“Between religious, Prussian and world wars, floods and festivities, Orléans has not finished surprising you with its rich history! » announce Little by Little editions, who have just published volume 2 of the history of Orléans in comics, “From the cathedral to the Loire festivals”. Scripted by Emmanuel Marie, who had already signed the first volume – published in 2019 – this 80-page “docu-comic book” retraces the exhilarating history of Orléans, from the Renaissance to the present day.
Gathered by documentary filmmaker Béatrice Merdrignac, chronological markers, illustrations and photographs feed this story – divided into nine chapters – full of salient information and crisp anecdotes, sometimes forgotten. The authors – Beatrice Merdrignac, Emmanuel Marie and designer Moon Li – have summoned all the major events that constitute the rich intangible heritage of Orléans: from the death of François II to the war of 1870, including the Cossack siege under Napoleon I, until the Loire Festival, the glorious gathering of the river navy, organized every two years for almost twenty years.
Passionate about history, Beatrice Merdrignac had participated in other similar collective works on cities such as Le Havre, Paris, Lille and Toulouse, or on great figures such as Joan of Arc. “This collection, intended for the inhabitants of these cities, is a great gateway to the historical knowledge of the city for children and parents alike”, explains this former resident of the city, who has approached the university Laurent Josserand, who modeled the beating heart of this centuries-old city in 3D. “By giving us access to his works, he helped us in the illustration of the comic strip, which is designed as a walk through the city, to discover its heritage, such as the Escures pavilions or the castrum”. A pictorial stroll in the past.
Orléans, volume 2: From the cathedral to the Loire festivals, Petit à Petit editions, €16.90
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