De Maincy à La Roche-Guyon : trésors aux portes de Paris – Les villages de nos régions – MG

De Maincy à La Roche-Guyon : trésors aux portes de Paris – Les villages de nos régions – MG

Discovering France
means wandering its cobbled streets, climbing to the top of its most beautiful towers,
tasting its specialties, climbing its trails or sailing on its rivers. It also means meeting its inhabitants,
those who, every day, maintain and strive
to bring our heritage to life. Discovering our country
means immersing yourself in the villages of our regions. Let’s discover the Île-de-France region
through its most beautiful villages. A region which brings together eight departments
around Paris, its prefecture. The Paris region is full of
unsuspected treasures, mainly concentrated
in Seine-et-Marne, around the Fontainebleau forest,
numerous villages of art and history, punctus and landscapes along the banks of the Seine. Cities of character,
majestic monuments and abundant nature,
this is surely what seduced many painters in the 19th century. Let’s follow in their footsteps by exploring the
region’s most inspiring villages. Starting with Maincy and its
famous Vaud-le-Vicomte castle. Followed by Barbizon,
in the heart of the Fontainebleau forest, it is the most
emblematic village on this painters’ route. We will then make a taste stop
at the Morais-sur-Loin barley sugar factory,
before heading to its small neighbor, Greys-sur-Loin. We will end our journey
in La Roche-Guyon, northwest of Paris. Let’s head straight south
of the capital to discover the most
enchanting department of the Ile-de-France region, Seine-et-Marne. To begin with, we
recommend you stop in Maincy. This village, surrounded by fields, is located
less than 70 kilometers from Paris. A living environment and proximity to
the capital which today attracts many families. A peaceful town, therefore,
which has managed to retain its old-world charm, as evidenced by the many
farms now restored. André, who has always lived in Maincy,
likes to remember the past. I have known herds of cows
who drank here before returning to their stables. We came for ten cents at midday to pick up
our bunch of fresh watercress, which was picked in front of us. Here is some Maincy watercress. Since then, the watercress has increased considerably,
but the water in the stream that runs through the town has remained very pure. In the last century,
women sometimes traveled several kilometers to wash their clothes
in Maincy, particularly in this washhouse which can still be visited. This was the meeting place for businesses. They threw water at each other and then, getting so
angry, they grabbed each other and bathed their hands. Once their tasks were completed with more
or less rigor, they all moved on
in one direction. They were going to drop off
the laundry at the castle. Indeed, this small town of Maincy has
a big surprise in store. At the exit of the village is
the castle of Vaud-le-Vicomte. So, take a few hours to
discover this jewel of our heritage. A 17th-century masterpiece that is
said to have later inspired the Palace of Versailles. It was also designed by the three
greatest artists of the time: Le Vau, the architect, Le Nôtre, for the gardens,
and Le Brun, for the decoration. Let’s meet André and his wife Monique. The couple is particularly
attached to this castle. At one time they lived there. Finally, in the outbuildings,
Monique was the gamekeeper’s daughter. You know you’re in our house, right?
Ah good ? We lived in the three windows over there.
No, it’s the same. On the first floor?
My daughter was conceived there. Before, all the inhabitants of Massy
could come in, go and get wood, lily of the valley, daffodils, etc. And I believe that the inhabitants
have always been part of the history of the castle. Either by being a neighbor there,
or by being there while working. He worked there, in the vegetable garden,
and then in the park, as a lumberjack. Inside,
the patron and former owner, Nicolas Fouquet, like a king,
treated himself to a decoration in his glory in the middle of the 17th century. You can admire the
excellent furniture and the numerous masterpieces that adorn
the walls and ceilings. Then, go out and stroll through the 33
hectares of French garden designed by Le Nôtre. The view from the castle,
more than three kilometers long, is breathtaking. At the end of your visit,
don’t forget to go through the dome to admire these brand new slates. Famous visitors even had
fun signing some of them. We still have Thierry Henry. And then we have Eva Longoria and Tony Parker. Well, they got married here. And then Bill Clinton. I hope he still has
the 19th century slate above his fireplace. You can also, like this family,
take a trip back in time by wearing period outfits during the visit. That’s great. I would say, in a costume like that,
you feel like you’re among kings. Kids love it. It’s like a journey back to the
time of Louis XIV. It feels like it. Between the Vaux-le-Vicomte castle
and the surrounding nature, Maincy has always attracted and inspired
the great and the good, such as the painter Cézanne,
who immortalized this bridge in a painting now exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay. The place is so unchanged
that it is absolutely obvious that Cézanne came here and that he was there,
where we have our feet. So, it’s a bit of a magical place
because it’s a painting that is at the source of
20th century painting and the place that inspired this painting has not changed. So, it’s a place that
obviously needs to be preserved. Like here in Maincy,
Seine-et-Marne is full of landscapes that have inspired our greatest painters. So, let us continue our
journey in their footsteps. It will take you just 20 minutes
to reach Barbizon, the most emblematic village
of this Impressionist movement. Barbizon is located 60 km from Paris,
in the heart of the Fontainebleau forest. Before entering the village,
start with a morning walk in the plain around the village. It is Frédéric, originally from Barbizon,
who speaks about it best. I find this plain,
in fact, particularly beautiful. This is the first sight you
see when you arrive in the village. It is in fact this great expanse which is
known worldwide thanks in particular to the painting by Jean-François Millet,
the Angelus. The Angelus is this painting, a
major work in the history of the village. It is partly thanks to him,
under the impetus of Millet, that Barbizon will go from the status
of a lumberjack village to a high place of artistic life in the region. Inspired by the beauty of the landscapes,
no fewer than 150 artists came to stay here
during the 19th century. Even today, Le Bourg has
lost none of its old-world charm. We recommend that you walk the streets
and admire the originality of the houses that make it up. We have a bit of all types of architecture
in Barbaison, which, as a result, gives a particular charm to this village. It gives it this very cosmopolitan aspect,
which it still has today. It’s true that the palette is large. Sandstone, half-timbered
or seaside-style houses. There is something for everyone. And the house you absolutely have to stop in front of is this one. The Ganne House, the most
important place in the history of Barbizon. A place that can be visited all year round. Do you know what happened
here and what this place was like before it became a museum? It was an inn. So, it was an inn. So this is where the painters
stayed when they came to Barbizon. Ganne is the name
of the owners of this house. They were the ones who created
this artists’ residence at the request of the painters. And this joyful colony of painters would,
until the 1870s, occupy the premises from floor to ceiling,
as the museum curator explained to this visitor. Traces of their activity were found on the walls
. We have an example here with this little
character in the red jacket who carries on his back all the equipment necessary
to go and paint in the forest at an easel. Did that mean he wasn’t working
in the workshop, that he was leaving… ?
Yes and no. That is to say that the great novelty,
indeed, of these artists, is the idea of ​​seeing nature on site, of going to capture the compositional effects of rocks, trees, the effects
of light, bad weather, etc. But these are artists
who also worked in studios in a second twenty years. This inn has since made
the village famous. It has become a haunt of celebrities. Verlaine, Victor Hugo,
Queen Elizabeth II of England, and even Mick Jagger have all passed through here. Along with Maison Ganne,
the other star of Barbizon, it is the Fontainebleau forest which adjoins the town. Don’t hesitate to venture there. After having been a vast hunting ground
for the kings of France, a high place of inspiration for our
impressionist painters, it is today a paradise
for hikers, cyclists and especially climbers. We are lucky because
it is actually an absolutely privileged place. There are many people who come from
the United States, Canada, Japan, etc., to come especially. So, who has an absolutely
incredible and international reputation. But if you’re not feeling
sporty, like Christian, you can book a more leisurely guided tour with the
forest’s tourist office, focusing on flora and fauna. It’s true that in the morning, sometimes,
we can have pretty banks of mist over these ponds. And here, in particular,
we observed these veils of mist. And then after, a little poetry,
a little enchantment around this pond, a little imagination. And these sails have been compared to
fairy sails, hence the name Fairy Pond. So afterwards, in terms of biodiversity,
it’s exceptional. We have a lot of species
that come in there. We have batrassians, of course,
frogs, toads, etc. Newts. The bats that come to hunt
around the edge of this pond because we have a lot of insects
that come flying. Ah, look, a dragonfly. There you have it, a dragonfly
flying, absolutely. They are beautiful.
It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Oh yes, it’s pretty.
This is an absolutely superb insect. It’s beautiful. There is a bird
coming in. Oh yes, yes. More than 6,000 animal species have chosen
the Fontainebleau forest as their home. And on the flora side, certain trees have
acquired considerable fame. As you walk,
look out for these blue dots. They will tell you
which species are considered remarkable. And you might even learn some
juicy anecdotes about them. Beautiful tree.
Very pretty. Beautiful tree.
George Sand Oak. Blue dot.
Oh yes. George.
Oh well, George. So, why Chêne George Sand? Because George Sand and Alfred de Musset
came to whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ears on this Franchard site,
which they prized or on which they came to visit me. I think she came back with other
lovers, from what I could understand. How is there a sculptor? And hello to Franchard. There has always been something going on in Barbizon. Even today,
the people of Barbizon organize numerous festivals throughout the year to get together
and celebrate their happiness in living here. I arrived here 28 years ago
because I fell in love with the old houses, the stones,
the Fontainebleau forest, and Barbizon has given me many
things, including the fact that I met my wife here. So. Ah, that’ll be all. It’s a small village. We hope that you too will be charmed
by this friendly and inspiring village. Now let’s take a quick
detour to Mauré-sur-Loin. We are still in Seine-et-Marne,
south of the Fontainebleau forest, 65 kilometers from the capital. Despite its appearance of a small,
quiet town, with its 5,000 inhabitants, Moret is already playing in the big leagues. So this isn’t a village tour
we’re going to do here, but rather a taste stop
to discover the secrets of France’s oldest candy, barley sugar. In this timeless workshop,
Yvette and her son are the last artisans to make real barley sugar. A 300-year-old recipe. Twice a week,
Yvette agrees to reveal some of her secrets to visitors. We take a copper basin,
we put water in it, we will put barley tea,
which was made this morning, and sugar. Before being a sweet, barley sugar was created mainly for its medicinal properties. In 1638, the Benedictine nuns
who were in Moret realized that barley was
a throat soother. And at that time,
there were no microphones, so the preachers ate
candy canes to soothe their throats. The Moret sisters continued to make this
delicacy until the 1970s. They then passed on their
expertise to Yvette and her entire family. In this laboratory,
tradition is not lost thanks to precious machines like these
magnificent bronze molds. So Yvette, do you have to
cut them all out one by one? To all one by one. And how many do you do
per day, roughly? So, we make about 80 kilos of
barley sugar a day. And there, on this table,
there are 600 sticks, approximately. All right. So, you see on one side of the
candy cane, it says candy cane, you see?
Yes. So. And on the other side, it says
the nuns of Moret. So. Let’s hope that this delicious
tradition continues over time. After this gourmet break,
let’s continue our route. Allow 20 minutes to reach our
last village in Seine-et-Marne. Here is Grez-sur-Loin, always peaceful, ideally nestled between rivers and forests. The village is located 80 km from Paris. Jean has lived here for 35 years. And it wasn’t the weather he
fell in love with when he arrived, but rather this old 12th-
century bridge, the city’s emblem. This bridge has a
capital importance of fertilizer. It is a connection that has existed
since the Middle Ages. A link that was used to transport
goods slides along the royal road to the capital. Victim of several destructions,
the Pierre bridge was even made of wood for 40 years. During this whole period,
every time a car passed over the bridge,
all the sandstone was awakened. Today, no more nuisances. The bridge has been restored to its original stonework,
much to the delight of the region’s residents and artists. Hello, Danielle.
Hello, Jean. You will join the many
painters who have painted the Grez bridge. Yes, I have to
get started, all the same. I live in Grez, I have to
paint the bridge. Stunning. Grez-sur-loin was another
favorite destination of 19th century painters. And this bridge has served as a model
on many occasions, such as in this painting
by Jean-Baptiste Corot, created in 1860. But more surprisingly, if you meet Jean,
he will tell you how, in 1984, this bridge in Grez-sur-Loin served
as a double for the Pont-Neuf for the artist Christo. He came to Grez, he packed
the bridge which is behind us. In the middle of November,
there were divers, there were firefighters in the canals. So he packed the bridge,
went to show the photos to the Paris city hall , and that’s how he
got permission. To pack is to weigh. Once you have crossed the bridge,
you will find yourself in the cobbled streets of the village. On the way, don’t miss the Romanesque church and the Ganne tower, the two main monuments of the village. Listed as a historic monument,
this vestige of the medieval castle of Grez was also almost destroyed. But definitely, in this town,
the buildings are solid. A few years after the revolution,
they tried to blow up the tower. And instead of the tower falling,
it was the houses next door that started to shake. So, we abandoned the idea of
blowing up the Ganne tower, and that’s how it
remained in the village of Grez. After this visit to the village,
we recommend you go for a walk along the Loin. These banks are an ideal setting
for picnics and gatherings. It’s a great country. It’s a beautiful little village. It’s indefinable in fact. Images, words will not be
able to capture it, but it is true that it is
a village where there is something, there is an atmosphere, there is a spirit, there is… You have to come, you have to come. While passing through the village,
take the opportunity to treat yourself to a canoe or boat trip. In the past,
everyone had a boat here to go fishing, to have fun,
and we went canoeing, as they say. And there, what we see there,
is one of the boat sheds. We cut into the garden, made a
hole and then put the boat in it. And let yourself be carried away on the
calm waters, all less than an hour from the capital. After After having crisscrossed the roads
of Seine et Marne, let’s change course for our last destination. Because our painters have also ventured
into other corners of the Ile-de-France. Let’s head northwest of Paris
to one of the most beautiful villages in the French Vexin region, La Roche-Guyon,
located 70 kilometers from the capital, in the Val-d’Oise. Nestled against the Coteau de la Seine,
this village boasts both a very rich heritage and an
equally attractive natural setting. Moreover, for sports enthusiasts,
you should know that La Roche-Guyon and its surroundings can be explored by canoe, on foot or by bike,
on the many marked trails that surround the town. Come on, we’ll soon
arrive at La Roche-Guyon. It’s incredible. We took the car,
drove 45 minutes northwest of Paris and discovered this world. We didn’t expect it.
It’s striking. Look at the cave houses there. The particularity of La Roche-Guyon
is its troglodyte houses. They are called beauxves. Olivia lives and works in one
of them, under the rock. This is where she chose
to transform the clay. So, we arrive in my
little corner of paradise. There is the house that comes out of the cliff
and the workshop which is troglodyte. A pottery workshop that you
can visit during your visit. Or if you feel like it,
you could even take a class with Olivia. You push inward. There, we gained three centimeters
in one go. La Roche-Guyon offers an
ideal living environment for artists. Very close to Giverny,
this village has inspired many impressionists,
such as Claude Monet, who immortalized this setting on the banks of the Seine. The Seine is truly
the center of La Roche-Guyon. When we were little,
we used to say: We’re going down to the banks of the Seine and we’re getting out of here to go
swimming, canoeing, or swimming. But La Roche-Guyon
is also a village that lives, particularly around its castle. Every year in May,
don’t miss, for example, the Plant Festival, one of the most popular in France. A vast plant market
for which people sometimes come from very far away. Like these Chileans who came to taste
local products and at the same time discover the village. It is a place to visit for all of us
and for all those who love beautiful things, beautiful stones,
beautiful places. The castle’s vegetable garden is
open all year round. A pleasant walk not to be missed. And obviously, before or after,
go visit the castle. Owned by the Laroche-Foucault family,
it bears the traces of a thousand-year-old history. It goes up by a ten of one. The great curiosity of the castle
is this tunnel dug into the rock. This is where we arrive at the
highest steps which can reach a height of 30 to 35 cm. This is also the steepest part. This tunnel crosses the cliff. In the Middle Ages, this was the only way
to access the keep, which rises to 110 metres.
The hardest part is behind us. It’s worth the climb. It’s beautiful. This dungeon, reputed to be impregnable, has survived
the ages, but has suffered several attacks, notably during the Revolution,
when it was simply decapitated. In 1793, the owner of the premises was
ordered to have the dungeon destroyed at her own expense. And so, workers will uncover
the stones one after the other to make them fall below. But there, it will be used for something
important since it will build part of the houses in the village.
Village. Today, even though this keep has lost
a third of its height, it still offers the most beautiful
possible panorama of the village, the Seine and the French Vexin. This is how we end
our trip to Île-de-France. A charming walk
with a rich cultural heritage. A journey back in time in the footsteps
of the famous landscape painters who have immortalized
these bucolic landscapes time and again. In short, an ideal destination for all
lovers of art, countryside and history. All this less than an
hour from the capital.

Cap sur l’Île-de-France, loin des clichés, entre villages d’art et nature.

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À Maincy, le cadre paisible mène au château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, dialogue magistral entre Le Vau, Le Nôtre et Le Brun, dont les jardins à la française ouvrent la perspective. Autour, cressonnières et pont de Maincy immortalisé par Cézanne rappellent l’inspiration des peintres. Route vers Barbizon, berceau de l’école éponyme, précurseurs de l’impressionnisme : auberge Ganne, ateliers, et forêt de Fontainebleau où l’on peignait sur le motif – aujourd’hui paradis de randonnée et de grimpe, de la mare aux Fées aux chênes remarquables. À Moret-sur-Loing, rencontre avec les derniers artisans du véritable sucre d’orge, recette bénédictine vieille de trois siècles. Grez-sur-Loing aligne pont médiéval, église romane et rives propices au canotage ; son pont inspira Corot et servit de doublure au Pont-Neuf pour Christo. Final à La Roche-Guyon : boves troglodytiques, potagers du château, tunnel médiéval vers le donjon perché et vues sur la Seine et le Vexin. Un voyage de pierres, d’eaux et d’ateliers, aux portes de Paris.

Réalisé par Élodie BOUTIT.
© MORGANE PRODUCTION