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Le
Jardin Humoristique
"Fernand
Chatelain was a retired baker who first began to sculpt in dough,
making strange shaped loaves, including one of the Tower of Pisa. The
smiling figures and creatures in his garden near Le Mans were crudely
constructed from chicken wire, newspaper and cement, and greeted
passers-by with a wave; alongside them stood messages such as "Bonjour
aux Promeneurs". At the centre of this assembly of brightly painted
sculptures stands the group "Les Centaures". Begun in 1965, the garden
has lain abandoned since Chatelain's death, but 60 or so of his
creations still gaze out from the overgrown roadside frontage,
gradually disintegrating as the years go by."
-
From "Fantasy
Worlds" by Deidi Von Schaewen
and John Maizels
You will be happy to know that the garden is undergoing a restoration.
Many of the sculptures have been rebuilt and repainted. These
sculptures will make you happy. This was my favorite site.
Hours
The sculptures can be seen
very well
from the road, as they are intended to be seen. The unscrupulous and
scoff-law viewer can hop a fence and walk among the sculptures, but
this is not necessary. The only building is a small garage, which hints
at unrestored sculptures within, but there are no known hours, and
possibly nothing to see in there anyway.
Directions
72610 Fyé, near
Alencon
The sculptures are on N138, south of Alencon 12 kilometers, and
about 37 kilometers north of Le Mans. You can't miss it.
More information
Photos
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