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Location | Les Epesses, Vendée, France |
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Coordinates | 46°53′36″N 0°55′55″W / 46.893340°N 0.932068°W |
Opened | Cinéscénie: 1978 Grand Parc: 1989 |
Owner | Association du Puy du Fou |
Slogan | "L'Histoire n'attend que vous" (History is waiting for you) |
Operating season | From April to September |
Area | 55 hectares (140 acres) |
Website | Main site |
Puy du Fou ( [pɥi dy fu]) is a historical theme park in Les Epesses, in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. It receives more than 2 million visitors every year, making it one of the most popular theme parks in France. [1] [2] From 2019 to 2022, it was the fourth largest theme park attendance in France, behind Walt Disney Studios, Disneyland Paris, and Parc Astérix.
The idea of Puy du Fou originated in 1977, when Philippe de Villiers, a then twenty-seven-year-old student, decided to create an original show named "Cinéscénie".
On June 13th, 1977, he discovered the ruins of an old Renaissance castle in the village of Les Epesses near Cholet and wrote a story about a local family named Maupillier (the real name of a soldier of Vendée at the time of the conflict between Vendée and the French Republic during the French Revolution), spanning that period until World War II.
Phillippe de Villiers organized an association of 600 members (3650 today) named "l'Association du Puy du Fou", whose current president is Phillippe de Villiers' son, Nicolas de Villiers.
When Cinéscénie first aired in June 1978, the show did not have great success. By the end of the first season, the show found some success and continued to grow from there. It has since spawned its own micro-industry of actors, prop-makers, and trainers for horse riding and sword fighting, which both feature in the show. Since 1988, the "Académies Junior" organizes yearly showings of Cinéscénie, such as at the Paris Paname in the "Halle Renaissance" of the Grand Parc, in March 2008.
The Grand Parc of the Puy du Fou was opened near the Cinéscénie in 1989, and is today one of the most popular theme parks in France.
In 2011, the Grand Parc of Puy du Fou hosted the team presentations before the Tour de France, which was set to begin in the Vendée. [3]
On 13 August 2018, the Grand Parc launched a program where specially trained rooks fly around the park to pick up cigarette butts and other small pieces of litter. [4] Christophe Gaborit, the park's Head of Falconry, originally trained the birds to participate in the park's falconry show, but later was inspired to teach them how to pick up rubbish left by the park's visitors. [5] By using a specially created box, which was inspired by a magician's prop, he taught six of his birds—Boubou, Bamboo, Bill, Black, Bricole, and Baco—to deliver bits of trash to the box and exchange them for food. [6] The goal of the project is both to teach the park's visitors about the birds and to discourage littering. [7]
In 2019, the project expanded abroad with the night show El sueño de Toledo ("The Dream of Toledo") about the history of Spain in Toledo, Spain. It is the first stage of Puy du Fou España. In 2021, it expanded into a park with five shows and four villages.
The park is split into 26 main shows, each running for approximately 30–40 minutes:
The above shows are presented in French, but electronic translators are available. However, immersive shows, especially those relying on live actors, are only available in French. These include:
Other smaller shows are also available only in French:
The main show takes place in the evening on an outdoor stage. It tells the story of the 700 years of history in the area. The Cinéscénie is the largest stage in the world, having 1200 actors, hundreds of horses, and about 800 fireworks per performance. [2] All of the dialogue is in French, but translation headsets are available in five different languages. All of the actors and actresses, including the children, are volunteers from the local villages. The Cinéscénie is only performed during peak season. It is bookable separately and has a separate entrance.
In 2007, the park opened its first hotel to encourage guests to stay on property for longer periods of time. Over the years, the hotels have grown in number, and now form a resort south east of the park named The Nocturnal City (La Cité Nocturne). There are six themed hotels, each allowing guests to choose a century to sleep in.
Location | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Main Shows | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Old Castle | — | The Great Falconry Show | Dance of the Phantom Birds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Puy du Fou Castle | — | The Chivalry Feast | Battle of the Keep | Secret of the Lance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | Battle of the Keep (Nighttime) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | Renaissance of the Castle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Gallo-Roman Stadium | — | The Gladiators | The Sign of Triumph | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Grand Carrousel | — | Richelieu's Musketeer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Old Pond | — | Organs of Fire | The Fire Wedding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Great Water Show | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Theater of Giants | — | The Last Panache | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Cinematograph | — | The Mime and the Star | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Period Villages and Shows | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chasseloup | The 18th Century Village | Chasseloup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | Traditional Musicians | The Grand Carillon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Font-Rognou | — | The Medieval Town | Font-Rognou | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Minstrel Magician | The Knights of the Round Table | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saint Philbert le Vieil | — | The Fort of the Year One Thousand | Saint Philbert le Vieil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Legend of Saint Philibert | The Vikings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bourg Bérard | — | The Renaissance Hall | La Madelon's Café | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The 1900 Bourg | Bourg Bérard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Musician Automatons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | Ballet of the Firefighters | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Natural Areas and Shows | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Forest | — | Memory Road | The Mystery of La Pérouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Water Theater | The Puy du Fou Odyssey | The First Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Lovers of Verdun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Marienne Vale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Arboretum | — | The Wolves' Lair | La Fontaine's Imaginary World | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Rose Garden | Ronsard's Rose Garden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Prairie | — | The Children's Theater | The Legend of Martin | King Henry's Stew | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Nocturnal City | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hotels | — | The Gallo-Roman Villa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | Lescure's Lodgings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Islands of Clovis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Field of the Cloth of Gold | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Citadel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | The Great Century | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 |