Jocelyn needs few words to sum up the upcoming French election: “It’s all about Macron” he is sitting at a pavement café on the main square just days before the first round of French parliamentary elections on June 30th Jocelyn has no doubt as to the way fellow voters will show their displeasure at the French president Emmanuel Macron: by backing Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally (RN) “used to have an image as a racist and fascist party This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The centre collapses” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate, in a run-off There are five luxuries it can no longer feasibly afford Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps. But he is serious about Europe Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success Closing ceremony at Châteaudun French Air and Space Force) will definitively vacate the former Châteaudun « Lieutenant Marcel Beau » air base at the end of the year 2021 a ceremony was held for the effective disbandment of the site with the departure of almost all of the personnel The disbandment ceremony consisted of the presentation of decorations the review of the troops and an air parade with the passage of Rafales Commander Jean-Pierre Le Menach led the ceremony “with pain in his heart” as he had personally served at Base Aérienne BA279 Châteaudun for many years Already in July 2014 the military site of Châteaudun lost its status of Base Aérienne (Air Base) and became Élément Air Rattaché 279 (EAR 279) As such it was coupled to that of Base Aérienne 123 Orléans-Bricy following the restructuring that was decided by the Ministry of Defense Laid down by the (then) Armée de l'Air in 1934 and expanded by the Luftwaffe during WW II (responsible for the famous “German runway”) the base has a long history Châteaudun’s main purpose is the storage of all the French military aircraft that were taken out of service these aircraft are waiting to be finally dismantled There has been an attempt to install an industrial dismantling sector in 2015-2016 So the AAE finally decided the withdrawal from the site by the end of the year 2021 It is 2021 but the AAE doesn't wait until December to vacate the scene Gradually going from 350 soldiers in 2015 to around 150 in summer 2020 there will now only be around 20 people present in Châteaudun to manage day-to-day business until this winter The grounds of the former airfield will then be offered for sale The base aérienne is the third of Châteaudun’s military installations that was closed Earlier the Kellermann barracks and the army ETAMAT closed their doors Fortunately there are plans to retain some aviation activities and redevelop Châteaudun into a small airport with business aviation According to market studies by Nice-Côte d'Azur airport and aeronautical experts there is a potential for 600 business aircraft movements in two years and 1,100 business aircraft in motion by 2031 In addition to these plans parts of the area will be developed into an ecological park dedicated to the protection of biodiversity and others into a solarpower plant project which stands for Conservatoire d'aéronefs non-opérationnels préservés et exposés (Museum for the conservation and exposition of non-operational aircraft) will also remain on site mostly originating from the Armée de l'Air As a member you get access to all our premium content and benefits learn more After weeks of grappling with plans to sell a 12th-century abbey church the French town of Châteaudun has decided to call off the deal The town's proposal was dashed after the Catholic community banded together to submit a petition the Catholic Church was able to lean on an old law that names them the beneficiaries of the property Aleteia reported on January 2 that the nearly 900-year-old La Madeleine church had caught the eye of Julien Cohen auctioneer and host of the French TV show Done Deal Cohen commented that the church was exactly what he needed for the site of a new center to sell second-hand goods The plan was to use the new store as a boon to the local economy but the problem was that no one informed the Church.  was only informed of the prospective sale indirectly when the story broke to the press They expressed their amazement over the plan The Tablet explains that the law cedes ownership of all pre-20th-century Church structures to the government but the Catholic Church retains rights to them in perpetuity:  While the law was most likely enough to stop the efforts on its own the Catholics of Châteaudun also submitted a petition to stop the sale which is all the more impressive considering the population of the town is fewer than 13,000.  Julien Cohen did not try to fight the public outcry He explained that he never meant to court controversy with the acquisition Cohen has moved on to set his sights on a different site in Châteaudun This location is not expected to cause the same altercation as La Madeleine church but if he can’t get it he may move on to a different town There are plenty of such former Catholic properties available in France where it is estimated that 30 disused churches are sold each year.  Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you Please make a tax-deductible donation today Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news Delivering the news from Henley on Thames and South Oxfordshire for over 100 years A MAN from Henley is in France today (Friday) unveiling a memorial for his great uncle a pilot who was killed during the D-Day operation 80 years ago wanted to honour Flight Sergeant Arthur Waller who died when his bomber was shot down during the night of June 6 The aircraft had taken off from Burn in North Yorkshire and was over Châteaudun in occupied northern France when it was hit in the early hours of the next day Mr Waller visited the area last summer to try to find the crash site and then arranged to erect the memorial who owns classic car dealers Motodrome in Nuffield said: “The aircraft was a Handley Page Halifax III heavy bomber “The aircraft was engaged in a raid on the railway marshalling yards at Chateaudun when it was hit by flak over the target and crashed “Their route to Châteaudun would have taken them over Henley in the same way that an aircraft from the same squadron crashed and exploded in Carpenters Wood Mr Waller tried to find the crash site before contacting local historian Michel Lerouil He said: “We located the crash site and recovered lots of the aircraft fragments in the field “It was a strange feeling; it was like history coming alive “The fact that I now have a small part of the aircraft that my great uncle flew and died in is interesting “I didn’t think we would find anything after almost 80 years “We approached the local council with the idea of erecting a memorial to the crew near the crash site in time for the 80th anniversary “I’m pleased to say they were more than receptive to the idea It is really is a fine memorial to seven brave men I hope it will stand for many years to come “The ceremony is being held overlooking the field where the bomber fell the loss of life in Châteaudun as a result of the raid and the fact that it was the beginning of the end of four years of German occupation for the citizens.” He added: “I’ve been interested in wartime aviation since I was a small boy probably fired by my father recounting his memories of his uncle “I’ve thought about doing something about this for years but never got around to it until a couple of years ago when I found myself passing through Châteaudun while on holiday.” HIGGS GROUP Tel: 01491 419400 www.higgsgroup.co.uk HENLEY PAGES Tel: 01491 419419 www.henleypages.com HIGGS PRINTING & DESIGN Tel: 01491 419429 www.higgsprinting.co.uk HIGGS OFFICE SUPPLIES Tel: 01491 419499 www.higgsofficesupplies.co.uk HENLEY LIFE MAGAZINE Tel: 01491 419449 www.henleylife.co.uk © Higgs & Co (Printers) Limited 2016 | Registered in England number 1418717 Powered by Miles 33 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Lucie Guerra © Boulangerie LouvardOn en a l'eau à la bouche rien que d'y penser Une boulangerie parisienne a élaboré ce que l'on pourrait aisément qualifier de graal : le crookie Permettez-nous de dresser le portrait. Imaginez un croissant encore un peu chaud, délicatement beurré, bien croustillant. Imaginez également un cookie on ne peut plus chocolaté et ultra fondant Maintenant réunissez les deux et vous obtenez la nouvelle petite merveille qui fait actuellement fureur sur Instagram Une publication partagée par Boulangerie Louvard (@boulangerie_louvard) Exit le cruffin, mélange de croissant et de muffin ou le brookie, alliance de brownie et de cookie. On se délecte désormais d’une curieuse association du croissant français et du cookie américain Cette petite gourmandise a été créée en 2022 par la boulangerie Louvard située rue de Châteaudun dans le 9e le croissant-cookie est devenu un véritable incontournable de la boutique  Mise en avant par le créateur de contenu Johan Papz au début du mois de février le croissant-cookie ou crookie ne manque pas de faire saliver la toile et pour cause : c’est un « croissant pur beurre garni d’une généreuse pâte à cookie mi-cuite » comme l’explique la boulangerie sur son compte Instagram Sachez que le croissant de la boulangerie Louvard a été nommé 6e meilleur croissant d’Île-de-France en 2022 et qu’ils sont confectionnés avec soin chaque matin « avec une pâte sur levain de lait fermenté 24h et tourée au beurre de Charente » Maison Louvard11, rue de Châteaudun – 9ePlus d'infos Une publication partagée par Le Bonbon (@le_bonbon) Last Updated on 13th March 2023 by Sophie Nadeau Located on the Loir River (note the lack of ‘e’ on ‘Loir’) Châteaudun was once home to a close comrade of Joan of Arc and started out in life as a 12th-century fortress a thriving market town has sprung up around the original Château and a renaissance wing has been added to the castle itself The rest of the town is filled with medieval architecture Here’s a quick guide to the best things to do in Châteaudun Lovely Châteaudun is situated in the northern portion of the Loire Valley Like many French towns in the region (especially those in the very heart of the Loire Valley) the main attraction of Châteaudun is its imposing and fortified castle this is the very first Château you’ll encounter on the road to the Loire valley if you’re approaching the area from Paris (which is around an hour and a half from Châteaudun by car) Construction of the Castle began in the 12th Century and carried on intermittently for the following four. Inside the walls of the Château, you’ll find one of the few remaining Saint Chapelle chapels in France (two of the most iconic chapels that first spring to mind are those of Île de la Cité and that of Bois de Vincennes.) In total only seven Sainte Chapelle churches remain You’ll also find a huge tapestry collection within the walls of the castle as well as a beautiful medicinal garden (though due to the seasonality of the plants this is best visited in the Spring or Summer months).  The Keep of the castle belongs to the original fortress and dates back to the 12th-Century and various Renaissance additions make the castle well worth a peek inside as well as well as a historic monument status since 1918 have ensured that the Château de Châteaudun is back to its former glory The church of Eglise de la Madeleine is situated in the very heart of the old part of Châteaudun (and across a car park from the public toilets the pretty and historic church has been classified as a historic monument of national importance in part owing to the fact that parts of it date all the way back to the 12th-Century The abbey church is filled with beautiful stained glass windows (and is often open to the public right up until the early evening) Nearby buildings which once belonged to the church are now used to house the Institute for Nursing Education- though they appeared quite abandoned while we were wandering around the town The main museum of Châteaudun is home to all manner of exhibitions ranging from history to the local wildlife archaeological finds from the area (there’s evidence of Palaeolithic Men in the area dating back 300,000 years) and a huge ornithology collection comprising of more than 2500 birds you’ll find a particularly enticing wine cellar and exploring the dungeons below the castle we stumbled upon this little gem of a store “Now this is the kind of thing I could do with visiting!” the entire cellar is filled with vintage bottles and fine French wines from all over l’Hexagon the natural caves provide the perfect spot for storing and selling wine (the temperature rarely fluctuates from its 11 degree Celsius norm.) Though they were (sadly) closed when we visited the medieval town these limestone caves were inhabited by prehistoric man around 300,000 years ago One of the best ways to get a sense of the town is to wander around You’ll soon find that the town is divided into two parts in the form of a steep limestone cliff face (on which the castle is actually built) While the upper town encompasses many of the historic medieval buildings the newer part of the town is still worth a stroll around- if only to admire the beauty of the Loir River Each year during the first weekend of July an annual festival called the Foire aux Laines is held The festivities celebrate the town’s important medieval past when it was an important stop on the trade route between Paris Enjoyed reading about the best things to do in Châteaudun Sophie Nadeau is a full time travel writer and photographer focused on cultural experiences in Europe and beyond When she's not chasing after the sunset (or cute dogs she sees on her travels) she can be found reading and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. I started this site back in 2015 with one mission in mind: I wanted to create useful travel guides with a historical and cultural focus Today it has blossomed into my full time job and together with a small team of writers (including my husband and sister) we craft articles to help you travel better throughout Europe © 2015- 2025 Sophie Nadeau. Nadeau Pasquier LTD. All Rights Reserved. solosophie participates in various affiliate marketing programs. solosophie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy