From 3 July to 2 September, at nightfall, the Cité Plantagenêt will once again offer itself to the eyes of its visitors through a unique show staged and designed by Skertzò for the city of Le Mans: the Night of the Chimeras.
It is in the exceptional setting of the Cité Plantagenêt - a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List - that Hélène Richard and Jean-Michel Quesne - Skertzò - have created a dreamlike visual and sound trail linking the 8 main sites of the medieval city: the Gothic chevet, the Romanesque facade and the royal porch of the splendid Saint-Julien cathedral (which should open, shortly, near the chevet, its Archaeological Garden); the Jet d'Eau staircase; the Conservatoire Garden; the courtyard of the Queen Berengere Museum (which lies not far away, at the Abbaye de l'Epau) and the walls of the Pans-de-Gorron and Saint-Hilaire.
At each of these stages, evening strollers are invited to let themselves be carried between Angels and Demons, Masks and Dragons to the Concert of Angels while attending the Birth of the Chimeras; even if it means getting lost for a few moments in the Labyrinth of the Chimeras before meeting Queen Berangère for a colourful Banquet under the Royal Porch of Saint-Julien.
During this journey, chimeras, gargoyles, gryllas and other magic lanterns will come, every evening, to punctuate this summer and night stroll where each one will appropriate, according to his rhythm and his desires, the heritage of this city oh how rich of big and small stories!
SKERTZO, or the dream showmen.
The combined experience of theatre and images led Hélène Richard and Jean-Michel Quesne to create ephemeral scenes and original shows. Masters of illusion and trompe l'oeil, their creations metamorphose and dramatize urban space. Constantly looking for new forms of entertainment, they work for the development of total entertainment. Atypical, their creations are always a unique blend of imagination, poetry and high technology. Shows, tour-shows, urban installations, exhibitions... are aimed at a particular spectator: to bet on intelligence, sensitivity, curiosity, to make characters perceptible, to awaken the gaze, to give birth to desire..
Le Mans Country, a destination in its own right.
Le Mans, City of Art and History, conceals a hidden treasure in its heart: the Plantagenet City. This city within the city, on the banks of the Sarthe, stretches over 20 hectares between cobbled lanes, pan-de-bois houses, Renaissance mansions, secret gardens, courtyards and passages, all protected by one of the oldest known Roman walls (candidate for UNESCO World Heritage) and overlooked by one of the largest cathedrals in France, a jewel of stained glass: Saint-Julien Cathedral (134 m long for a surface area of 5,000 m2). To know more about Le Pays du Mans
