Christmas at Château d’Ansouis

<span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps atn">The</span><span class="hps"> </span></span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">Château d’Ansouis has been standing for over a thousand</span> <span class="hps">years</span><span class="">, </span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span> <span class="hps">overlooking the village</span> <span class="hps">of Ansouis</span> <span class="hps">and the Valley of</span> <span class="hps">the</span> <span class="hps">Aigues, in France.</span><span class="hps"></span><br /></span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps atn"></span></span><br /><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"> <span class="hps">The history</span> <span class="hps">of the castle is</span> <span class="hps">marked</span> <span class="hps">at the beginning of</span> the <span class="hps">XIII</span> <span class="hps">century</span> <span class="hps">by</span><span class="hps"></span> <span class="hps">Elzear</span> <span class="hps">de Sabran</span> <span class="hps">and his wife</span> <span class="hps">Dauphine -</span> or <span class="hps">Delphine.</span> <span class="hps">Their wealth did not stop them from devoting their lives </span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class=""></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span> <span class="hps">to God</span> <span class="hps"> and</span> <span class="hps">helping the poor.</span> <span class="hps">Elzear</span> <span class="hps">was</span> <span class="hps">canonized in</span> <span class="hps">1369</span> <span class="hps">and</span> <span class="hps">Dauphine was </span></span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">beatified</span></span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span><span class="">.</span> <span class="hps">Since then,</span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span> <span class="hps">every year</span> <span class="hps">in September</span><span class="">,</span> <span class="hps">a</span> <span class="hps">procession</span> <span class="hps">celebrates the</span> <span class="hps">mystical love</span> <span class="hps">and the love</span> <span class="hps">of the humble</span> <span class="hps">they</span> <span class="hps">incarnate.</span></span><br /><br />Gérard and Frédérique Rousset-Rouvière acquired <span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">Château d’Ansouis</span></span> in January 2008 and appointed designer <span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps atn">Jean-</span><span class="">Jacques</span> <span class="hps">Bourgeois to renovate its interiors.</span></span><br /><br />These photographs show the <span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">Château, ready for Christmas.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis13" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis13/755798-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis13_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none; width: 650px; height: 486px;" title="Chateauansouis13" /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis1" height="499" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis1/755862-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis1_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Chateauansouis1" width="669" /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis12" height="499" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis12/755774-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis12_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Chateauansouis12" width="669" /><br />Beautiful stone stairs.<br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis/755766-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none; width: 651px; height: 485px;" title="Chateauansouis" /><br />Under a large chestnut tree, the terrace overlooks a boxwood garden.<br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis6" height="499" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis6/755870-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis6_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Chateauansouis6" width="669" /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis11" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis11/755838-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis11_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none; width: 651px; height: 485px;" title="Chateauansouis11" /><br />To continue with tradition, on Christmas eve, before midnight mass, a light meatless meal is served in the kitchen. The table is set on three layers of white tablecloths<span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span><span class="">,</span> <span class="hps">which are </span><span class="hps">successively</span> </span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">removed </span></span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">during the meal</span><span class="">,</span> <span class="hps">and adorned with</span> <span class="hps">three large</span> <span class="hps">white candles</span> <span class="hps">representing</span> <span class="hps">the Trinity.</span></span><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis5" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis5/755782-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis5_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none; width: 651px; height: 485px;" title="Chateauansouis5" /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis10" height="499" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis10/755822-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis10_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Chateauansouis10" width="669" /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis4" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis4/755814-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis4_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none; width: 651px; height: 485px;" title="Chateauansouis4" /><br /><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">A variety of</span><span class="hps"></span> <span class="hps">thirteen desserts</span> are served,<span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class=""> in remembrance</span> <span class="hps">of the Last Supper</span><span class="">, Jesus</span> <span class="hps">surrounded by his</span> <span class="hps">twelve apostles.</span></span><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis9" height="499" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis9/755854-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis9_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Chateauansouis9" width="669" /><br /><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">This ei</span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps">ghteenth century </span></span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps">Provencal</span></span><span id="result_box" class="" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span> cupboard <span class="hps">maintains its</span> <span class="hps">original</span> <span class="hps">green patina</span><span class=""></span><span class="hps"></span><span class="">.</span></span><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis8" height="499" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis8/755806-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis8_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Chateauansouis8" width="669" /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis7" height="499" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis7/755790-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis7_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Chateauansouis7" width="669" /><br />This 18th century piece of furniture is called a "love letter" and was made for just that: love letter writing. It also served as fireplace screen.<br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis3" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis3/755830-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis3_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none; width: 651px; height: 485px;" title="Chateauansouis3" /><br /><br /><img alt="Chateauansouis2" src="http://cdn-dekio.ladmedia.fr/var/deco/storage/images/art_decoration/decouvertes/visites-privees/noel-en-provence-visite-privee-du-chateau-d-ansouis/chateauansouis2/755846-1-fre-FR/Chateauansouis2_carrousel_gallery_xl.jpg" style="border: 0px none; width: 649px; height: 484px;" title="Chateauansouis2" /><br />Octagonal alcove on the second floor.<br /><br />All images from <a href="http://art-decoration.dekio.fr/">here</a>.

Christmas at Château d’Ansouis

The Château d’Ansouis has been standing for over a thousand years , overlooking the village of Ansouis and the Valley of the Aigues, ...

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