Episode 3
Michael Portillo travels from the chateaux of the Loire Valley to the heart of the Champagne region at Reims, seeing stained-glass windows in Orleans that celebrate the life of Joan of Arc.
Michael Portillo travels from the chateaux of the Loire Valley to the heart of the Champagne region at Reims.
Beginning in historic Orleans, Michael follows his Bradshaw’s guide to the magnificent stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of Sainte-Croix, which tell the story of the heroine of France, Joan of Arc. The image of the teenage warrior endures as a symbol of resistance, and her life is celebrated in an annual parade. Michael meets her modern-day incarnation.
Among the spectacular Renaissance palaces and fortresses of the River Loire, Michael is intrigued to discover a castle much modernized during the 1930s, which became a refuge for a British royal couple embroiled in scandal. The wedding of the former king, Edward VIII, and the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson, at Chateau de Cande in the summer of 1937 was shunned by the British establishment.
Michael takes a spin around the track at Le Mans in a French-built car, which won two endurance races during the 1920s.
In Versailles, Michael visits the opulent palace and neighbouring Trianon Palace hotel, where his Bradshaw’s describes the signing of the Peace Treaty at the end of the First World War.
Last on
Music Played
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Rainman
Summer of Love (Girls Like Boys Mix)
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Michael Portillo |
Director | Ben Rowland |
Series Editor | Alison Kreps |
Executive Producer | John Comerford |
Production Company | Fremantle |
Broadcasts
- Wed 16 Jun 2021 18:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Wales & Wales HD
- Thu 17 Jun 2021 18:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Wales HD & Wales only
- Thu 15 Dec 2022 19:30
- Fri 16 Dec 2022 01:00
- Thu 27 Jun 2024 18:30
Steam Railways
A collection of programmes from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ archives on the beauty of steam locomotives.