A message from the President
Dear members and friends,
The first half of this year has ended with some COVID-19 restrictions still in place. These have affected our activities, for which we apologise. We have, however, managed to programme two concerts this summer, both in the abbey gardens : the first was on 20th July, the second will take place on 19th August.
Cluniac footpaths:
The routes of the three new footpath loops, Chemins de Cluny en Pays de Serres, branches of the Cluniac footpath of Guyenne-Gascogne, have been finalised, though not yet ratified by the Departmental Committee for Tourism (CDT 47), as it is under new management.
There is continuing delay in finalising the Charter of Cluniac Footpaths, due to the difficulty of coordinating the policies of all stakeholders ; however, during the AGM of the Cluniac Federation on 9th July it was decided that the project of the charter will be on the agenda of the next management committee meeting and will be approved, if necessary with amendments.
The footpath route linking Lalbenque (46) and Conques (12) is virtually complete; there is only a 12km section still to validate. The routes in the north of the Auvergne have been defined, but are also awaiting validation.
The creation of the new association : Cluniac footpaths of the South-West (together with local authorities and other associations) is closely linked with the validation of the Charter of Cluniac Footpaths, which should materialise during the next few months.
Current projects:
- Our Vice-President, Gabriel Goudezeune, is managing the complete redesign of our internet site, which will in future be more user-friendly. The new site will be active before the end of autumn this year.
- A big walk on the Cluniac footpath, either in Guyenne-Gascogne or in Quercy.
- An educational and entertaining historical trail competition around the abbey, to be held during the Journées du patrimoine (Heritage days) in September.
- To stimulate in youngsters an interest in our historical heritage, we have developed an educational treasure trail (Jeu de piste). The game sheets are available at the mairie, the post office and the village Proxi supermarket. We’ll let you know well in advance when these different activities will take place.
- Preparing the three loops of the Chemins de Cluny en Pays de Serres for tourism, that is, signage and waymarking of the routes
With more restrictions due to COVID that may still lie ahead, it is not easy to predict what activities will be posssible.
The European Federation of Cluniac Sites (FESC) – recent progress:
We were finally able to organise the AGMs for 2019 and 2020, meeting in person at Charlieu (42). The new management committee, elected in the autumn of 2020, elected Mr Marc Fleuret (the new president of the Departmental Council of the Indre) to the post of vice-president. The rest of the membership of the committee remains unchanged. Sub-committees and their presidents will be nominated during the next management committee meeting in September.
Phase 1 of the application for UNESCO recognition of Cluniac sites is complete. Now work with participating European experts begins, in order to present the FESC’s candidature officially, in 2024 at the latest. Sites wishing to apply to be included on the list of UNESCO sites must put themselves forward as soon as possible.
Annual General Meeting:
As we have already let you know, we eventually held our AGMs for 2019 and 2020 via videoconference, in closed session. The minutes were sent to you ; we have elected a new committee member : Mr Vincent Lapierre.
We invite members who have not yet paid their subscriptions for this year to do so as soon as possible. The amount remains unchanged : 15 € for active members and 30€ for honorary members.
The members of the committee and the management committee join me in wishing you a pleasant summer holiday.
The President
Gérard Deflisque
Newsletter Summary:
- President’s message
- Summer concerts
- Restoration of the clocktower
- Photographic heritage exhibition
- Saint Sixte church