the town invites you to join us for the 27th edition of the carnival Take a free ride around town on the little train and enjoy concerts and other demonstrations in the Parc Manchez and Place du Marché it's time for the parade through the streets of the town Come costumed and decked out in your finest accessories to accompany the marchers the batucada and the Vexin Camargue horses This great day of carnival will close with the arrival of the procession at Parc Manchez (scheduled for around 4 p.m.) and the traditionalsetting ablaze of Monsieur Carnaval On the program for Carnaval 2025 in Isle-Adam: Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here Discover the exceptional L'Isle-Adam beach Boasting a unique setting near the L'Isle-Adam train station it becomes the ideal place for swimming and a variety of activities from June 8 onwards Enriched by a rich history dating back to the inter-war years it offers visitors a veritable bathing complex comprising some 50 cabins L'Isle-Adam beach offers a wide range of activities Long shorts such as Bermuda shorts and burkinis are forbidden The resort places great emphasis on respect for the environment: eating and smoking are strictly forbidden around the pools and in the sand with its beach huts renovated in 2015 and two swimming pools presents itself as an ideal destination for those looking to cool off relax or have fun during the hot summer months The nearby Paddle Brothers also offer an interesting leisure activity Don't miss this opportunity to discover this unique river beach Plan your visit to L'Isle-Adam beach now for a moment of incomparable escape and entertainment The new bunker complex on the twelfth hole at Golf de l’Isle Adam has completed a bunker renovation project on its Ronald Fream-designed golf course Work began in 2016 following the acquisition of the club in 2013 by First Shanghai Investment, with the first phase of work completed in January 2021 An architect from Golfplan approved the renovation the club’s head greenkeeper at the time leading the project and overseeing an in house construction team we have created new ways to challenge players,” said Etienne Pillier Leslie’s son and the current head greenkeeper “We have an island bunker complex on the eighth which was the original signature hole on the course There are two new bunkers at the par-three thirteenth and a very original design at the twelfth – the idea was to create an island-style greenside complex similar in shape to our club logo can now be considered the course’s signature hole “I am very grateful to First Shanghai Investment Golfplan and our general manager for allowing us to go forward with this bunker project which has been completed without disturbing the original Ronald Fream design.” First Shanghai Investment has recently opened a new four-star boutique hotel Clémence Varène © Departement du Val d'OiseDepuis le 8 juin et jusque début septembre l’immense plage de l’Isle-Adam son sable fin et ses activités à gogo vous accueille quand vous le souhaitez pour un moment de détente au soleil idéal pour faire face à la chaleur de l’été situé à seulement une heure de Paris et sera ouvert tous les jours dès le 29 juin Au départ de la gare du Nord on grimpe dans la ligne H pour une petite heure de trajet direction l’Isle-Adam On découvre alors une charmante petite bourgade des bords de l’Oise moins de 10 minutes à pied plus tard au cœur d’un îlot de verdure qui saura contenter les adeptes de natation mais aussi ceux pour qui été rime avec sieste à l’ombre ou petite pétanque entre potes En effet, sur place, pas question de laisser qui que ce soit sur le carreau. Les activités se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas pour contenter le plus de monde possible. En plus d’une véritable plage de sable fin sur les bords de l’Oise, le lieu vous propose deux piscines et même une pataugeoire pour ceux qui ne seraient pas encore très à l’aise dans le grand bain Et pour ceux d’entre vous qui auraient une peur bleue des substances aqueuses, pas de souci, on ne vous oublie pas non plus ! Car la Plage, c’est aussi un paradis pour les sportifs : terrains de ping-pong, de pétanque parfaites pour ceux qui rêvent de flotter un moment viennent compléter ce portrait déjà plutôt impressionnant Et pour profiter d’une journée entière dans ce lieu de dingue, pas besoin de se ruiner, puisqu’il faut compter seulement 20€ par personne (soit beaucoup moins cher qu’un ventilateur électrique). Moyennant finance, vous pourrez également profiter d’un tour en barque ou en pédalo et de l’une des incroyables cabines de plage refaites à neuf il y a quelques années Plage de l’Isle-Adam Place du Feu Saint-Jean – L'Isle-Adam (95290) Ouvert de 10h à 19h Plus d’infos le combo artistique gagnant pour les 16-28 ans à La Seine Musicale Cette rando au bord de la Seine vous entraîne dans les pas des Impressionnistes This exhibition takes the general public on a chronological journey through the history and heritage of the city of Adam postcards and old photographs from the museum's collections The town owes its golden age to the princes of Conti when sumptuous parties were held in a restored château with paved roads laid out in the forest for hunting after the destruction wrought by the French Revolution the town was reborn and developed into a series of suburban neighborhoods both a vacation resort and an industrial city with the arrival of the railroads in 1846 and better navigation conditions Its setting between the forest and the banks of the Oise all of which helped to make L'Isle-Adam a leading destination of the time If you want to eat the best macaroons in the Île-de-France region this bakery-pâtisserie has just won four awards the Seine-et-Marne département and the Syndicat des Boulangers du Grand Paris have just voted for the best macaron in Ile-de-France From chocolate classics to more original recipes one Ile-de-France establishment stood out from the rest La Pelle & la Toque bakeries in Sannois and L’Isle-Adam have just won two gold and two bronze medals for their exceptional macarons Lofti’s chocolate macaron and Jérémy’s foie gras and fig macaron also won bronze medals A post shared by La Pelle & La Toque – Laurine & Anthony RAGAINE (@la_pelle_et_la_toque) This isn’t the first time La Pelle & la Toque has stood out from the crowd The Sannois-based company has already won a gold and silver medal for Best Pastry in Val-d’Oise a gold medal for Best Tradition in the département and three first places in the Best Croissant du Val-d’Oise competition the establishment also shone on the M6 TV show “La Meilleure Boulangerie de France” Addresses: 2-4 Rue du Lieutenant Georges Keiser Golf de l’Isle Adam in France has completed a bunker renovation project Head greenkeeper Etienne Pillier took responsibility for bunker design following a consultation from Golfplan Work began in 2016 following the acquisition of the club in 2013 by First Shanghai Investment “The first thing we did to make sure we could work on the course with a free mind was have an architect from Golfplan come to approve the renovation,” said Etienne Pillier head greenkeeper at Golf de l’Isle Adam Pillier took responsibility for individual bunker design and the work was completed in house during the autumn and winter months over a four-year period Bunkers were hand built and the club’s team used nursery turf for lining to save the time and expense involved with alternative systems “The new bunkers have many influences from great course designers like Ronald Fream Alister MacKenzie and Tom Simpson,” said Pillier “They are smaller and have better sight lines “We can manually rake all the new bunkers to improve the quality of maintenance and the course is looking great,” said Pillier “All the members and golfers are really happy to have nice new bunkers.” Be vigilant ! Increase in attempts to impersonate Eiffage and its subsidiaries (use of fake email addresses, fraudulent websites, etc.). More details here. Inventing the future with a human perspective means continuing to grow while staying true to who we are Maintain our balance between construction and concessions businesses  Eiffage puts at your disposal tools to facilitate your exchanges with the group Find here all the news Eiffage Group and stay connected on our application and networks the project of the new neighborhood of the Port de L'Isle-Adam (95) aims to become a recreational area that will offer an atypical living environment to its residents Many biodiversity measures have been put in place to protect the environment in which it is integrated discover the project from a new angle: by flying over it Bordered to the west by the Oise and to the east by the Garenne ponds the site historically has a strategic position and an ideal setting for tourism and recreational activities Financière Clorélice and Codoprom are the real estate partners of the transaction The first housing and port will be delivered in the fall of 2020 Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/LWtJNYEq3BI brings together various Eiffage entities with Eiffage Génie Civil For more information, read the press release (in French) : https://www.eiffageconstruction.com/files/live/sites/construction-v2/fil... We have read several contributions to your paper dealing with the early years of symphonic bands in Malta; this is possibly due to the fact that both the De Rohan Band of Żebbuġ and L’Isle Adam Band of Rabat were celebrating their 150th anniversary that 19th century popular history in Malta is still not accurately documented and thus most of these ‘records’ are based on loose evidence inferred from secondary documentation I feel that I can contribute to this discussion by presenting a particular cap-badge from my collection which can shed light on the first years of musical bands in Malta can be attributed to the second half of the 19th century This badge presents the coat of arms of Grand Master L’Isle Adam centrally placed on the eight-pointed cross with a lower inscription reading ‘L’Isle Adam Band 1862’ This seems to indicate that the first members considered 1862 as the year in which their band was founded this founding year was subsequently changed and the same band today considers 1860 as its official founding year Now that all the celebrations related to these anniversaries have ended I had to raise this fact not only to stimulate an informed discussion on this subject but also because I wish to know more on the origins of this badge and possibly what led to the change in dates please register for free or log in to your account The history of robots on screen predates even the coining of the term by Czech writer Karel Capek in his 1920 play R.U.R Philip Martin has been a columnist and critic for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 1993 he has won more than 100 regional and statewide journalism prizes published six books and released eight albums of original music He appears weekly on “The Zone” with Justin Acri and D.J This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing Maria Sumalla Unsplash.Envie de vous faire une razzia de macarons Direction le Val-d’Oise pour découvrir les créations originales de La Pelle & La Toque boulangeries-pâtisseries qui viennent d’obtenir quatre prix prestigieux pour leurs macarons.  Cette pâtisserie typiquement française a fait l’objet d’un concours lors duquel le département de Seine-et-Marne et le Syndicat des Boulangers du Grand Paris se sont attelés à la dure tâche de décerner médailles d’or d’argent ou de bronze à celleux qui nous font le plus fondre de plaisir c’est du côté du Val-d’Oise qu’il faudra se rendre dans les boulangeries-pâtisseries La Pelle & La Toque.  Du haut de ses deux adresses, l’une à Sannois et l’autre à L’Isle-Adam, La Pelle & La Toque ravit les habitant·es des alentours. Créées par Anthony et Laurine Regaine, les deux boutiques se sont déjà fait remarquer lors de nombreux concours. Comme le précise bien Paris Secret La Pelle & La Toque a déjà obtenu la médaille d'or et d’argent pour la Meilleure Pâtisserie du Val-d’Oise ainsi que la première place pour la Meilleure Tradition du département Elle aura aussi remporté haut la main le concours du Meilleur Croissant du Val-d’Oise Tout ce qu’il faut pour nous mettre l’eau à la bouche  Une publication partagée par La Pelle & La Toque - Laurine & Anthony RAGAINE (@la_pelle_et_la_toque) Les deux adresses de La Pelle & La Toque viennent de décrocher deux médailles d’or et deux médailles de bronze pour leurs macarons c’est la création citron-menthe de Lofti dans la boutique de Sannois qui remporte la première place dans la catégorie “macaron innovant” avec tout ce qu’il faut d’acidité et de fraîcheur Le gourmand macaron au chocolat de Jérémy de la boutique de L’Isle-Adam obtient aussi la médaille d’or c’est le macaron chocolat (aussi) de Lofti et le macaron au foie gras et à la figue qui l’emportent De quoi nous faire saliver jusqu’à notre prochaine escapade dans le Val-d’Oise !  La Pelle & La Toque2-4, rue du Lieutenant-Georges-Keiser – Sannois41, Grande Rue – L’Isle-AdamPlus d’infos Le Food Market de Belleville de retour pour une édition 100% BBQ Top Chef : ces deux candidats de la saison 16 ouvrent un rooftop éphémère à Paris  Le plus grand resto veggie de Paris ouvre ses portes dans le Marais Museum Night is Saturday, May 17, 2025! And for this 21st edition, if you live in the Val-d'Oise (or if you'd like to discover the region's heritage), why not visit the Musée d'art et d'histoire Louis Senlecq to take advantage of its spaces on the occasion of this exceptional the Nuit des Musées is the cultural event of the month of May many museums await you to immerse yourself in their collections through visits It's a chance to discover culture in a whole new way 2025 - 18:00 ⤏ 22:00Investigate the museum's rooms among the works in the "Three Centuries at L'Isle-Adam" exhibition Are you ready to have a great Museums' Night Theresa Zammit Lupi: Cantate Domino: Early Choir Books for the Knights in Malta [attach id="186818" size="medium" align="right"][/attach] Theresa Zammit Lupi’s book is a first in Malta The book she has written may be considered as an anatomy the dissection of the choral books which she has so thoroughly studied (No one) involved in the preservation and conservation of our patrimony can afford to be without this book- Joseph Schirò The results of her study also provide the raw material for the proper preservation of the magnificent collection of illuminated liturgical manuscripts also called L’Isle Adam’s Graduals The book is essentially divided into four parts The first part is the historical background of the graduals which is a must to put them in their historical context She bases her chapter on the seminal work done by Isidoro Formosa and that of Martina Caruana Zammit Lupi also added her training in conservation in the chapter and she discusses the changes vicissitudes and interventions which the books went through and the effects these have had on their present condition She next delves into the manufacturing techniques of the text block and the manufacturing techniques of the sewing and the binding In these two chapters some surprising but fascinating details clearly come out Zammit Lupi shows she has gone through the volumes with a fine toothcomb and in a very rigorous and academic manner Details have the habit of not showing up easily even though they would have been staring at you in the face all the time clearly shows she must have gone back and forth hundreds of times The more one reads the more one realises that direct intervention on the volumes would possibly do more harm than good as the chances of losing valuable bibliographical data increase exponentially The use of sand for drying ink has been known for a long time but it is very rare that one still finds drying sand still attached to the ink would surely remove what is still remaining In some previous repairs on the manuscripts were mistaken for damage and were thus ‘restored’ Zammit Lupi should be given a lot of credit for her perseverance in working out the puzzle of the melis­ma numbers that were written down as annotations at the side of the melismatic syllables in the music they were sometimes written in Roman and sometimes in Arabic numerals Her success is even more significant given that she was faced with blank walls when musicologists around the world kept telling her that they had never encountered such numbers before In the chapter on visual analysis and historical considerations Zammit Lupi faced the difficult task of giving an attribution to the L’Isle Adam illuminations This was particularly difficult as although one finds distinct different hands in the execution there was still uniformity in the layout and general composition This is hardly surprising given that all Scriptoria would have consisted of more than one person working on any given manuscript Zammit Lupi safely attributes the production of the illuminations to the followers of the French illuminator Jean Pichore rather than to Jean Pichore himself as the same patterns found in the manuscripts have been copied and used by many others until the end of the 16th century to attribute the 1582 changes to the Dominican friar Fra’ Bisignano and the Verdalle antiphonals which are found at St John’s church I am sure that not all the fragments of the L’Isle Adam graduals that were reutilised as bindings especially in the Notarial Archives have been thoroughly studied and it would not be impossible to find the elusive signature or monogram that would give the documentary proof needed for the authorship of the L’Isle Adam Graduals The book is a masterpiece of Maltese book production and the overall layout and chosen size of the book show that a lot of thought and work have gone into its production as I did not manage to find one mistake in the whole text The only feature I would criticise is the use of endnotes It would have been better if they were inserted as side notes as the aesthetics of the page spread would not have been disturbed or compromised and all those in any way involved in the preservation and conservation of our national patrimony can afford to be without this book If we bear in mind the extent of possibly hidden information found in artefacts like we have now learned and witnessed in this book I am sure we will finally see reason and we will tread very carefully instead of rush in so foolhardily to ‘restore’ things If and when this happens then we can truly say Cantate Domino Mr Schirò is head of Conservation at Heritage Malta He is also the honorary secretary of the Malta Map Society and is co-author with Albert Ganado of the German Malta Maps catalogue published by BDL in 2011 A room at Ta' Giezu convent in Rabat where Grand Master L'Isle Adam died in 1534 is open for visitors today The room was restored over the past year to what it would have looked like when the first grand master of the knights in Malta used to rest there The grand master was a benefactor of the convent and the church which are open for viewing throughout the day as part of the Seher ir-Rabat festival On July 19, 2024, the Olympic Flame, a symbol of peace and world unity, will criss-cross the Val-d'Oise and highlight the department's treasures on the occasion of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games the département will shine as the privileged host of this Olympic tradition with a route that crosses 18 communes to conclude with a grandiose celebration at the Enghien-Soisy racecourse Please note that the times shown are approximate and subject to change depending on the organization and the hazards of the route More than a hundred bearers of the Olympic Flame will take turns on the Val-d'Oise route These scouts have been chosen by the Paris 2024 Games organizing committee and its partners They have been selected to ensure gender parity enjoy street performances by Compagnie Oposito Bal des Martine and Compagnie Altitude with tightrope walker Didier Pasquette underlines the importance of this event: " It's a fantastic opportunity for the people of Valdois to experience great emotions through the strong The Val d'Oise is thus preparing to offer a warm and festive welcome to the Olympic Flame, illustrating the richness of its heritage and its community spirit in the run-up to the Paris 2024 games The L’Isle Adam Band Club of Rabat is holding various activities to mark the 25th anniversary of the appointment of its bandmaster joined the band as a student musician aged 13 He played with several leading bands on the island and was a part-time member of the Manoel Theatre Orchestra In 1985 he was appointed musical director of the Sliema Band while also being invited to conduct various bands in Gozo A highlight of Galea’s career came in December 1985 when he successfully substituted Philip Gatt and led the L’Isle Adam Band toits second win in the national band contest He was officially ap­pointed bandmaster early in 1987 During the first visit of Pope John Paul II in 1990 Galea conducted the L’Isle Adam youth band at the national stadium in Ta’ Qali and conducted the two Rabat bands (the other being the Count Roger Band) in a concert at Cathedral Square Galea has written a good number of band marches among them an antiphon to St Joseph played during the yearly feast in honour of the saint In the past year Galea conducted the band in a number of performances in Sicily and during a concert at the Manoel Theatre on November 13 The silver jubilee activities include the issuing of a CD of compositions by Galea and an exhibition on the bandmaster’s life and career at Palazzo Xara the band will accompany Mro Galea and his family from their home in Rabat to the band club followed by a thanksgiving Mass at the church of St Mary of Jesus The activities will be rounded up with a concert at the Seminary next Sunday evening with the participation of soprano Karen Camilleri tenor Joseph Aquilina and baritone Louis Cassar Admission to the concert is free and is open to all We venture into one of Ile-de-France's most beautiful villages to discover Le Nid. Bordered by the river Oise, this terrace restaurant in L'Isle-Adam is a hidden treasure offering two large sunny terraces on two levels The view from the balcony makes you feel like you're on vacation The perfect setting for a moment of relaxation David-Olivier Descombes, of the DOD ARCHITECTE agency has breathed a breath of exoticism into the décor Le Nid reveals itself to be elegant and cosy with a blend of traditional brasserie and colonial style The 172m² terrace is bordered by a sculpted balustrade and overlooked by a passageway a 6m-high glass roof bathes the space in light providing a breathtaking view over the river Oise Then it's time for a taste of conviviality and sharing the kitchen is generous with pretty plates and large platters for two or more We immerse ourselves in the discovery of regions It's the perfect way to unwind before the start of the new season Oysters and crispy prawns tempt you before a generous helping of braised beef it's open from 12:00 to 14:00 from Monday to Friday and from 12:00 to 14:30 on Saturdays and Sundays Le Nid is the place to feel transported to a world of relaxation and indulgence on the banks of the Oise It's a place where you can share warm moments in a dazzling setting Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation the Île-de-France region reveals a rich heritage and often little-known treasures that are well worth the detour we'd like to introduce you to the most unusual spots to discover in the Paris region original nuggets you might not have known existed So why not treat yourself to an unusual discovery in the Paris region the L’Isle Adam Band of Rabat normally organises a concert at Saqqajja the picturesque Saqqajja Square in Rabat is not ‘living’ the Imnarja feast as it has done in past years Covid-19 has led to the concert not being held as usual the Committee and the Band Commission within the L’Isle Adam Musical Society made arrangements for the appointment to be kept through social media The Committee prepared a short video which they posted on the Society’s Facebook page showing the L’Isle Adam Band playing on the club’s spacious terrace at Palazzo Xara With the background decked out with banderoles and other decorations band members in formal uniform played under the direction of bandmaster Maestro William Debattista Excerpts played included the popular L-Imnarja melody with an adaptation for the band the work of honorary bandmaster Joseph Galeali This melody is without a doubt closely linked to the country’s folklore festival the L’Isle adam Band has always played a major part in this traditional Maltese feast among others with the concert by the Rabat band on the evening of L-Imnarja which brings to an end the celebrations held in both Rabat and Buskett Owen Galea huwa l-Kap tal-Aħbarijiet ta' TVM Huwa nħatar f'din il-kariga fl-1 ta' Mejju 2024 Galea beda l-karriera l-ġurnalistitika tiegħu fl-2003 wara li ggradwa fil-Komunikazzjoni mill-Università ta' Malta 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 Having run his first marathon in April 2018 Lisle native Peter Krzywosz cranked out a second 26.2-mile effort seven months later he posted his personal best time of 3 hours and 7 minutes in last year's Chicago Marathon His marathon resume got a considerable boost this week when the 26-year-old ran seven marathons in seven days all to show support and raise money during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month There were a lot of sleepless nights leading up to this and whether or not I can do this,” says Krzywosz who successfully finished his quest on Friday and self-confidence I felt at the end of the last marathon made it all worth it .. It's been humbling to hear so many stories of those battling severe illnesses or know someone who has passed due to cancer my hope is to inspire others to do what they know they are capable of in making a difference for whatever they feel strongly about.” he ran 62 miles (a 100K) from Chicago to Michigan in 14 hours to raise money for a boy battling inoperable brain cancer whom Krzywosz met through his volunteer work with Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago he vowed to run 260 miles and made $6,100 in pledges for the children's hospital “I actually beat that by 100 miles,” says Krzywosz who racked up 361 miles by running 27 days of the month “I want to do what I know I can to help those that haven't been as fortunate,” says Krzywosz who is raising funds for the third straight September “Running has been my way of connecting my talents and charisma to those individuals families and institutions delivering lifesaving treatments albeit many of these instances have been half-stupid and a full send on impulsivity.” This year, Krzywosz got his inspiration from a chat with his friend, Carina Vallejos, manager of the lululemon store in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, who told him about her friend, Matt Lampson, a professional soccer goalie. Diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma at 17, Lampson, an Ohio native, recovered and started the LampStrong Foundation a charity that provides financial and emotional support to cancer patients and their families After starting his college career at Northern Illinois University Lampson transferred in 2009 to Ohio State University As a professional goalie with the Chicago Fire in 2016 Lampson won his first MLS WORKS humanitarian of the year award He won his third humanitarian award last season with the L.A Galaxy and now plays for the Columbus Crew “Doing some research into who the heck this cat is made me instantly inspired,” says Krzywosz, who raised more than $11,000 last week through his GoFundMe page for LampStrong A high school swimmer who hated having to run a mile during P.E Krzywosz eventually discovered that he could run a mile and actually enjoy it “Swimming is just the ability to do mundane tasks well That translates into running very well,” says Krzywosz who says marathons are just swim meets with better scenery who have been cheering him throughout all of his charity endeavors when he was a student at the University of Dayton and organized an event that raised more than $1,500 to help children with cancer With COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions canceling just about every racing event this year developed his own series of 26.2-mile marathons for the week running the Chicago Marathon course early Saturday morning and a marathon along the Chicago lakefront on Sunday he ran the route of a lululemon store race ran the Chicago Marathon layout again on Tuesday repeated the lakefront run on Wednesday and the lululemon course on Thursday and finished up his grueling ordeal on Friday in front of the lululemon store in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood “I get more joy and less anxiety through movement,” says Krzywosz an account executive with Becker's Healthcare where he works on business development and is a leader in charity efforts Working from home during the pandemic made it easier for him to train with runs before and after work and during his lunch break health care and plans for the future are up in the air but the one constant has been to move my feet and run,” Krzywosz says “It's just become part of my ethos every day.” the Snack Show hosted the very first edition of the Best Brioche in France competition Brioche, the emblem of French patisserie, is a soft, gourmet pastry with a delicate fragrance and airy texture. Made from leavened dough enriched with butter, eggs and sugar, it embodies the perfect marriage of richness and lightness. Originating in France, brioche has diversified over the centuries, giving rise to regional variants such as the Vendée brioche or the famous brioche à tête. On Thursday April 3, participants from Paris and the surrounding region competed for the very first title of Best Brioche in France. In front of a panel of expert judges, presided over by Jean-François Feuillette, the contestants were put through their paces in three tests. The first, making a classic puff pastry brioche, judged the candidates on their technique. The second consisted in making a vegetarian brioche, while the last involved a sweet brioche. In the end, it was Christophe Delporte who was elected and awarded the unprecedented prize of “Best Brioche in France”. If you’d like to see his creations again, you’ll have to head to the Rouget bakery in l’Isle-Adam! in Literature | September 9th, 2013 1 Comment Image by Grete Stern via Wiki­me­dia Com­mons In Jorge Luis Borges’ short sto­ry “The Library of Babel,” the tit­u­lar library con­tains “all that it is giv­en to express Every­thing: the minute­ly detailed his­to­ry of the future thou­sands and thou­sands of false cat­a­logues… the trans­la­tion of every book in all lan­guages the inter­po­la­tions of every book in all books Each vol­ume is devot­ed to a selec­tion of works from a sin­gle author (includ­ing Borges him­self vol­ume 2) or to a geo­graph­i­cal dis­tri­b­u­tion such as “Russ­ian Tales” (vol­ume 29) and “Argen­tin­ian Tales” (vol­ume 30) In a 2009 piece for The Rum­pus Grant Mon­roe details his attempt to track down the con­tents of this mas­sive anthol­o­gy While the col­lec­tion is con­sid­er­ably less impen­e­tra­ble “indef­i­nite and per­haps infi­nite” than the library-world of his famous sto­ry and one could get lost in its cor­ri­dors for sev­er­al months you can find a list of sev­en select­ed stories—with links to online versions—very rough­ly rep­re­sen­ta­tive of the breadth and strange depths of Borges’ cura­to­r­i­al imag­i­na­tion Then see the full con­tents of The Library of Babel anthol­o­gy below the jump 1. Auguste Vil­liers de l’Isle-Adam, “A Tor­ture by Hope” A con­tem­po­rary and friend of Borges’ detest­ed Baude­laire, Vil­liers de l’Isle-Adam was just the kind of down-at-heel aris­to­crat­ic roué whom every­one imag­ines when think­ing of French sym­bol­ist poet­ry. Great­ly influ­enced by Poe, his Cru­el Tales is a col­lec­tion of most­ly mys­ti­cal sto­ries 2. Pu Songling, “The Tiger Guest” This 17th cen­tu­ry Chi­nese writer was much-beloved by Borges, and his influ­ence on the latter’s work is patent­ly evi­dent from a cur­so­ry scan of the titles in Pu’s col­lec­tion, Strange Sto­ries from a Chi­nese Stu­dio 3. Charles Hin­ton, “A Plane World” Hin­ton, a British math­e­mati­cian and sci-fi writer who was much inter­est­ed in the fourth dimen­sion and who coined the word “tesser­act,” wrote spec­u­la­tive fic­tion deeply informed by physics and math­e­mat­ics one of nine pam­phlets pub­lished as Sci­en­tif­ic Romances  Hin­ton is men­tioned in at least two of Borges’ sto­ries 4. Fyo­dor Dos­to­evsky, “The Croc­o­dile: An Extra­or­di­nary Inci­dent” One does not gen­er­al­ly think of Dos­to­evsky as a writer of “fan­tas­tic tales,” nor But Borges includes this lit­tle-known short in his vol­ume of Russ­ian Tales 5. Arthur Machen, The Shin­ing Pyra­mid Briefly asso­ci­at­ed with British occultists like A.E Waite and exert­ing a great deal of influ­ence on Aleis­ter Crow­ley Welsh writer Arthur Machen was also a favorite of Borges 6. Voltaire, “Micromegas” Every­one is famil­iar with Voltaire the philoso­pher and satirist but few know of his con­tri­bu­tion to the devel­op­ment of sci­ence fic­tion with his sev­en-part sto­ry “Micromegas,” the tale of a 20,000 foot tall alien ban­ished from his world for heresy 7. Leopol­do Lugones, “Yzur” This Argen­tin­ian writer was a major influ­ence on Borges Although he receives his own edit­ed vol­ume in the anthol­o­gy (vol­ume 19) Borges: Pro­file of a Writer Presents the Life and Writ­ings of Argentina’s Favorite Son, Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Luis Borges’ 1967–8 Nor­ton Lec­tures On Poet­ry (And Every­thing Else Lit­er­ary) Two Draw­ings by Jorge Luis Borges Illus­trate the Author’s Obses­sions 18 (Free) Books Ernest Hem­ing­way Wished He Could Read Again for the First Time       Josh Jones is a writer and musi­cian based in Durham, NC. Fol­low him at @jdmagness List via The Rum­pus The Ruler and Labyrinth: An Approx­i­ma­tion of J.L Borges’ Bib­li­og­ra­phy “L’ultima Visi­ta del Gen­tilu­o­mo Mala­to” El Con­vi­da­do de las Últi­mas Fes­ti­vas “El Ami­go de la Muerte” [or “The Strange Friend of Tito Gil”] “Exam­i­na­tion for the Post of Guardian Angel” “Jacquez Cazotte,” an essay by Ger­ard de Ner­val “Rain of Fire: An Account of the Immo­la­tion of Gomor­ra” “The His­to­ry of the Trav­els of Scara­men­ta­do” “The Back­ground” [trans­lat­ed as “El Mar­co” (or “The Frame”)] “El Cala­mar Opta por su Tin­ta,” Adol­fo Bioy Casares “El Pro­fe­sor de Aje­drez,” Fed­eri­co Peltzer 32.  The Book of Dreams (A Col­lec­tion of Recount­ed Dreams) List of Authors: Fran­cis­co de Queve­do y Vil­le­gas Nemer ibn el Barud [no Wiki entry; see Ama­zon com­ment field] Ray­mond de Beck­er,  Roder­i­cus Bar­tius 33.  Borges A to Z (A Com­pi­la­tion) by | Permalink | Comments (1) | We’re hop­ing to rely on our loy­al read­ers rather than errat­ic ads. To sup­port Open Cul­ture’s edu­ca­tion­al mis­sion, please con­sid­er mak­ing a dona­tion. We accept Pay­Pal, Ven­mo (@openculture), Patre­on and Cryp­to! Please find all options here. We thank you! What year was pub­lished the Ethno­graph by Jorge Luis Borges XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media We find the free courses and audio books you need the language lessons & educational videos you want The Central Bank of Malta has issued numismatic coins in gold and silver depicting an illuminated letter from the L’Isle Adam Graduals The coins form part of the Europa program with the theme 'Gothic' and bear the Europa Star logo The gold coin has a face value of €50 and the silver coin of €10 Each coin has a weight of 28.28g and a diameter of 38.61mm The €50 coins will be limited to 400 pieces weighing 6.5g and having a diameter of 21mm Both the silver and the gold coins are finished to proof quality while the silver coin will be sold for €65 The coins were designed and minted by the Royal Dutch Mint The obverse of the coin features the coat of arms of Malta and the Europa Star logo The reverse of the coins depicts an illuminated letter O found in the L’Isle Adam Graduals which are housed in the museum of St John’s Co-Cathedral Colour printing techniques have been used on the coins to reproduce the chromatic and aesthetic qualities of the original artwork The Central Bank of Malta acknowledged the consent given by St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation to reproduce this artwork on the coins are considered to be Malta’s finest illuminated manuscripts They consist of a set of 10 choir books commissioned from a French scriptorium by Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam These graduals were produced quite some time after the advent of printing This reflects the complexity of printing music scores which ensured that the production of manuscript choir books – largely using medieval techniques – survived into the 16th century This year's coins conclude the five-year series dedicated to different periods of European art forms and history which have been broadly grouped as: Modern 20th century (2016) The term ‘Gothic’ was first used by Giorgio Vasari and is today generally used to encompass Western art between 1300 and the early 16th century The bank said that following the advice of the health authorities the Malta Coin Centre counter at the main premises will re-open for the public on Monday and it will be open on weekdays from 8.30am to 12.30pm It has been temporarily moved to the entrance foyer and all the necessary health precautions have been put in place Patrons must abide by the bank’s procedures – put in place in line with health authority guidelines – and will need to identify themselves before services can be accessed. Purchases can still be made via the online e-shop facility Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Try downloading another browser like Chrome or Firefox If you already have an account, Sign in. Below is the complete transcript of a debate between Jason Lisle and Hugh Ross on the ëDr Bob Grantí radio program which was held in December of 2004 Grant: … Dr Jason Lisle has proposed that the idea of epochs makes allowance for death and decay prior to Adam’s sin and Dr Hugh Ross I’d like to give you an opportunity to respond to that Romans 5:12 addresses this issue explicitly Ross: I mean the very fact that we’ve got coal and oil and natural gas and concentrated metal ores in the earth is testimony to the billions of years of God creating plants and animals in a secession To make it possible not only for us to live on this planet but to develop civilization and technology Grant: … with the exception of human beings Mary: I believe in the canopy theory and because of that Ross: I think this could get resolved in a few months Ross: The second comment had to do with … refresh my memory Lisle: I don’t believe that the stars literally sang ‘When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?’ Thank you for signing up to receive email newsletters from Answers in Genesis You can also sign up for our free print newsletter (US only) Please follow the instructions we emailed you in order to finish subscribing Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ Learn more A structural renovation in the L’Isle Adam band club in Rabat has been inaugurated This is one of 37 projects submitted by 33 musical societies and eligible for funds under the European Union LEADER programme Parliamentary Secretary responsible for European Union funds inaugurated the restored traditional balcony on the corner of Palazzo Xara in Rabat Dr Borg said the project came about after an appeal by the Local Action Group for the Northwest which administers regional funds under the LEADER project Through an allocation of 16,000 Euros the L’Isle Adam society will continue to promote cultural and  artistic interest the headquarters of the L’Isle Adam Musical Society is historically important and goes back 200 years Dr Borg said this conservation project further affirms appreciation of the country’s cultural and artistic heritage and the need for it to be safeguarded A statue of Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette A deed of gift will be signed today by Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt when a bozzetto of the statue will be revealed featured statues of de Valette and Grandmaster l’Isle Adam which were damaged during the war (photo) the Valletta local council had adopted a motion to erect a statue of de Valette but was unable to source funds for the project As part of the sixteenth day against gender-based violence band clubs in Rabat joined forces through the ‘Speak Up’ initiative aimed at raising awareness against domestic violence and at getting its victims back on their feet and seeking help With the facades of the clubs lit up in orange and flying flags the Rabat musical societies in Malta joined forces for days of activism against domestic violence Musical society l’ Isle Adam and the society San Pawl Banda Konti Ruġġieru are uniting Rabat into one community with these ongoing initiatives on the sixteenth day of activism against domestic violence The President of the Society San Pawl Banda Konti Ruġġieru especially when it comes from persons close to the victim but especially that perpetrated by loved ones.” reiterated the society’s support for such initiatives “We support these things when there are such initiatives because we believe we should be helpful when such campaigns are related to health and education Rabat Mayor Sandro Craus said that with this initiative a strong message is being sent against this type of violence messages have also been posted around the locality A miniature crib using an egg as a grotto and one carved into the trunk of a palm tree are among the unusual cribs on display at the L'Isle Adam band club premises in Palazzo Xara The cribs are among works by over 34 exhibitors The first live crib dates back to 1223 when St Francis used animals and people to represent the protagonists St Cajetan made a crib using small models which could fit onto a table top Joseph Muscat writes in the exhibition brochure which reached the height of its popularity in the 18th century This used plenty of figurines but did not give much importance to the grotto itself The exhibition is open on weekdays from 5.30 to 8 p.m Joseph the Worker in Rabat is expected to be fully celebrated on the second Sunday in May This was announced in a joint statement by the Archconfraternity of St the L’Isle Adam Musical Society AD1860 and the 19 March Fireworks Society of Rabat it was stated that in an extraordinary general consultation held yesterday members unanimously agreed that the Feast of St Joseph on 19 March should be celebrated in all its solemnity complete with all the internal celebrations as always The church functions will be held between the 12th and the 19th of March the religious celebrations on the eve of the feast and those held on the day of the Solemnity of St In view of the health protocols that remain in force until the last week of March it has been stated that the external celebrations cannot be celebrated It was therefore agreed that between the 1st and the 8th of May a complete celebration will be held with band participation fireworks and everything typically associated with Maltese feasts May 1 when the statue will be taken out of the Church On Wednesday the 4th of May a three-day Triduum will commence and on Saturday the 7th of May there will be a celebration on the eve of the feast The feast will reach its apex on Sunday the 8th of May 2022 where in the evening a procession will take place around the streets of Rabat The statement concluded that all this is subject to approval by the civil authorities It is almost a miracle that the mediaeval Palazzo Falson which dates back to the 13th century and hosted Grand Master L'Isle Adam in 1531 bears the mark of art historian and art critic Olof Gollcher (1889-1962) An avid collector of works of art and rare historical items what he left behind is the best of old secular Christendom in Malta and a sample of Maltese European formation After finalising an agreement with the Gollcher foundation in 2001 Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti started the arduous task of restoring the palazzo's superb collections 120 pieces of antique armour and a sizeable collection of fob watches and clocks The foundation could not have taken on this major restoration project were it not for the generous financial backing it received from its enthusiastic supporters Restoration was only a means to an end to make the museum a live experience which can only be imagined through the contents of Palazzo Falson 360° It is the last publication in the 12-issue Miranda 360° series The full collection was printed by Progress Press on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper The price of The Times will increase to €1 from 60c for tomorrow's issue In the light of the present circumstances because of the Coronavirus the Arch Fraternity of St Joseph’s together with the Franciscan monks  the band clubs Għaqda Mużikali L’Isle Adam and Għaqda tan-Nar 19 ta’ Marzu have decided to cancel the external activities for the feast of St Joseph In a statement it was stated that this decision was taken on the advice of the authorities concerned It was also stated that over the next few days a revised programme for the feast will be issued Huwa qarrej tal-aħbarijiet u pproduċa programmi varji fosthom dokumentarji u l-programm 'Carter Jirrapporta' will be held on Friday afternoon at St John's Co-Cathedral marking the first time for at least 246 years that a grand master is buried in the church crypt Fra’ Matthew was grand master of the Sovereign Order of Malta from 2008 to 2017 and died in Malta on November 12 He will be the 13th Grand Master to be laid to rest in the frescoed crypt – the burial place of L’Isle-Adam who won the 1565 Great Siege and founded the city of Valletta The last grand master to be buried in the crypt was Vasconcellos in 1623 23 years before the knights were ousted from Malta by Napoleon's invasion Friday's Requiem Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi the Pope’s Special Delegate to the Order of Malta and concelebrated by Archbishop Charles Scicluna Fra’ Marco Luzzago will attend the ceremony.  was carved out of the rock for underground burial in the 16th century It was opened to the public last year following a €500,000 restoration project that lasted 13 years The outdoor celebrations of the feast of St Joseph in Rabat L’Isle Adam band club and the Għaqda tan-Nar 19 ta’ Marzu said an agreement to move the celebrations was reached in view of health protocols prohibiting external festivities until the last week of March So while the internal festivities will be held between March 12 and 19 the outdoor celebrations will be held between May 1 and 8 Details of both the March and May programmes will be given at a future date were also subject to approval by the authorities The Band Clubs association said last week that traditional village feasts could once again start being celebrated from April as long as this is done "responsibly".  came after a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Abela Health Minister Chris Fearne and public health chief Charmaine Gauci.  Rachel Thomas © Désert de RetzY’a pas que Paris dans la vie La région Île-de-France est aussi pleine de lieux cachés et de petites merveilles qui valent le détour Voici sept pépites qui vous donneront envie de dépasser le périph’ et de devenir des aventuriers.  ou le « paradis terrestre » de Balzac événements et plage fluviale contribueront à votre kiff. Au programme des visites : la vallée des Impressionnistes le château de Stors et sa chapelle.. de quoi passer une bonne journée !  Une publication partagée par Ville L'Isle-Adam (@villelisleadam) L'Îsle-AdamVal-d'OiseAccès possible en voiture (1h)  Cette œuvre sculpturale haute de 22,5 mètres nous offre une expérience visuelle et sonore unique  Ce géant de 300 tonnes de béton et de métal érigé en pleine forêt de Milly-la-Forêt de 1969 à 1994 par un collectif d’artistes emmené par Jean Tinguely et Niki de Saint Phalle Une publication partagée par Eric Touchaleaume / Galerie 54 (@galerie_54) Le Cyclop de Jean TinguelyLe Bois des Pauvres Milly-la-Forêt (91)Accès possible en voiture (1h10)  jardin anglo-chinois datant de la fin du XVIIIe siècle fait aujourd’hui 17 hectares et compte encore sept constructions pittoresques ou extravagantes : la Colonne détruite le Théâtre découvert et la Glacière pyramide homme des Lumières passionné d’architecture Une publication partagée par Office de tourisme Saint Germain Boucles de Seine (@seinesaintgermain) Le Désert de RetzJardin anglo-chinoisChambourcy (78) Accès possible en voiture (50 min) L’abbaye fut ravagée pendant la guerre de Cent Ans ; il faudra presque deux siècles aux Cisterciens pour reconstruire l'ensemble l'Abbaye du Lys perdit peu à peu son renom Seuls subsistent aujourd’hui quelques parties du chœur et du transept de l'église les fondations du cloître et un escalier comptant près de cent marches Une publication partagée par @sylvie_fer76 C'est l'unique église de ce type en Île-de-France d'où le grand intérêt de cette bizarrerie et même la façade extérieure n'est autre que la roche de craie laissée en place telle quelle La nef unique est entièrement excavée dans la roche L'église est inscrite à l'Inventaire Supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques depuis 1926 Église troglodytique de l'Annonciation144 route de la Vallée – Haute-Isle (95)Accès possible en voiture (1h) le château de Vaux-le-Vicomte est une pépite à ne pas manquer il est le témoignage de la toute première collaboration entre les trois génies mandés par Fouquet : Le Vau peintre-décorateur dont on voit encore la patte à certains endroits Une publication partagée par Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (@chateauvlv) le 13 Avril 2018 à 1 :50 PDT Le Châteaux de Vaux-le-VicomteMaincy (77) Accès possible en voiture (1h15) Si une séance de "bain de forêt" vous tente et qu’un peu de plage ne vous ferait pas de mal non plus alors on a l’adresse parfaite : la forêt de Fontainebleau Non seulement le nom est mythique – les sables du Cul-du-Chien – mais en plus le cadre est idyllique un océan d’eau chaude y déposait du quartz Une publication partagée par Parisianavores (@parisianavores) le 25 Mai 2018 à 1 :11 PDT Les sables du Cul-du-Chien Chemin des Sables du Cul de Chien – Noisy-sur-École (77)Accès possible en voiture (1h15) passed away peacefully comforted by the rites of Holy Church He leaves to mourn his loss his children Jeffrey The funeral cortège leaves Mater Dei Hospital on Monday where Mass præsente cadavere will be said at 2.30pm followed by interment at Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery He leaves to mourn his loss his children Doris and her husband Freddie The funeral cortège leaves Mater Dei Hospital on Tuesday where Mass præsente cadavere will be said at 4pm The L’Isle Adam Band will accompany the funeral to Santa Margherita Cemetery where interment takes place in the family grave No flowers by request but donations to id-Dar tal-Providenza In loving memory of a dearest mother and grandmother today being the seventh anniversary of her passing to eternal life She is fondly remembered by her daughter Angela and her husband Stephen and her son Adrian and his wife Marika She is also lovingly remembered by her grandsons Andrew and Michael Treasured memories of a dear mother and grandmother today being the first anniversary of her demise Always in our thoughts and prayers Lillian In loving memory of a dear mother and grandmother tomorrow being the third anniversary of her passing away Sadly and deeply missed by her son Joe and his wife Sandra her daughter Ingrid and her grandchildren Mark A Mass for the repose of her soul will be said tomorrow at the Immaculate Conception parish church Today being the first anniversary of his passing Nothing can ever take awayThe love a heart holds dear,Fond memories linger every day,Remembrance keeps him near To book an obituary or an ‘In Memoriam’ email classified@timesofmalta.com or night@timesofmalta.com after office hours In his article ‘Revisiting the memories of Birgu’s medieval Collachio’ (The Sunday Times of Malta Lino Bugeja featured the armorial shield of Grand Master Fra’ Philippe Villiers de L’Isle-Adam carved in local stone in the grounds of Birgu’s Sacra Infermeria This is one of a very few such arms that remain intact in Birgu although cement cast copies of L’Isle-Adam’s arms within a wreath and with the date ‘1533’ are known including one next to the nymphaeum in the courtyard of the Magisterial Palace in Fort St Angelo Two armorial shields were set on Birgu’s Advanced Gate at the upper left and right just under the frieze but nothing of them remains other than the four eroded large stone blocks Many such arms and escutcheons dating to the period of the Order of St John in Malta have been lost since Maltese globigerina limestone suffers due to weathering and deteriorates over time Others are known to have been destroyed or defaced during the brief French occupation of 1798-1800 or as a result of World War II Two particular arms were set on Birgu’s Advanced Gate at upper left and right just under the frieze The arms featured by Bugeja are not the only of L’Isle-Adam that remain in the city The Order’s first military hospital in Malta the hospital became the abbey of the cloistered Benedictine nuns which abuts the church of Santa Scholastica built in 1679 to the design of Lorenzo Gafà Another similar arms within a frame is found on the side of the abbey in Triq il-Miratur (formerly Observer Street) on the wall facing Triq Antika (Ancient Street) and which has since blended with the alveolar and other deterioration of the masonry The design is identical to that of the arms featured by Bugeja even though the shield and its frame had suffered under the chisel the number ‘33’ on the lower right corner has survived Even if this escutcheon is not related to the arch it would be a shame if it was to remain hidden in obscurity under this veranda the extent of the Collachio was not restricted to the present Triq Hilda Tabone but further towards Misraħ ir-Rebħa and to the Post of Castille At first floor level on the façade between houses nos there is another coat of arms set within a framed niche Although slightly eroded and missing a small section at lower right of the base the arms itself is intact and quite distinguishable It consists of a representation of the Order’s white cross on a red field in chief while on the shield are three roses emerging from the same bough the arms are located at the cut-off point where a more recent building was erected either due to redevelopment or an addition at this level when the previous building was destroyed during the war Another current topic of discussion is the building of a copy of the Wignacourt Arch that once stood as part of the aqueduct at what is now referred to as Fleur-de-Lys From the designs of the structure recently in the media the central escutcheons on either side are to be included contemporary photographs show that the escutcheon facing Valletta bore the arms of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt The presumed escutcheon of Grandmaster Emmanuel de Rohan on the outside the Santa Venera police station Hidden under the veranda by the Santa Venera police station is another escutcheon bears strong similarity to the arms of Grandmaster Emmanuel Marie des Neiges de Rohan-Polduc Since contemporary photographs of the Wignacourt Arch generally show the arch from the Santa Venera side it is unknown whether this escutcheon was originally on the reverse side facing Mdina Many grandmasters had the habit of placing their own arms and commemorative plaques on anything they restored or upgraded was likewise originally built by de Wignacourt between 1610 and 1611and upgraded by Grandmaster de Rohan who had renamed it after him and whose arms still adorn the façade even if this escutcheon is not related to the arch it would be a shame if it was to remain hidden in obscurity under this veranda and not found a more prominent location So why not somewhere on the new Wignacourt Arch Marsovin Winery CEO Jeremy Cassar presented a donation of €2,238 to Philip Farrugia Randon president of the Maltese Association Sovereign Military Order of Malta Marsovin’s donation was a contribution towards the charitable endeavours of the Order The amount donated is a percentage of wine sales generated from the 2009 and 2010 vintages of Marsovin’s flagship wine Grand Maître is a collectable boutique wine produced by appointment to the MASMOM the label of this wine is dedicated to a different Grand Master in chronological order of succession the first one being Fra Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam for the 1998 vintage The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes used to produce Grand Maître come from a privately owned single estate which is in the same area where the last battle of the Great Siege between the Knights of the Order of St John was fought against the Turks in 1565 If you are fascinated by the religious ritual in Catholic rites an exhibition of about 30 embroidered ecclesiastical vestments being held at Palazzo Xara in Rabat will help you to better appreciate the cultural wealth in Maltese churches Palazzo Xara is home to L'Isle Adam Band Club has been put up by the Archconfraternity of St Joseph and L'Isle Adam Band Club in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and Rabat local council The vestments belong to the archconfraternity and are taken out of storage once a year for the liturgical celebrations of the feast of St Joseph on March 19 in the church of St Mary of Jesus The archconfraternity was already in existence in 1508 a 17th century document belonging to the archconfraternity mentions that the archconfraternity goes back even further because mention is made of a guild for carpenters (the archconfraternity) way back in 1354 we have no documentary evidence of this apart from this mention in the 17th century manuscript "Members of the archconfraternity used to accompany priests during the viaticum when priests administer the Eucharist to people on their deathbed "They used also to carry out philanthropic deeds including the giving out of bread to the poor on the feast of their patron saint Pilgrimages with the statue of St Joseph were held in times of drought and during the plague a scourge that devastated Malta on several occasions "This first documented evidence of such pilgrimages dates back to the beginning of the 18th century," Mr Casha said The vestments on display include an altar cloth embroidered with gold thread on crimson satin made in Lyon Other exhibits include an altar cover made in 1887 and donated by the members of the archconfraternity; a foreign-made cape; an 1820 frontal altar cover; a lectern cover made in 1860; and the most recent acquisition: an altar cloth in red damask made by Fr Martin Borg The altar cloth was donated by Ms Mary Micallef Although the archconfraternity now has women members "Embroidery is an extremely laborious and painstaking task There are only a handful of people in Malta who do such work including Fr Borg and Ms Lela Galea of Mqabba the price would depend also on the quality of the materials used," Mr Casha said Mr Casha said it was a pity that such artistic treasures were stored away for most of the year if churches could organise their own small museums for these works of art to be enjoyed by a wider public secretary of L'Isle Adam Band Club said the exhibition includes a set of bandalori - ornamental flags carried in religious processions - marking highlights from the band club's history The band was set up in 1860 by members of the archconfraternity and originally was called Il-banda tal-Imdina "Visitors to Malta are often surprised to find that band clubs are organised so well and have their own local and foreign as possible to come to the club to view this exhibition to better understand the history of these islands" the exhibition will be open between 10.30 a.m The embroidery exhibition will coincide with the Mdina and Rabat Festival being held by the MTA on Friday a re-enactment of events during the reign of the Knights of St John military parades and a demonstration of traditional handcrafts Malta Cavalry Armoury is commemorating the anniversary from when the Order of St John formally took possession of the Maltese Islands Grand Master Villiers de l’Isle-Adam was given the key to the Capital that changed the lives and the history of the Maltese was commemorated in Mdina by the Malta Cavalry Armoury a group that works to raise awareness about historical events that took place in Malta are not immune to the world’s ageing population and the social hotspots are now lacking “new blood” the president of their association said as it celebrates its 75th anniversary “The role of band clubs is very important and still as relevant today as it was in the past,” Malta Band Clubs Association president Noel Camilleri said He spoke to Times of Malta about the association’s rich history its upcoming celebration and the future of band clubs 60 per cent of the population relate culture to band clubs and consequently to village feasts There are new members but are we happy with the numbers president of the Malta Band Clubs Association tend to be found at the heart of localities when asked if the future of band clubs is bright Like most voluntary institutions following COVID but the greater worry for the association is its declining number of new members “There are new members but are we happy with the numbers which is imperative not just for the band clubs but also for the communities” “We need an influx of youths – new blood – in order to continue to strengthen but also to protect… what I consider to be part of our national identity” the association is trying to instil the idea of “collectivity rather than individualism in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Keith Azzopardi Tanti and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ the association is reaching out to youths to show them the benefit of voluntary work and the communal importance of band clubs The façade of the Sliema Band Club before it was burnt down and changed in 1983 the association promotes band clubs’ culture of music while also looking out for the clubs’ best interests Yet what the association represents runs far deeper Band clubs are not just watering holes and clubs in which to play music rather the clubs and their traditions are an integral part of society and our cultural identity the association was nicknamed as ‘the Society for Societies.’” you learn what democracy is.” The association is constantly debating and encouraging its members to speak their mind Band clubs predate the association as the tradition was originally brought to the island by the British late in the 19th century The British forces organised regimental band clubs which sparked a fire among the Maltese to start their own musical and social tradition which quickly grew into a nation-wide trend it evolved to about 90 band clubs in Malta and Gozo.” What makes Maltese band clubs so unique is their “mix of culture” as not only do they follow the British in their proud practices but Italy is a “solid influence” in both the clubs’ nature and music One aspect is Italy’s “strong tradition” towards wind bands one that the island has kept from its northern neighbours The association have been celebrating its anniversary since September 17 the association held a series of masterclasses conducted by Maestro Giampaolo Lazzeri and other “top Italian musicians” “Musicians of all ages and all experiences came and attended these classes,” Camilleri said This was the first feast to have been affected by COVID-19 and is expected to be among the first to be celebrated again as it used to be although it will not be on held its actual day but in the first week of May This is the feast of St Joseph’s in Rabat which over these last few days leading up to 19 March A look at this community reveals a church which is completely decked out for the feast and a band club which has seen a lot of work and investment being carried out over the last two years Palazzo Xara in the heart of Rabat was bought 71 years ago from the Għaqda Mużikali L’Isle Adam and has been serving as the base for this musical society which is linked to St Joseph’s feast the facade of this building which is over 300 years old was inaugurated This followed weeks of being covered by scaffolding to remove the wires and for the restoration of the stone apertures and wooden balcony while a new lighting system was installed Gaetano Walker said that over the last two years more than half a million Euro in works were carried out at Palazzo Xara from the club’s funds but also through various Government schemes and EU funding “As a committee we took this opportunity to do many things which needed to be done We literally have not stopped over these last two years we always found people willing to help us out.” The archives have been cleared out to restore the paintings on the ceiling and the sides while in the concert hall and in another one dedicated to the teaching of music to students air conditioning has been installed for the summer months Solar panels were installed on the roof and the electrically distribution supply was improved while the warehouse where the decorations are stored was organised the feast of 19 March is only being celebrated inside the church this year the celebrations will be held in a more solemn way sometimes we make the mistake of saying that if the outdoor celebrations are not held then it is not really a feast We want to maintain the principle of the feast of St Joseph’s on 19 March Therefore the Church should be decorated as usual and everything indoors will take place as it normally does.” According to a contract which dates back years the Mass on Saturday morning will take place at the Mdina Cathedral and the country’s highest authorities will take part Most of the localities that host the Good Friday processions are already decorated for this annual event the church is dressed in the most beautiful decorations to celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph on Tuesday TVMnews visited Rabat; a locality that will celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph which this year happened to fall very close to Good Friday This means that the volunteers are facing quite a challenge The streets in the old part of Rabat are decorated for the feast of Saint Joseph The same goes for the Church of Ta’ Ġieżu In a year which seems to be weather permitting on Saturday the decoration volunteers concluded months of work in the warehouses and outside in a place where there is a lot of old decorations kept in good condition all these decorations in two days will have to be dismantled and stored so that on Friday evening we celebrate Our Lady of Sorrows because Our Lady needs to go out of the church as well we need to set up all the Good Friday statues because on the following Friday we have the Good Friday procession from our church as well will serve for all the Good Friday statues to pass from underneath it.” as explained by sacristan Bernard Schembri “Practically we need to pull an all-nighter in fact even the statue will be housed during the night and we have a set of people who will work as a team All these decorations need to be changed within 48 hours One must keep in mind that this is one of the last remaining churches decorated in black damask.” the volunteers are focused on living every moment as one team and are satisfied with new projects that continue to add to the legacy they have a new set of candelabra were inaugurated for the altar under the statue of the Crowned Saint Joseph The designs of the candelabra have been with the Archconfraternity since 1964 and are the work of Rabat designer Carmelo Tonna Another project that was completed for this feast is the entrance of the building that hosts the L’Isle Adam Musical Association where for many years there was a lotto outlet The entrance is now being enjoyed in its original state: with the half-round roof with painted ridges From here there is direct access to the upper halls of this 18th century building which in recent years has undergone extensive restoration The halls are also being equipped with informative equipment for visitors A Maltese falcon will tomorrow start its journey from Malta to Spain after it is handed over by the 'Grand Master' to the Spanish Falconry Guild's Chief Falconer to take to the King of Spain was an annual event when Malta was ruled by the Knights The tradition of giving a falcon to the King of Spain started in 1530 when Malta was handed over to the Knights by Emperor Charles V This continued until the Knights left Malta in 1797 which is organising tomorrow's re-enactment falcons were legally protected and offenders were imprisoned He said the Maltese falcon was considered to be a superior type of falcon After being handed over by 'Grand Master L'Isle Adam' Mr Galea said the falcon was being brought over by the members of the Royal Falconry Guild and was expected to arrive last night Tomorrow's re-enactment will start with a defilé made up of an In Guardia troupe and the falconers Vittoriosa to St Lawrence church at 9.25 a.m and then members of the congregation will go to Victoria Square where the re-enactment will take place at 11 a.m The sound of drums reverberated off the walls of Vittoriosa's main square causing the hooded Maltese falcon to flutter its wings nervously as it was handed over to the chief falconer of the Spanish Royal Falconers' Guild as a symbolic token to the King of Spain The musket salute that followed did nothing to soothe the bird's nerves but chief falconer Antonio de Castro y García de Tejada stroked its breast feathers and within minutes it had regained its regal composure curious to learn more about the revival of a symbolic tradition that goes back 475 years to the day when Grandmaster Phillippe de l'Isle Adam presented the first peregrine falcon to the King of Spain in 1530 When Malta was ceded to the Knights of the Order of St John King Charles had set a condition - every year on All Saints' Day raised and trained by the grandmaster's falconer The knights fulfilled their obligations every year without fail until they were once more expelled from their base by Napoleon's troops in 1798 The re-enactment yesterday of this historic ceremony retained much of the pomp of centuries gone by and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi made up of an In Guardia troupe and falconers from the Spanish Royal Falconry Guild proceeding through Main Gate Street and ending at St Lawrence church signalling the start of a thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Archpriest Joe Caruana The sung Mass turned out to be a bilingual affair as the priest switched from Maltese to English and Latin and Ms Busceta said the second reading in Spanish The Mass ended with the Te Deum in Latin followed by the blessing and naming of the falcon The congregation then proceeded to Victory Square where the historic tradition was re-enacted and the "Grandmaster" handed the falcon to the chief falconer "It is most fitting that this symbolic ceremony is held in Vittoriosa because our forefathers received the knights with acclamation when they landed here in 1530," historian Lino Bugeja said before the ceremony started With the "transaction" of the falcon completed the delegation walked to the waterfront where three traditional boats waited to take it on its "long journey" to Mallorca and Valencia before reaching the Escorial The ceremony ended with a reception at the Maritime Museum where Dr Gonzi and Ms Busceta spoke about renewed links between the two countries This event was organised by the Foreign Affairs' Ministry in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry the Vittoriosa Collegiate Chapter and the Spanish Royal Falconers' Guild In streets where the band march by the L’Isle Adam Band Club progresses families maintained an age-old tradition of opening their doors and welcoming all to step indoors and enjoy a drink or two and enjoy a nibble or two Rabat resident Maria Muscat said it has always been like this because the people of Rabat are well-known for stepping inside into welcoming residences in a friendly and neighbourly atmosphere especially all those who worked internally and externally to make the feast a success on the day said there is a spirit of happiness and friendliness and whoever steps inside is most welcomed The youthful element is well-satisfied with the joyful spirit they help to create by organising the event and the participation of so many people One of them said it pleases them greatly to see so many cars parked in the locality and so many people from the south of Malta attending the event to enjoy a dignified occasion and one that is very dear for them The feast is centred around the Franciscan church of ‘Santa Marija ta’ Ġesu’ highly decorated with works of art and decked in rich red damask and where visitors admired the restoration work that has taken place over the last two years Gilder Arthur Vassallo said that fresh plastering and painting had taken place and all the gilded works had been refurbished with 23.5 carat gold leaf He said the challenge was that of blending the new gold gilding with the old The old gilding had first to be patiently cleaned and then matched with new gold leaf but finally was completed with satisfactory results as could be seen today The Solemn Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Charles J Winemaker Marsovin recently presented a donation to theMaltese association of theSovereign Military Order of Malta for its contribution towards charitable causes part of theproceeds from the sale of the 2007 vintage premium wine Grand Maitre was made by sales director Albert Cassar Farrugia to association president Philip Farrugia Randon Grand Maitre is a wine dedicated to the Grand Masters of Malta Each year is dedicated to a Grand Master in chronological order the first being Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam in 1998 The 2007 vintage is dedicated to Grand Master Fra Martin Garzes who succeeded Grand Master Hughues Loubenx de Verdalle in 1595 The 2010 vintage will soon be available for sale from the Marsovin cellars please register for free or log in to your account.