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| 2251 - Dauphiné Region |
The Dauphiné is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère and Drôme, in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Hautes-Alpes, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. In the 12th century, the Count Guigues IV of Albon (c.1095-1142) bore a dolphin on his coat of arms and was nicknamed "le Dauphin" (French for dolphin). His descendants changed their title from Count of Albon to Dauphin of Viennois, and the state took the name of Dauphiné
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| 2252 - The Seven Wonders of Dauphiné (1) |
Under the Ancien Régime, the province was bordered in the North by the River Rhône which separated the Dauphiné from the Bresse and Bugey. To the east it bordered the Savoy and Piedmont, and to the south the Comtat Venaissin and Provence. The western border was marked by the Rhône to the south of Lyon. The Dauphiné extended up to what is now the centre of Lyon. It was divided into the High Dauphiné and Low Dauphiné. The historical capital is Grenoble.
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| 2253 - The Seven Wonders of Dauphiné (2) |
The Basilica of Our Lady of La Salette is a large, rather austere church, with a facade flanked by two strong towers, built between 1852 and 1865. Outside the basilica is a walking path leading to a site of reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1846, a minor place of pilgrimage. Grande Chartreuse is the head monastery of the Carthusian order, which is supported by the sales of Chartreuse liqueur. Built in the 13th century, the Château du Touvet has a garden à la française classified among the notable gardens of France.
The Château de Vizille is one of the most prestigious and important castles of the Dauphiné Region. Today, houses the Musée de la Révolution Française de Vizille. At Laffrey is a statue of Napoleon, which mark the place of the encounter of Napoleon, returning from Elba, with the royal troops, responsible for stopping it, on March 7, 1815. The region is also known for the Seven Wonders of Dauphiné, seven natural and man-made sites and monuments, each with some attached legendary or mythical significance.
They are the following: the Tower without Venom, the last vestige of the old castle Pariset, where there are no reptiles or spiders; Mont Aiguille, dominating the Vercors, which was once believedto be occupied by angels; the Pierre Percée, a natural arch located on a hill of Matheysine, of which silhouette, reshaped by erosion evokes a huge crouching monster, which gave birth to many legends of dragons; the Caves of Balme; the Pont-de-Claix Bridge; the Burning Fountain, apparently haunted by the devil himself; and the Grottes des Sassenages, supposedly the abode of fairies.
About the stamps
On the postcard 2251
The first two stamps are part of the series The Century Stamp Over - Moments of everyday life, about which I wrote here. About the last stamp, issued by France as part of the Europe Stamp 1973 - stylised Post horn, I wrote here.
On the postcard 2252
The first stamp, depicting Aachen Cathedral and designed by Claude Haley, was issued by France as part of the Europe Stamp 1972 (designed by Finnish Artist Paavo Huovinen).
About the second stamp, issued in honor of Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906-2001), I wrote here.
The last stamp, Tomorrow the euro, was designed by Eric Fayolle and was issued on June 25, 2001.
On the postcard 2253
The first stamp, Civilization Arawak - Guadeloupe - Saint Martin Island, designed by Pierre Forget, was issued on February 12, 1996.
The second stamp, designed by Claude Andreotto, was issued on June 22, 1994, to mark the Centenary of International Olympic Committee - Pierre de Coubertin. Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1863-1937) was a French educator and historian, and founder of the International Olympic Committee. He is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games.
About the last stamp, issued to mark the Stamp Day, and depicts The Sower Woman 1903, I wrote here.
References
Dauphiné - Wikipedia
Sender 2251: Mickey
Sent from Sassenage (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / France), on 10.11.2015
Photo: CL. Martin, P. Blanc
Sender 2252: Kevin Roger
Sent from ??? (??? / France), on 21.10.2015
Photo: CL. Martin, P. Blanc
Sender 2253: Mickey
Sent from La Tronche (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / France), on 11.10.2015
Photo: CL. Martin, P. Blanc
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