Springtime in Viroflay

The transition to Springtime continues to lag here in the Parisian suburbs. Today was cool and a little breezy, with poofy clouds alternating with sunshine. It seemed a perfect time to go out walking, so I loaded my iPad into a day pack and headed out to see what I might find worth sketching in Viroflay.

Hippolyte Maze

The first thing that caught my eye was the garden behind Viroflay city hall. It was peaceful and the statue of Hippolyte Maze seemed radiant in the afternoon sun. Hippolyte was at various times an academic historian, an elected representative in national government and a regional administrator (préfet). He also dabbled in economics. Among other achievements, he wrote a book entitled the Republic of the United States of America (1869). In addition to some facts about Hippolyte, his monument has three words inscribed on the side: science, humanity, homeland. I’m not sure why these three words were selected, but I read somewhere that Louis Pasteur (i.e., the guy who invented pasteurization, who also lived in the 1800s) once said that “the homeland of science encompasses all of humanity.” Coincidence? Perhaps. But, I’m not so sure.

Saint Eustache

Next stop came in the center of town. There sits the small church dedicated to Saint Eustache. Dating back to the 12th century, the structure is in good shape, having benefited from a couple of restorations over the centuries. Across the street is a small two-story building that became city hall and the first public school in Viroflay after the French revolution (in 1794, actually). Some other buildings from that period and some of the cobblestone pavement also survive. There is a former water trough for horses and the town has planted a few flower beds. In the sunshine this afternoon, it was a perfect spot to sit and sketch and soak in the historic ambiance.

House of cards?

By now it was getting to be late afternoon and I was about to head home, when I noticed an interesting half-timbered home up a little cobblestone dead-end lane. The home is now rather old and weathered, and the shutters are closed tight. But, what caught my eye was that someone long ago had marked the facade of the home with the symbols for the four suits of cards. It turns out that the four suits (hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds) were first used in French card decks in Rouen and Lyon in the 15th century and later were taken up by the English-speaking world. I am not sure what the connection is to this old home, but it lives on in the facade.

Our house

With that, the time had come to get back home. Our old stone house was built just outside the Viroflay city limits in the late 1800s, around the same time that Hippolyte Maze passed away (he died in 1891). As I headed around to our side yard to do a bit of weeding in the garden before sunset, I was struck by the important role that the various historical sites play in this community. They provide a sort of bridge across the centuries, offering glimpses into the rich history and a measure of continuity across time in this place.

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(Doug, ©2013)