Historical theme park in France
Puy du Fou
(
[p?i
dy
fu]
) is a historical
theme park
in
Les Epesses
, in the
Pays de la Loire
region of western
France
. It receives more than 2 million visitors every year, making it one of the most popular theme parks in France.
[1]
[2]
In 2019, 2020, and 2022, it was the fourth largest theme park attendance in France, behind
Walt Disney Studios
,
Disneyland Paris
, and
Parc Asterix
.
History
[
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]
The idea of Puy du Fou originated in 1977, when
Philippe de Villiers
, a then twenty-seven-year-old student, decided to create an original show named "Cinescenie".
On June 13th, 1977, he discovered the ruins of an old Renaissance castle in the village of Les Epesses near Cholet and wrote a story about a local family named Maupillier (the real name of a soldier of Vendee at the time of the
conflict between Vendee and the French Republic
during the
French Revolution
), spanning that period until
World War II
.
Phillippe de Villiers organized an association of 600 members (3650 today) named "l'Association du Puy du Fou", whose current president is Phillippe de Villiers' son, Nicolas de Villiers.
When Cinescenie first started in June 1978, the show did not have great success. But during the first season, it flourished and continued to grow from there. It has since spawned its own micro-industry of actors, prop-makers, and trainers for
horse riding
and
sword fighting
, which both feature in the show. Since 1988, the "Academies Junior" have organized yearly showings of Cinescenie, such as at the Paris Paname in the "Halle Renaissance" of the Grand Parc, in March 2008.
The Grand Parc of the Puy du Fou was opened near the Cinescenie in 1989, and is today one of the most popular theme parks in France.
In 2011, the Grand Parc of Puy du Fou hosted the team presentations before the
Tour de France
, which was set to begin in the
Vendee
.
[3]
On 13 August 2018, the Grand Parc launched a program where specially trained
rooks
fly around the park to pick up
cigarette butts
and other small pieces of
litter
.
[4]
Christophe Gaborit, the park's Head of
Falconry
, originally trained the birds to participate in the park's falconry show, but later was inspired to teach them how to pick up rubbish left by the park's visitors.
[5]
By using a specially created box, which was inspired by a magician's prop, he taught six of his birds?Boubou, Bamboo, Bill, Black, Bricole, and Baco?to deliver bits of trash to the box and exchange them for food.
[6]
The goal of the project is both to teach the park's visitors about the birds and to discourage littering.
[7]
In 2019, the project expanded abroad with the night show
El sueno de Toledo
("The Dream of Toledo") about the
history of Spain
in
Toledo, Spain
. It is the first stage of
Puy du Fou Espana
. In 2021, it expanded into a park with five shows and four villages.
Attractions
[
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]
The park is split into 26 main shows, each running for approximately 30?40 minutes:
- Le Secret de la Lance
(Secret of the Lance)
is set in front of the battlements of a medieval Castle. It relates the story of a young shepherdess, Marguerite, who must defend her castle's tower against English knights alone, helped by a lance with supernatural powers.
The Vikings
- Les Vikings
(The Vikings)
is set in a reconstructed 1000-year-old fortress that is attacked by
Viking
longships
. 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 under water.
- Le Signe du Triomphe
(The Sign of Triumph)
is set in a replica of an
amphitheatre
that is 115 meters long and 75 meters wide. It recreates the atmosphere of
Gaul
during
Roman times
. It features a traditional parade of people and animals,
gladiatorial combat
,
chariot racing
, and executions. It is set during the time of
Diocletian
, when there was great unrest.
- Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantomes
(Dance of the Phantom Birds)
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 provided by the falconers. Many of the larger birds are released from a balloon floating far overhead. This ends with some two hundred birds flying at once above the audience.
- Mousquetaire de Richelieu
(Richelieu's Musketeer)
features
musketeers
performing swash-buckling sword fighting and Gypsy girls
Flamenco
dancing in water. Horses also perform special trotting/jumping techniques.
- Le Dernier Panache
(The Last Panache)
follows the destiny of a French naval officer,
Francois de Charette
de La Contrie, a hero of the American War of Independence, whose life will change dramatically in 1793, in a last fight for freedom. (
Thea award
for outstanding achievement 2017)
- Le Mime et l'Etoile
(The Mime and the Star)
takes guests back to the early years of moviemaking, as they attend the production of a black-and-white film on an enclosed set. A romance soon blossoms between the main actress and a mime.
- Les Noces de Feu
(The Fire Wedding)
takes place at night (except on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer season for the Cinescenie), entirely on water and depicts the love story between two musicians.
The above shows are presented in French, but electronic translators are available. Meanwhile, immersive shows, especially those relying on live actors, are only available in French. These include:
- Le Monde Imaginaire de La Fontaine
(La Fontaine's Imaginary World)
, is a garden where guests discover
Jean de la Fontaine
's most famous
Fables
. These are told using automated animations, and more recently actors. Opened in 2012.
- La Renaissance du Chateau
(Renaissance of the Castle)
, a tour through the centuries in the historical Puy du Fou Castle. Opened in 2014.
- Les Amoureux de Verdun
(The Lovers of Verdun)
, a recreation of a
WWI
trench
during
Winter 1916
. As guests proceed in the war-torn environment, they listen to the correspondence between a soldier and his wife back home, whom he tries to protect from the horrific realities of war in his letters. Opened in 2015 and won the Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2016, one century after the aforementioned events.
- Le Mystere de La Perouse
(The Mystery of La Perouse)
, a recreation of the ill-fated maritime expedition led by
Jean-Francois de La Perouse
. Guests board La Perouse's ship,
La Boussole
, and closely follow the story of the Vendean Lieutenant Augustin de Monti. Opened in 2018, it became Europe's Top New Attraction that year.
- Le Premier Royaume
(The First Kingdom)
, a walkthrough retelling the life of
King Clovis I
. Among many events, this tour includes Clovis's war against the remnants of the Roman Empire, the breaking of the
Vase of Soissons
, or the Frankish King's subsequent conversion to the Christian faith. Opened in 2019 and was awarded Live Entertainment of the Year.
Other smaller shows are also available only in French:
- Les Automates Musiciens
(The Musician Automatons)
, a musical show displaying automaton characters in the Bourg 1900. Opened in 2004.
- Les Grandes Eaux
(The Grand Water Show)
, a musical fountain show orchestrated to
Jean-Baptiste Lully
's music.
- Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde
(The Knights of the Round Table)
, is a retelling of the
Arthurian Legend
in the form of a magic show. Opened in 2013.
- Le Ballet des Sapeurs
(Ballet of the Firefighters)
, is a pantomime musical show portrayed by children actors of the
Puy du Fou Academie
. Opened in 2017.
- Le Grand Carillon
(The Grand Carillon)
, a musical acrobatic show on the bell tower of the 18th Century Village. Opened in 2017.
The Cinescenie
[
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]
Cinescenie
The main show takes place in the evening on an outdoor stage. It tells the story of the 700 years of history in the area. The Cinescenie is the largest stage in the world, having 1200 actors, hundreds of horses, and about 800 fireworks per performance.
[2]
All of the dialogue is in French, but translation headsets are available in five different languages. All of the actors and actresses, including the children, are volunteers from the local villages. The Cinescenie is only performed during peak season. It is bookable separately and has a separate entrance.
The Nocturnal City
[
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]
In 2007, the park opened its first hotel to encourage guests to stay on property for longer periods of time. Over the years, the hotels have grown in number, and now form a resort south east of the park named
The Nocturnal City
(La Cite Nocturne)
. There are six themed hotels, each allowing guests to choose a century to sleep in.
- The Gallo-Roman Villa
(La Villa Gallo-Romaine)
is a hotel themed to Ancient Rome which opened in 2007. As the first Puy du Fou hotel, it offers 100 rooms.
- Lescure's Lodgings
(Le Logis de Lescure)
is the second hotel which opened in 2009. Designed as a Vendean house of the late 18th century, its name refers to
Louis Marie de Lescure
, a famous Vendean opponent to the
French Revolution
. Due to its modest size, it features just four luxury suites.
- The Islands of Clovis
(Les Iles de Clovis)
opened in 2010. This hotel comprises 50
Merovingian
stilt houses
from the time of
King Clovis I
built above ponds.
- The Field of the Cloth of Gold
(Le Camp du Drap d'Or)
is a 2014 replica of the
summit meeting of the same name
which occurred in 1520 between
Francis I of France
and
Henry VIII of England
. Guests stay in one of the 50 royal tents similar to those set up on that occasion.
- The Citadel
(La Citadelle)
is a hotel themed to a medieval fortress. It opened in 2017 and offers 100 rooms.
- The Great Century
(Le Grand Siecle)
is a luxury hotel opened in 2020. Themed to the reign of
King Louis XIV
, its eight ostentatious pavilions inspired by the now-destroyed
Chateau de Marly
offer a total of 96 rooms. It also includes a convention center named
The Moliere Theater
(Le Theatre Moliere)
.
Timeline
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Main Shows
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The Old Castle
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The Great Falconry Show
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Dance of the Phantom Birds
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Puy du Fou Castle
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The Chivalry Feast
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Battle of the Keep
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Secret of the Lance
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Battle of the Keep (Nighttime)
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Renaissance of the Castle
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The Gallo-Roman Stadium
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The Gladiators
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The Sign of Triumph
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The Grand Carrousel
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Richelieu's Musketeer
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The Old Pond
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Organs of Fire
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The Fire Wedding
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The Great Water Show
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The Theater of Giants
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The Last Panache
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The Cinematograph
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The Mime and the Star
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Period Villages and Shows
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Chasseloup
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The 18th Century Village
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Chasseloup
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Traditional Musicians
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The Grand Carillon
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Font-Rognou
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The Medieval Town
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Font-Rognou
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The Minstrel Magician
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The Knights of the Round Table
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Saint Philbert le Vieil
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The Fort of the Year One Thousand
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Saint Philbert le Vieil
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The Legend of Saint Philibert
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The Vikings
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Bourg Berard
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The Renaissance Hall
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La Madelon's Cafe
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The 1900 Bourg
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Bourg Berard
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The Musician Automatons
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Ballet of the Firefighters
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Natural Areas and Shows
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The Forest
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Memory Road
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The Mystery of La Perouse
|
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The Water Theater
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The Puy du Fou Odyssey
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The First Kingdom
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The Lovers of Verdun
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The Marienne Vale
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The Arboretum
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The Wolves' Lair
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La Fontaine's Imaginary World
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The Rose Garden
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Ronsard's Rose Garden
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The Prairie
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The Children's Theater
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The Legend of Martin
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King Henry's Stew
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The Nocturnal City
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Hotels
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The Gallo-Roman Villa
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Lescure's Lodgings
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The Islands of Clovis
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The Field of the Cloth of Gold
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The Citadel
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The Great Century
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Awards
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See also
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References
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External links
[
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]