[MR] Review of the Grand Parc Puy du Fou

[Towey, Brian]

[Cross-posted from the Research and Authenticity section of the Armour
Archive]

This is a review of the Grand Parc Puy du Fou, an historical theme park in
western France.  They advertise an "imposing reproduction of a living city
in the 13th and 14th centuries, with unparalleled historical realism."
Their Web site is at:
http://www.puydufou.com/anglais/Default.htm

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.

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/coliseum.jpg

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/lions.jpg

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?)

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/real tower.jpg

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!

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/stage tower.jpg

Finally, we went to their medieval village, which they advertise as being
very authentic.  It was basically a Ren Faire, but for authenticity it
certainly beat any I've seen elsewhere.  For instance, the roof beams in the
snack shop used the same joinery as the ones I saw in a 15th C chateau.

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/roof_truss.jpg

The trestle tables and benches in the snack shop looked great, too.

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/benches.jpg

The "village" was credibly old, even if the shops were selling the usual Ren
Faire stuff. 

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/medieval village.jpg

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/medieval village2.jpg

The roofs in the village were real slate, with real moss.

http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/puy du fou/slate roof.jpg

It was a hot day, and I noticed that the waitresses at the snack bar had
headpieces that were cleverly disguised sweat bands.  That's a trick I'll
remember for Pennsic.

There were parts of the park I never saw, such as the village that gets
razed by Vikings twice a day.  The Vikings have horns on their helmets, I'm
afraid. :( 

Still, all in all, I give the place an A for authenticity, and an A+ for
ambition.  If I lived nearby, I would definitely get the annual pass.

One last thought: To get to this place, you have to drive past lots and lots
of farms with ancient stone barns, not to mention the churches and chateaux
every few miles.  In Le Mans, where we started the trip, the city wall was
laid by the Romans in 208 AD!  In such a setting, they had better get it
right, because the audience knows the difference. 

Your servant,

Brian Towey
s.k.a. Charles Fleming
"Miror Otium Negotium Multum Requirere"