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Journées Européennes du Patrimoine 2021 in the Vendée: exceptional openings!

The European Heritage Days are the most renowned cultural event in which European citizens participate together. Launched in 1985 in France, the Programme has been a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union since 1999. Make the most of the EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS on 18th and 19th SEPTEMBER. This year’s theme is HERITAGE FOR ALL. In this article we highlight interesting locations that are open exceptionally for the occasion, or uniquely provided with a guided tour. What are the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine or European Heritage days? – Created by the Ministry of Culture in 1984, national museums and historic monuments are opened to the public for free or at a reduced rate on the third weekend of September every year. All weekend long, well-organized guided tours, animated demonstrations of old techniques, concerts, theatrical performances, and more, shed a special light on French heritage. Route Planning and Preparation – …

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Windmill hunting in the Vendée

The windmill was omni-present in the European landscape and history shows their use wasn’t limited to the production of flour. In periods of conflict the windmills were an effective communication tool, including in the Vendée.A brief history – A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into a rotating energy through a series of  toothed wheels, mechanisms and millstones, grinding various grains into usable products like flour. The earliest known wind and water powered grain mills were used by the Persians (Iran) from the 6th to the 10th centuries as well as by the Chinese in the 13th century. The vertical windmills seen in Vendée use a mechanism with sails that rotate in a horizontal plane around a vertical axis. The first mentioned “vertical windmill” in Northern Europe dates to the late 12th century.  Bread in its countless variations has always played an important role in cultures around the world. For …