Monday 19 October 2015

Victor Emmanuel

The monument to King Victor Emmanuel II in the Piazza del Duomo, Milan. The equestrian bronze statue shows Victor Emmanuel during the Risorgimento, as the movement which drove the unification of Italy in the 1850-60s is known. Despite being cast in 1878 the statue was not placed in its current position facing the cathedral until 1896.

Although the first king of a united Italy, Victor Emmanuel retained his existing title as King of Sardinia, and is thus Victor Emmanuel II, not as you would expect, Victor Emmanuel I.
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Christmas Trees: The Parents and Friends of the State Schools in Preuilly sur Claise (Association des Parents d'Elèves et Amis des Ecoles Publiques de Preuilly sur Claise) are organising the sale of Christmas trees. The trees (Sapins Nordmann or Nordmann Firs) are the sort that don't drop their needles. If you want one you need to order it by 2 November. To do so pick up an order form from the boulangerie or other shop in Preuilly, attach your cheque to it and drop your order in to the mairie. You can pick up your tree at the Christmas market on Saturday 5 December in the Place du Champ de Foire. The money raised goes towards financing cultural activities for the children. Prices range from €15 for a 80cm to 1m high cut tree to €35 for a 175cm to 2m high cut tree. You can also get trees in pots suitable for planting out after Christmas.

2 comments:

Le Pré de la Forge said...

The Nordman Fir [Abies] isn't a Spruce [Picea]....
Like the Noble Fir... one of my favourite trees... it has BLUNT needles.
If my memory is correct, Nordmanns have a notch at the tip...
either way, these are much better for families with young kids!!
In the UK, the Norway Spruce reigned... in fact, when I started in forestry.....
you could get Govt. grants to plant the damned things as Christmas trees...
in the late '70s they extended that grant to Sitka Spruce...
which doesn't have sharp points like the Norway Spruce...
it has silica NEEDLES at the tip... highly dangerous for kids and pets...
even for adults... I've had dead Sitka spruce needles pierce work gloves!!
Long live the switch to Abies as the species...
a much more attractive tree, too.
Something's niggling at the back of my mind about Nordmanns being an Ice Age relic...

For big kids the tree just looks nicer

Susan said...

Many thanks as ever for the extra info about the trees. Not having bothered with a tree at Xmas for decades I had no idea. It's nice to have an endorsement for the Parents Association trees.

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