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… It seems to me that the beginning of the last century was a time of romantics. Mankind did not yet know the horrors of two world wars, but believed in the triumph of technological progress, because cars were already running on the streets, and the very first airplanes were flying into the sky … Soon, however, the cars would be dressed in armor, and the pilots would start shooting at each other and dropping bombs but so far no one even suspects this.
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A car is a symbol of progress! And companies that produce self-supporting wheelchairs emerge around the world like mushrooms … 110 years ago, in the fall of 1902, a mechanic and businessman Henry Leland founded a company in Detroit, which he named in honor of the founder of the city and his, as he believed, distant ancestor - “Cadillac”. Although that legendary Frenchman was called even longer and more beautifully - Antoine Lome de La Mot de Cadillac (Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac). Now, of course, the name of the American brand is known to everyone, but its history, the roots, where the glorious name came from, are not for everyone …
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In search of these very roots, we went on a short trip to the south of France. By car brand Cadillac, of course. And how else to go to visit the progenitor of the brand? The journey begins - the city of Bordeaux. No need to tell anyone what he is famous for; in fact, this is just the starting point of the route. 30 km away is the famous Cadillac Castle. It began to be built in 1598 by the all-powerful favorite of King Henry III - the Duke de Eperon. He built it (it took some 36 years) and, without thinking twice, named it after the village that existed nearby. This then the word “Cadillac” (in French it is pronounced softly “cadillac”) became a symbol of luxury, and then it was a settlement with several hundred peisans …
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The castle still impresses, although history did not spare it - only a quarter remained from the former magnificent complex of buildings, and a modest English garden from a huge park. Throughout the 19th and most of the 20th century, a women's prison was housed here at all, so it is surprising that the ceilings, fireplaces and interiors of the 17th century are well preserved!
But honestly, Antoine Lome de La Mothe de Cadillac, it seems, was in no way connected with this castle. It is believed that he was a pretty adventurer and added to himself the noble prefix "Cadillac" already in America - for solidity. A French court in the 18th century forbade him to use this surname. But he made history with her …
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In real life, Antoine Lome was born a hundred kilometers south, in a small town with the long name of Saint Nicolas de la Grave (Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave). It happened in 1658. At age 25, he went to America in search of wealth and glory; traded, fought, and, among other things, founded the city of Detroit in 1701. Some French “experts” are convinced that the name comes from the combination “de trios”, which translates as “for three”. In fact, Antoine Lome, although he was a Frenchman, still had in mind a completely different thing: “detroit” in French is a strait. But it sounds so similar …
However, I really went to the side. Now the town of Saint Nicolas de la Greve is a remote (by local standards) province, but locals honor the memory of their famous countryman and even opened his small museum. Only two small rooms, a fireplace, a carefully recreated interior of the 17th century and even a cradle for a baby … For some reason, I really wanted to make a “goat” for a baby (doll, of course) lying in the cradle: “Hello, Antoine! “I came to your homeland in a car that bears your name!”
… And then our path ran south to the main French port in the Mediterranean. But first there was Toulouse - the city where they collect "Airbases" and release perfumes. The whole town is literally saturated with the smell of violets; This graceful flower has been harvested and processed here for centuries. Violet perfumes, violet paints, violet ice cream, violet jam and even violet sugar … In Toulouse, the aroma of a small flower is used in a thousand different ways.
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There was another miracle along the way - now a miracle of technology. When, after the next bend, a huge gap opens up with a laced bridge hovering over it, even a trained traveler will involuntarily exclaim: “Wow!” It seems that someone took the Eiffel Tower, put it on its side - and we got an elegant viaduct. The engineering and architectural parallels are obvious here - the author of the bridge, Paul Bodin, was an opponent, rival and (where to go!) Imitator of Gustave Eiffel. The viaduct, opened in 1902, is not only one of the most outstanding engineering structures in France. By the way, engineer Bodin won the right to design and build a bridge in a competition, one of the participants of which was engineer Eiffel … The structure assembled without the use of welding was unique for that time. The bridge consists of two T-shaped consoles, which are connected by a hinge.
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… And again we plunge into the depths of history - on the Avignon path. Historians claim that the first settlements appeared here about five thousand years ago. Since then, the pages of the history of the city were filled with important events at a tremendous speed - the Gallic tribes, Roman rule, the first Christians, the raids of the barbarians, one of the first European universities … In the XIV - early XV century, Avignon became the Catholic capital of the world for almost a hundred years - here by order French kings moved the residence of the pope … And the most famous and impressive building in the city is the Palace of the Popes, built in the middle of the XIV century. By the way, two hundred years ago it was partially turned into a barracks, partially into a prison, and only 110 years ago, in 1902, it was restored and opened as a museum. Now here is annually held the largest theater festival in Europe.
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The next stop on the way is Roussillon. A city that itself asks for a camera lens. It is located in the center of the largest ocher deposit in Europe, which painted the walls of urban houses: bright yellow, dark yellow, brownish yellow, yellowish brownish, orange … Experts distinguish as many as 17 shades of local sandstone - the stone that made the small town rich and famous.
In the early twentieth century, the chemical industry dealt a terrible blow to Roussillon. Dyes began to be produced industrially in large quantities, making the extraction and processing of ocher an absolutely unprofitable occupation. This seemingly sad event actually turned Roussillon into one of the most attractive sights in France. Who knows what would happen to these places if production continued so far? Red desert? Over time, the mothballed quarries turned into a reserve again began to generate income, now at the expense of tourists who come to see the incredible color landscape.
