Review: Puy du Fou Historical Theme Park (1 of 2)

toweyb · Post by **toweyb** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 10:34 am

This is an update to my earlier posting on Grand Parc Puy du Fou.

I went; I saw; I took pictures.

This place was very impressive. For example, they have built a full-sized Roman coliseum. Really. It looked like poured concrete, instead of marble, but so what? There is a lot to be said for things that are authentically BIG.

Twice a day, they race chariots, battle gladiators, and feed Christians to the lions. Most impressive.

The raptor show was more of a fantasy, with a sleeping princess floating up from the ruins of a medieval castle and calling to her long-lost birds and knights. A dozen eagles at a time swooping overhead, countless hawks, at least one condor, and so on. Definitely a wow!

As for authenticity, this show could have been a loss, but instead they scored big points for one particular detail. Here is the inside of an actual 15th C circular tower from a chateau in the Loire valley. Notice the odd coffering on the interior. (What is that for, I wonder?)

And, this is a tower that was part of the stage set. Its walls opened up and birds flew out. They took the trouble to match the coffering on the wall. Very nice!

To be continued...

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Miror Otium Negotium Multum Requirere
Charles Fleming A.D. 1346

ushumgal · Post by **ushumgal** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 12:31 pm

Very nice! I must point out, however, that concrete is perfectly authentic for a roman structure. Of course, they didn't use rebar or anything, but they did at least use concrete.

Kalba

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Barkalba bar Shalamsin
m.k.a. Jamie Szudy
LU2.DUB.SAR

Michael B · Post by **Michael B** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 2:33 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by toweyb:
Here is the inside of an actual 15th C circular tower from a chateau in the Loire valley. Notice the odd coffering on the interior. (What is that for, I wonder?)
[snip] And, this is a tower that was part of the stage set. Its walls opened up and birds flew out. They took the trouble to match the coffering on the wall. Very nice!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not sure if this was a hypothetical question ... but could the tower in the chateau have been a dovecote, and the "coffering" in the reconstruction serves a similar purpose, ie. providing perches?

Michael B