Magical summer nights...
During summer nights, castles and fairytale towns Loire Valley they have the handsome uploaded: from the Royal Castle of Blois until the Château de Villandry gardens , going by Montresor , where since 2006 the light show of the Nuits Solaires.
From July 1 to August 31 , this corner of France turns into pure fantasy at sunset. A walk along the path that runs the banks of the river Indrois , illuminated with low consumption lights and set with sound effects , it is only the beginning of the inspiring evening.
On the banks of the river you will find facilities like this
After letting yourself be surprised by the artistic installations that illuminate the river path, created with lamps and solar panels , you can admire the beauty of the illuminated town, as well as let yourself be dazzled by its lovely castle , whose facade will be dyed in colors thanks to original projections.
“The goal was to create an event for all audiences, without age or language barriers and for free , as well as breaking with the old medieval festivals that were held every two years in the town. We wanted something more contemporary ”, he tells us Catherine Pivet , architect of the initiative.
Lights even in the last corner
It was in 2008 when the organization of this event decided to captivate spectators even more with a huge map that comes to life on the walls of the fortress.
On this occasion, it has been local artist Franz Dostal, in collaboration with musical composer Hadi El Gamma l, the person in charge of preparing said cartography, which he has baptized as "Rebirth and Echoes of the Future" and that is inspired by the 500 years of the death of Leonardo Da Vinci.
“The ** Nuits Solaires ** have been selected to participate in the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the death of the great Florentine master . Through various animated paintings and 3D images, the map shows the transformation of the vision of the world between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Franz Dostal tells us.
The castle facade becomes a movie screen
"In the beginning, the Nuits Solaires were created in the simplest way: for some people who had just arrived in Montrésor it was a pity not being able to walk along the river at night due to darkness. So they decided to bring garden lamps and plant them on the path ”, explains the artist to Traveler.es.
From that moment on, as Franz Dostal tells us, all those who lived near the riverbank decided to join this beautiful cause. lighting small candles that they placed on their windowsills during the summer. And that's how creativity exploded.
As for the rest of the events that animate the unforgettable Nuits Solaires, Wednesdays between July 14 and August 15 sessions will take place astronomy , samples of contemporary dance , Renaissance music, board games and the projection of vintage videos about the history of Montrésor.
On the other hand, a contest has also been organized to reward the most beautiful “solar tree” of this small French town, in which five to ten candidates participate and whose evaluation is carried out by the public (around 1,800 voters). Are you going to miss it?
Beautiful by day, brilliant by night