on Fridays and Saturdays for the summer season). This show takes place completely on the water and depicts a love story between two musicians.

The above spectacles are presented in French, but electronic translators are available. Other smaller spectacle
Spectacle
In general, spectacle refers to an event that is memorable for the appearance it creates. Derived in Middle English from c. 1340 as "specially prepared or arranged display" it was borrowed from Old French spectacle, itself a reflection of the Latin spectaculum "a show" from spectare "to view,...

s are available only in French:
  • Le Magicien Ménestrel (magic show)
  • Le Carillon Animé (musical show)
  • Les Musiciens Traditionels (musical show)
  • Le Chemin de la Mémoire
  • L'Odyssée du Puy du Fou (attraction (inside) ending with a spectacular water show)
  • La légende de Martin (puppets)
  • Les Automates Musiciens du Bourg 1900 (musical show)

The Cinescenie

The main show takes place in the evening on a huge outdoor stage behind the ruined castle. It tells the story of the 700 years of history in the area. The Cinescene boasts the largest stage in the world, thousands of actors, hundreds of horses and about 400 fireworks per performance. All of the dialog is in French, but English and Dutch dialog is provided via headphones. All of the actors and actresses (even the children) come from the local villages and are volunteers.
The CineScenie is only peak season - starts 7 June in 2008 and not every day. It is bookable separately and has a separate entrance. All the tourist info centres sell tickets for the same price in advance.

External links

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