France 1979 - Tourism Series (Part 5)

The last battle of the Breton War of Succession was fought here in 1364. In 1776, at the beginning of the US War of Independence, Benjamin Franklin came through here in his way to meet with Louis XVI to seek military aid. In 1795, 750 rebels were shot and buried here. Its train station was of vital strategic importance during WWII. Its inhabitants are called Alréens. This is Auray, a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany, northwestern France. Aside from its rather checkered history, Auray is home to some breathtaking architecture. From bridges and fountains to churches and stunning timber houses, a stroll through the city is well worth it.

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On 9 July, 1979, France issued a set of seven stamps in their ongoing Tourism series. To read the previous four parts, simply click on the relevant link. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4 In this blog I'll take a close look at the 1,00 stamp, which depicts a gorgeous wooden house in the town square of Auray. This stamp was designed and engraved by Claude Haley. This particular stamp is quite special in that it won Haley the 1979 Philatelic Art Grand Prize. A very worthy winner. This stamp is crammed with an amazing level of detail.

Until next time...

France 1979 - Tourism Series (Part 4)

Ever wondered what a stamp would look like as a playing card? This is a question French stamp engraver and designer, Pierre Forget, set out to answer in 1979 to commemorate Norman abbeys. Two abbeys were chosen for this cutting edge stamp design: the Abbey of St-Pierre-sur-Dives and Bernay Abbey. Without further ado, let us delve...

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Its stunning towers loom large over the sleepy town of St-Pierre-sur-Dives. The Abbey of St-Pierre-sur-Dives, Abbaye Saint-Pierre sur Dives, was founded in the 11th century by Countess Lesceline, who happened to be the great-aunt of William the Conqueror. It was originally built to house a community of nuns. At some point over the course of the next century, the nuns were replaced by Benedictine monks from the Abbey of the Holy Trinity in Rouen. The abbey as it stands today is very different from its original design. It was rebuilt between the 13th and 15th centuries, during a time known as the Gothic period. Having said this, the church still contains the tomb of its founder, Countess Lesceline.

Bernay Abbey, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Bernay was founded in the 11th century by Judith of Brittany. Judith was the daughter of Conan I of Rennes and wife of Richard II, Duke of Normandy. The original design was ahead of its time, being one of the first examples of Romanesque architecture in Normandy. The church was listed as an historic monument in 1862.

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On 9 July, 1979, France issued a set of seven stamps in their ongoing Tourism series. To read the previous three parts, simply click on the relevant link. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. In this blog I'll take a close look at the 1,00 stamp, which depicts both Abbey of St-Pierre-sur-Dives and Bernay Abbey in a funky playing card style. This stamp was designed and engraved by Pierre Forget. 

This stamp is truly fantastic. The top half commemorates Abbey St-Pierre-sur-Dives. At the bottom of the stamp, in the inverted style of a playing card graphic, is a representation of Barney Abbey. Aside from the glorious engravings of the church interiors, this stamp has a couple of other interesting features. If you look to the top right, you will come across this...

Forget has ingeniously added the letter N for Normandy in theform of a vault in the ceiling. Below this we see the letters AA forming a cross with a Cross of the Abbey,. The AA stands for A year of Abbeys. Pretty cool.

Until next time...

Andorra 1944 - Definitives (Part 3)

Andorra is a landlocked sovereign microstate on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees. It borders Spain to the south and France to the north. It is traditionally believed that Andorra was created by Charles the Great (Charlemagne) in the 8th century where he was said to have installed some five thousand soldiers in the area to act as a protective force in return for local help in defeating the Moors. Whatever the case, it is certainly known that the state was transferred to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell in 988. And the principality, as it to this day stands, was formed by a charter in 1278. This is, of course, a fly by version of the fascinating history of Andorra. To read more of its history, click HERE. 

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Between 1944 and 1947 Andorra issued a stunning set of twenty definitive stamps. The set includes four different designs, all engraved by Achille Ouvré. In this blog we shall study the third design in this set, depicting Old Andorra, Andorra La Vielle. To study the first two designs, click the relevant link. Part 1. Part 2.. This design was printed in five values, each with its own unique colour. The 5f green was issued in 1947, th 6f carmine in 1945, the 10f ultramarine in 1946. The rest were issued in 1944. So let's now turn to the stamps.

As mentioned above, this stunning design features a birds-eye view of Old Andorra, which is the capital city of Andorra. An interesting factoid about Old Andorra, it is the highest capital city in Europe at an elevation of 1,023 metres (a similar elevation to where I presently live).

Until next time...