BALLAD IN ARCACHON

Arcachon, town of a small end of my childhood, celebrates, in this year 2007, its 150 years of existance.
To celebrate its inhabitants, Arcachon exposed the photographs of classes since the creation of the city.
You can see, on the left and on the right, of the photographs of classes which are expensive to us!
And you find all the original photographs of this page in the album photographs of the family...

The city was born from the signature, May 2, 1857, of an imperial decree, by Napoleon III.
It was separated from the commune of Teste, by a feature of feather, straight, on the basis of the Point of Aiguillon and leading to the coast of Moulleau.
Among the fathers founders of Arcachon, one finds Lamarque de Plaisance, Adalbert Deganne and Xavier Mouls.
Among the manufacturers of the city, one finds Legallais and Pereire.

Included in a perimeter on the basis of the Deganne Castle to the alley of the Vault, the Town of Summer is par excellence the district where concentrate the largest hotels, the trade and the bodies administrative (mayor, station, court...). It is the really urban and agglomerated part of Arcachon. It is also the oldest district.

It is in this part of the city that I lived, to the whole beginning of the years 1960.

Adalbert Deganne (1817-1886), Mayor of Arcachon, made build in 1853, a castle inspired of the Castle of Boursault, near to Epernay. This castle, built in edge of sea and refitted in 1903, accomodated in its time of famous characters in his village hall and of Theatre. Making office during the "Large War" of hospital, and during the second world war, of House of the Soldier, the Castle became, later, the Casino of the Beach. It is one of the symbols impossible to circumvent of the Town of Summer.

A mon époque, c'était toujours l'endroit où l'on se fait voir !

Built in 1863 by the Company of the Railroad, incarnated by two of the large promoters of Arcachon: Isaac and Emile Péreire, the Large Hotel accomodated hosts of prestige: Elisabeth Wittelsbach, more known under the name of Sissi the Empress in 1890, the Marshal Mac Mahon (1st French President of IIIrd Republic), the Ranavalo Queen of Madagascar in 1906...
Following an important fire in 1906, it is found modernized and increased. It became today, the residence of the Large Hotel.


Place of evening walks favorite of Arcachonnais, the Sea front which one knows today is the result of successive installations.
The unloading dock of Eyrac is completed in 1845; the Thiers Place in 1882. It is under Veyrier-Montagnères however (Mayor of Arcachon of 1897 to 1922) that the Sea front is arranged and obtains with facings, pier-walk and lighting in 1914. The famous pier Thiers, element emblematic of the City, was built by the contractor of Bordeaux Goguel. 1936 should be waited until, however for the inauguration of the Gounouilhou boulevard. The pangs of time having put at evil the pier, it was imperative to rebuild it. It was made thing and Arcachonnais could discover their new pier in April 2004.


With acquisition by the Péreire Brothers of 400 hectares national forest on what it was common to call "the mountain", the idea of a future Town of winter starts to take form. It was a question for the Company of the South of making profitable the railway line (of which the prolongation to Arcachon is completed in 1857), with the creation of a profitable real operation. This one was born, in 1862.

The development of Arcachon and the Town of winter is closely related to the "medical" vocation of the city. It is true that the tests of doctors praising the merits of the climate and the forest are abundant at the 19th century. Consequently, Downtown of winter many lodgings bound for the private individuals rise. Easiest could offer the charm and the comfort of a villa or a housing within "houses of family" especially equipped. For the others, sanatoria with the aspect of "country cottage" were create.

I knew the Climatic College (inaugurated on March 23, 1952), not very far from the ski piste on pine needles (created in 1938).

Behind the Moorish Park, one finds the View-point, located on theSainte-Cécile dune, which constitutes a privileged observatory.
Top of its fifteen meters, this metal tower carried out in 1863, work of the architect Paul Régnault (it had as assisting certain Gustave Eiffel) offers to you one of the most beautiful sights of the Basin.

In 1867, the Real estate company of Arcachon subsidiary company of the Company of the South made build 73 villas. Private individuals also made build villas of all styles which borrowed their architecture from Spain, Italy or North Africa, with the traditional style or at the Average Age.
Bow-windows of the Villa Enchanted with the keep of the Coulaine Villa while passing by Eastern reasons for the Myriam City, the Town of Winter does not have of cease to cause the interest of the architects and the amazement of the walkers.


On old guides arcachonnais, one can read that the Town of Autumn "extends from the Castle from Tests and includes the districts Saint Ferdinand, Eyrac, Moueng, Aiguillon". The Deganne avenue and the avenue of the Republic are the two principal axes which cross it. This district was thus baptized by the Real estate company, in 1881, in echo to its two sisters: the Town of Summer and the Town of Winter.

Saint Ferdinand was with his construction in 1854, a simple vault. It is necessary to await the imperial decree of January 12, 1870 so that this one is not set up in parish. This place of worship made, then, the object of some transformations. The first vault, too small and découronnée by a hurricane was replaced by a church of Romance style in 1900, surmounted by a work of Edmond Chrétien, Pancréator Christ.

The private park of Deganne (which included, inter alia, the Castle) covered a surface 15000 m² and opened on two avenues decorated with very beautiful villas.


The villas of the Deganne Boulevard for the majority were preserved and bear names testifying to the scholarship of the owners: Graziella villa, Périclès Villa, Villa Cid.

Saint Domenica where the girls received their instruction of the Dominican sisters and Holy Elme, establishment intended for the boys, always form part of the prestigious inheritance of the Town of Autumn.

It is in the Town of Autumn that one finds some of the most interesting villas of the City. Villas which bear the names of the Marie Stella, Sainte Marie, Saint Etienne, Saint Francois, Our Injury, Sainte Elizabeth, Saint Louis... are for the majority of the properties of the notable buildings. Certain residences alas disappeared like the Red Country cottage of which the richness of the ornaments and furniture illustrated best knowledge to make craftsmen of the time.

It is in this Town of Autumn (Deganne boulevard) that I discovered Arcachon (I was 10 years old!). One smells oneself there in another world, silencer, calm, peaceful.

The Town of Spring extends from the Basilica Our Injury to the Péreire Park. Our Injury, the Cross of the Sailors, but also the beautiful villas bordering the avenue Sainte Marie constitute some of the principal attractions of the district.

The church Our Injury, whose bell-tower rises to 59 m, was built in 1856 by the architect Gustave Alaux, then increased by his/her son a few years later, between 1883 and 1884.
At the interior of the church, the vault of the Sailors always shelters the famous statue of the virgin, found on the edge of sea by the monk franciscain, Thomas illyricus, in 1519.

In this church, set up in basilica in 1953, I found the chorus and the benches of the choral society, a great memory!

To 150 m of the pier, in direction of the beach the Cross of the Sailors is. It is set up in 1902, year of construction, the pier bordering. It is of use for the sailors to greet it by blows of siren, with each one of their passage. Each year on March 25, employers' feastday of the city, a procession advances to the Cross and the Pier to pay homage to the missing sailors and to bless the sea.


The Péreire Park: this district now residential extended at the time on a surface from 50 ha. Emile Péreire had set up there a vast villa in a park which bears today still its name. The Péreire Stables are one of rare testimonys which remain of this property.


The Casino of the Forest (called then Moorish), was built in 1863. It was a timber construction, of Moorish style. Its park is always known for its gasolines of trees of all the areas of the world.
It shone of all its visible fires of the city of in bottom, but it was destroyed by a fire on January 18, 1977.

I passed from good moments in this marvellous park, in his elevator (the beautiful injuries of the time could not go up to foot!), and in the paths which surround it.

I cannot conclude this evocation of the city of Arcachon, without a wink towards emblematic figure marina and fishing port (15th port of the Atlantic and 1st of Aquitaine) the (second port of the Atlantic coast, more than 2600 dampings on let us bridge and 3rd wearing of France in a number of places) and of the city: only the true boat of the basin: the Norway pine (I very often crossed the basin, between the pier Thiers and the Cape Ferret thanks to it).

And well of other things still: the dune of Pyla, the source of Abatilles, Moulleau and its Napoleonean gun, the turn of the basin and the Cape Tag, the island with the birds and its tchanquées huts, and the beauty of ancient villas...

Sources : The website of the town of Arcachon and number 14 of the magazine Arcachon Magazine.