La Devinière, memory of Rabelais and preserved landscapes
Near the abbey of Seuilly, La Devinière houses the museum dedicated to the father of Gargantua and opens on paths and immersive devices deployed around to enhance the links between the territory and the characters of Rabelais. This is the land of cows evoked by Rabelais, the setting of his novels Gargantua and Pantagruel. A procedure is currently underway to have the landscapes of the "Picrocholine War" classified by UNESCO as a literary heritage site. Rabelais' novels bear witness to the strong winegrowing roots of this territory, to its network of convents and bell towers, to its prosperous and gamey seigneuries as long as wars and lawsuits have not ruined them, to its farms and forests of good income. Neither sharp mountains nor deep gorges in this country of cows but a landscape that smells good, serene and graceful.
And this Rabelaisian territory has just acquired a book fair. On July 9 and 10, 2022, the collegiate church of Saint-Mexme hosted the first edition of Temps de lire, Chinon's book fair, with sixty-seven authors of all literary genres presenting their works. An event supported by local authors who intend to perpetuate the event
Rabelais: a joyful language and a thought of the good life
Rabelais writes in a very graphic way and, as a doctor, offers us prescriptions in the form of a way of life. In the prologue to Gargantua, he humorously evokes major subjects by putting his characters in grotesque situations: education, oratory, life in society, war. Rabelais explains to his followers that they should not trust or stop at appearances, but look for a deeper meaning to these burlesque adventures. No didactic and boring teaching, the master takes the posture of a bon vivant, loving good food as much as good words. His Gargantua is full of energy. He is a clumsy, naive and rude giant, but above all benevolent who will become very learned thanks to his good master Ponocrates.
Humanist and doctor of the soul, writer and speaker of a rich language, Rabelais combines a major contribution to French literature, prescriptions for a therapy of laughter. In addition, his convictions on the need to eat and drink well form a state of mind that still colors Rabelais' life today. La Devinière pays tribute to him with the rebirth of a vineyard on its estate and the production of a Chinon wine bearing the Rabelais signature. And in the magnificent troglodyte cellars of La Devinière, wines are lined up to be tasted while rereading Gargantua.
A network of libraries for the territory
The Véron media library is the most important facility in the community of municipalities' library network, both in terms of its collections and its size. It is a major cultural space of the territory, with 1 600m2, a place of exchange and conviviality open to all. On the first floor, you will find the adult section with a lounge dedicated to the press, a space for comics and manga, novels (detective stories, terroir, science fiction, large print, audio books, e-books on e-readers), documentaries and an important regional collection. A space is reserved for music and cinema with a large variety of CDs, scores and nearly 5,000 DVDs of classic or recent films. The digital space is very appreciated with its provision of computers and tablets to connect freely to the Internet. Digital workshops and introductory sessions in multimedia and office automation are regularly organized there (reserved for members). The second floor is entirely reserved for the children's area with the toddler's area, the group room which offers novels and comics for teenagers as well as work tables. On the website of the network of libraries of the Community of Communes (https://bibliotheques.cc-cvl.fr/), you can discover the favorites of the librarians, the list of books offered, reserve your books and consult the list of activities from one library to another: story time for toddlers, reading or writing workshop, discussions about books, musical coffee... The reserved documents are accessible in all the libraries thanks to the weekly shuttles between them.
And independent bookstores
While the library network plays an essential role in promoting the love of books and literature in Rabelais, others are working in the same direction. The Chinon region is home to a specialized independent bookstore that resists Amazon and the big box stores by forging links with readers in the region and elsewhere, demonstrating expertise and passion. The Librairie ancienne occupies a magnificent historic half-timbered house on rue Voltaire in the medieval center of Chinon. Its wealth of antique books attracts bibliophiles who come from far and wide to find that rare gem. You will also find a large bookstore on local history and the medieval world, including some very good books for children, in the store of the Fortress of Chinon, and some books are also available at the Chinon tourist office. Some beautiful art books can be found in the stores of the Carroi Museum and the Véron Ecomuseum, where you will also find books on nature and on local know-how. For the work of Rabelais, head for Seuilly and La Devinière where the store of the Rabelais museum has a beautiful collection of books by and about Rabelais. Without forgetting here and there some books dedicated to gastronomy, recipes and local products, which await the gourmets: we are well in Rabelaisie!
