The latest news on Lundi 2 Août, 2010

The funerals will be at Cathédrale Sainte Marie in Auch

Since the announce of his death, numerous messages have arrived at the Company Secretariat witnessing the unanimous sadness. Louis, or rather Loulou for those who were close, particularly within the Comapny, was a loyal, reliable and trusty man. He was in charge, along with Jean Chalot who left us 8 months ago, of the Company accounting. He accomplished his task with rigor, availability and efficiency.

The Musketeers hereby present their condoleances to his wife, children, grandchildren as well as his family.

Preparations are under way for the Annual Grand Chapter, that will be held, as usual, in the magnificent Cloisters of Condom on Saturday, the 4th of September, 2010.

Don’t hesitate to go to the link shown above to be kept abreast of the latest developments.

The President of the Event will be Madame Irina BOKOVA, the Director General of UNESCO.

You had for sure already noted the considerable changes concerning the contents and the presentation of the site of the Company of the Musketeers since March, 2010. The difficulties met by our Company (death of the Treasurer Jean Chalot, long and concommitant disease of his assistant Louis "Loulou" Mailhac, retirement of our faithful Secretary Marcelle - who joined the Secretariat in 1968 - difficulties of his replacement did not prevent us from always progressing.

So, you will have been able to note at the upper left of this page of a button " Secure Web Space ".

This space is dedicated to you. It contains the state of your membership's situation. It also allows to settle by Credit Card directly to the secure part, the payment of your annual fee, the inscription and the payment of places in the annual chapter. For that purpose, a contract was signed with Paypal, the world leader of the on-line payment, among whom the reputation and the seriousness are not to be any more praised. For those of you who know Paypal, it will be useless to specify that the opening of an account is NOT compulsory, by no means. A direct Credit Card payment is privileged.

To reach this space, an identifier and a password were sent to you with the invitations in the chapter. They are strictly personal. In case of loss, we can send them back to you on simple request.

Let us specify that the Company has, in no way, access to the confidential information of payment, Paypal simply sending us an information e-mail of payment.

The photos of the Maastricht Chapter held on June 26th are now available.

Click here or find the link on Chapters page, Photos tab.

Condom received on Saturday, June 19th the visit of Zugan Tsereteli (the Georgian artist who created the statue offered to our Captain and that he had donated to the city of Condom) accompanied with the former Georgian ambassador in France.

Welcomed by Bernard Gallardo, Mayor, in the presence of Aymeri de Montesquiou, they together decided on the setting-up of the work: in front of the church, thus very close to the entrance of Convents, place of Chapters.

It will be inaugurated on the occasion of the 59th Chapter on September 4th of this year.

Read it here: La Dépêche.

Our Captain received in present a monumental work: a set of 4 statues on base representing 4 musketeers realized by the Russian-Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli.

Characteristics:

- 14 ft wide,

- 8 ft high,

- 5,5 metric tons...

The city of Bernard Gallardo (Mayor) is the happy beneficiary, A. de Montesquiou having donated it to Condom.

We still have no place where to install this work which, by its dimensions, would not pass unnoticed!

To see on September 4th!

Credit photo: Artcorusse Artcorusse/N. Tikhobrazoff
To see also: La Dépêche du Midi (Ed. Gers)

Congratulations to the Italian Squadron. Sandro Predieri and his team have opened this 18th of June, 2010 an autonomous version of the website of the Company of Musketeers.

You can have a look at it, it is not only for English speaking Musketeers: lots of photographs are displayed. Please click on the logo link below (or on the Italian flag on the welcome page of our site and ... enjoy!

A private Chapter was organized in Pimbat (Vic-Fezensac) on July, 13th, 2010. In addition to Frédéric Pietruszka, Jean-Claude Magnan et Jean Cottard - , already announced (Read below), another great French fencing Champion has been inducted: Marie-Chantal Demaille, 1971 World Champion.

Le reportage photo ici !

She quickly learns about pending topics and wil be first row for the next Chapter in Condom.

Chicago, June the 11th. Within the events framework of the 700th anniversary of Armagnac, the BNIA will introduce 4 new Musketeers.

Vic-Fezensac, June the 13th. Two great fencing champions, Frédéric Pietruska and Jean-Claude Magnan, who between them hold no less than 7 Olympic medals (including 2 gold), will be inducted, together with the celebrated trainer, Jean Cottard.

Casale Monferrato, June the 19th. Already announced on this page (see below), this Chapter is organized by the dynamic Italian Squadron.

- Maastricht le 26 juin : lire ci-dessous.

Under the leadership of Captain Camille Oostwegel, Musketeers are invited to an alluring programme. Read more in News from the Squadrons.

His discretion will suffer from it but his kindness equals his availability to have translated into good English the whole site and therefore having relieved both your servant and the General Secretary, this last one having at least a high workload!

Read it here!

A technical incident on CDs and DVDs provided by the Senagal Squadron has delayed the release of the very nive report of the Dakar Chapter held late JAnuary. It is now available here. A video is also available there ! Loading could take time, depending on your Internet connection speed... Previous events are under conversion process and will be available very soon!

- Photos of the outstanding Chapter in the Vatican here together with the Report of the Captain Lieutenant of the Italian Squadron present…. As a bonus, 4 pages of the Vital-Dufour book.
- Details of the private Chapter held in London on April the 12th, 2010 here. The speech of Sébastien Lacroix, the Director of BNIA.
- The photos of New York 2010 have arrived!

The film shot by Musketeer Serge Liberge during the Condom Grand Chapter 2007 is now on line (see Chapters / Photos / Videos)!

A private Chapter was organized in London by the B.N.I.A. (National Interprofessional Bureau of Armagnac) on the 12th of April, 2010 within the framework of the events marking “2010 – 700 years of Armagnac. Five personalities were inducted by Sébastien Lacroix, a member of the Musketeer’s General Staff. This was the first opportunity to show the writings of Maître Vital-Dufour, a copy of which was presented to the B.N.I.A., during its recent visit to the Vatican.

The Chapter of the Anglo-Normandy Squadron of the Company of Musketeers of Armagnac has beenheld on the 24th of April, at 7.30 PM in the Great Hall of Longleat House, the ancestral seat of Lord Bath. Photos here!

An exceptional Chapter was held in Rome on the occasion of the presentation by the Vatican Library of the texts of Maître Vital Dufour to the B.N.I.A.

Click on to "Special Vatican" to learn more !

Article Sud Ouest by Musketeer Philippe CAMPA - 25 mars 2010

all' Hotel Candiani - Ristorante La Torre (del Moschettiere Patrizia Grossi) a Casale Monferrato.

The previous record, dating from September the 8th, 2009, of 150 visits to our site was well beaten on March 26th, 2010, when:

277 visits were recorded.

Squadron news (sorry, some are in French...)

Aux escadrons de la Compagnie
Des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac

Chers Amis Mousquetaires,

Le 26 juin prochain l’escadron néerlandais de la Compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac tiendra son chapitre annuel, lié par tradition à la commémoration de la mort héroique  de Charles de Batz de Castelmore, comte d’Artagnan, capitaine-lieutenant des Mousquetaires du Roi, pendant le siège de Maastricht par Louis XIV de  juin 1673.

Pendant la cérémonie on espère inaugurer une replique de la petite statue de de’Artagnan par Mme Gertrud Januszewski, érigée en 1977  - et inaugurée en la présence de l’état major de la Compagnie des Mousquetaires - à l’endroit exact de la mort du héros, mais dont l’original à été vandalisé il y a quelques ans.

Le programme provisionel prévoit une demonstration d’escrime par le Cercle d’Escrime Sauvenière de Liège, présentée par son président, le Maitre d’armes Guy Goffin, le Maitre d’armes André Fridenbergs et son équipe d’escrimeurs et escrimeuses, ainsi que le Maitre d’armes et mousquetaire Guy Jouhannet, ancien champion d’escrime de France.

Le chapitre se deroulera au Château St. Gerlach, avec les intronisations suivi par  le diner.

Le dimanche la messe dans l’eglise de Wolder sera suivi par un programme informel dans la ville.

Si vous désiriez nous joindre -en personne ou avec votre epoux/se ou introducé/e - nous vous invitons de bien vouloir remplir la formulaire ci-jointe et de nous le faire parvenir le plus tôt possible. Si vous le désirez, le hôtel Château St.Gerlach vous offre un tarif réduit - mousquetaire pour votre séjour.

En l’espérance de pouvoir vous acceuilir chez nous le 26 juin,

Camille Oostwegel                             Dirk Jacob Jansen
Capitaine-Lieutenant                        Lieutenant aide de camp

Villa Casa Blanca, St. Gerlach 70, 6301 JD Valkenburg a.d. Geul
Tel.: 043 608 89 00 | e-mail: co@chateauhotels.nl  | www.chateauhotels.nl

PROGRAMME PROVISOIRE

Samedi, 26 juin 2010

13.30 uur    Réunion de l’état-major de l’escadron Néerlandais
Locatie: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht
Kruisherengang 19-23
6211 NW Maastricht
www.chateauhotels.nl

15.00 uur    Cérémonie de commemoration de la 337e anniversaire de la mort de d’Artagnan. On espère de pouvoir restituer la  (replique de la ) petite statue de D’Artagnan, victime d’une acte de vandalisme en 2006.
On posera la gerbe au pied du monument.
Maastricht, Waldeck Bastion (au Tongerseplein)

16.00 uur    Demonstration d’escrime par le Cercle d’Escrime Sauvenière de Liège,
Maastricht, caponnière du Bastion Waldeck, entrée des casemates

17.00 uur    Fin de la démonstration - temps libre

18.30 uur    Pousse rapière - Château St. Gerlach
Joseph Corneli Allée 1
6301 KK VALKENBURG AAN DE GEUL
www.chateauhotels.nl

19.00 uur    Intronisations des aspirant-mousquetaires:
- Dhr. Kees Kleinrensink          - Parrain: Dhr. Jan Vlug
- Mevr. Marianne Kuttschrütter         - Parrain: Dhr. Ed Neven
- Dhr. Hans Schmidt                - Parrain: Dhr. Adriaan Norenburg
- Dhr. Wouter Verboon             - Parrain: Dhr. Adriaan Norenburg
- Dhr. Volkert Batelaan            - Parrain: Dhr. Adriaan Norenburg
- Dhr. Camiel Eurlings             - Parrain: Dhr. Jo Cortenraedt
- Dhr. Jan Westerveld              - Parrain: Dhr. Rob Lagro

20.00 uur    Diner (les frais de  € 95,- p.p. tout inclus, à regler au restaurant)

Dimanche, 27 Juin 2010

9.30 uur      Messe dans l’église de St Pierre et St Paul de Wolder
Monseigneur Vranckenplein 1
6213 HL Maastricht-Wolder
www.parochie-sansalvator-petrus-paulus.nl

10.45 uur    Promenade guidée des fortifications de Maastricht, partant de la grande statue de d’Artagnan au Aldenhofpark vers la Helpoort. Dejeuner simple au Café d’Artagnan ou Café La Bonne Femme.

Compte-rendu du Capitaine-Lieutenant

Le Samedi 30 janvier 2010 a eu lieu à Dakar dans les salons de l’Hôtel Le Méridien, le XVIIème grand chapitre de l’Escadron du Sénégal de la Compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac.

Les invités furent accueillis devant le parterre de l’Hôtel par le Capitaine Lieutenant Claude CHERUBIN accompagné des Officiers et Cavaliers vêtus de leurs plus beaux atours. Une allée au garde à vous accueillit les Représentants de l’Escadron de Belgique.

S’en suivit, la présentation des impétrants, devant un magnifique auditoire de notables du Sénégal réunis en grand nombre pour assister à leur adoubement, en présence de l’Officier Supérieur Michel AUZIE, commis par l’Etat Major de Auch.

Ce grand chapitre a ainsi permis à la très belle assemblée d’assister à l’élévation, au grade de Lieutenant, de deux mousquetaires de l’Escadron du Sénégal, Mrs. AZAR Joseph et COTTRANT Serge, ainsi qu’à l’élévation au grade de Lieutenant d’Honneur du Mousquetaire Olivier PAULUS (Général Commandant les Forces Françaises du Cap Vert).

Cette soirée somptueuse a aussi vu l’intronisation de onze Mousquetaires portant ainsi les effectifs de l’Escadron du Sénégal à 76 jeunes et fringants Mousquetaires. 250 convives se sont ensuite retrouvés dans la salle de réception où des agapes succulentes préparées par le Maitre Cuisinier Intendant de la Compagnie, Joseph SAMPIETRO dit PEPITO, très connu des Mousquetaires du monde entier, les attendaient. Entre ces mets divins et ces verres de vins gouteux, les invités ont pu satisfaire leur esprit avec un spectacle digne de Versailles autrefois, mais plus endiablé que la « gigue » ou le « menuet », en fait, version « french-cancan ».

La soirée dansante se termina à l’aube accompagnée d’une soupe à l’oignon arrosée d’Armagnac ! Les invités furent dignement raccompagnés à leurs carrosses ailés et nous quittèrent ravis de leur séjour en notre terre, si lointaine que même les producteurs d’Armagnac n’osent s’y risquer, bien que l’Escadron du Sénégal ait converti bon nombre à la consommation de notre « eau de vie merveilleuse qui a pour nom Armagnac, source de toutes les vertus viriles et tous les enthousiasmes féminins ».

TOUS POUR UN, UN POUR TOUS !

Le discours du Capitaine-Lieutenant

LONGLEAT HOUSE, 24 Avril 2010

Lord Bath,
Madame & Messieurs les représentants  de l’Escadron Belge
Monsieur le représentant de la Compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac
Chers Mousquetaires, Chers amis,

Je déclare ouvert le 10ème chapitre de l’Escadron Anglo-Normand de la compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac.

Le chapitre de ce soir est dédié à la mémoire de Jean-Pierre GIMET, disparu en septembre dernier. Jean-Pierre,  producteur d’Armagnac et ami, nous manque beaucoup. Toujours disponible, il avait l’esprit et le panache du Mousquetaire. Et il est là, ce soir, présent dans notre cœur.

C’est en 2000, que l’escadron Anglo-Normand, prend naissance en Normandie, à Fontaine la Mallet, où le Secrétaire général de la compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac, Georges Bru, me remettait les statuts, en me demandant de créer un Escadron Anglo-Normand.

J’ai relevé ce défi et bâti peu à peu notre Escadron, qui fête ce soir ses dix ans. J’ai été, dans cette tache, bien secondé par Keith, dès le début,  puis l’année suivante, par Mike.

Pour fêter l’anniversaire de notre Escadron, 10 années déjà, plusieurs amis Mousquetaires et voisins européens, devaient partager notre soirée.

Le volcan de L’Islande, qui n’était pas invité à notre fête, a décidé de la perturber, provocant ainsi un changement profond dans notre organisation.

Mais il n’est nul défit qu’un Mousquetaire ne puisse relever, et c’est ce  qui m’amène à remercier Mike et Keith, qui avec la pugnacité qui les caractérise, ont su, comme à l’accoutumée faire face.

En cette année 2010, il y a un autre anniversaire, celui des 700 ans de l’Armagnac. Plus vieilles eau de vie de France, (et peut-être du monde), elle a des racines historiques.

D’abord, si l’on remonte un peu dans le temps, il aura fallu que les Romains plantent les vignes, puis que les Arabes inventent l’alambic et enfin que les Celtes fabriquent les fûts.

En 1310 Maître Vital Dufour, homme d’église, Prieur d’Eauze, féru de médecine, vantait les 40 vertus de l’Aygue Ardente, l’ancêtre de l’Armagnac, son histoire est relatée dans un ouvrage imprimé en 1531.

Ouvrage qui depuis lors, est conservé aux archives du Vatican.

Je pense que la Compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac, nous fera vivre cet évènement au grand chapitre de Condom, en septembre prochain, puisqu’elle a, en mars dernier, récupéré à Rome, une copie de ce document.

Je vous donne rendez-vous en 2011, le 30 avril, à Etretat pour le chapitre annuel, et un probable changement d’organisation de l’Escadron. Nous pourrions rendre ainsi hommage à l’engagement de mes amis Mike Williams M.B.E & Keith Martin, qui sauront, j’en suis sur, se montrer dignes de servir la Compagnie et l’Escadron comme il se doit. Je crois que l’Escadron ne pourrait pas être  dans de meilleures mains.

Aussi, en attendant, honorons ce soir, Jean-Pierre, fêtons l’Armagnac et souhaitons-nous, un bon anniversaire.

Merci et bonne soirée à tous.

Preparations for the Grand Chapter at Condom the 4th of September, 2010

The President of the Event will be Madame Irina BOKOVA, the Director General of UNESCO.

Maître Vital DuFour

London, April 12, 2010

"Very useful book for conserving ones health and staying on top form [...]"

by Maître Vital DuFour, Prior of Eauze in Gascony, dated in 1310 and printed in 1531

by Sébastien Lacroix. Pphotos here !

This most successful event was held in the splendid rooms of the highly regarded  Connaught Hotel, established 110 years ago in what was once a London palace.
An  ambiance very « British » ;old world charm, class, elegance, and remarkable service  in sumptuous surroundings … In other words, the ideal setting both for holding  this exceptional Charter and for celebrating 700 years of Armagnac.
This prestigious evening was organized within the framework of events  marking  “2010, 700 years of Armagnac”. The Chapter was held during a Dinner that followed an afternoon dedicated to Armagnac, including a master class and professional exhibition at which 120 guests met the 11 partner Houses of Armagnac. Each House had invited its importers, distributors, restaurants, and bar owners…. The BNIA also invited a number of guests, including journalists, importers and “Armagnac ambassadors”….
Hélène DARROZE was present at the beginning of the Dinner, but was unfortunately unable to stay longer.
Those inducted were:
- Neil MATHISON, Vanessa PEARSON and Laki CHRISTOFOROU, who are either importers, buyers or distributors of Armagnac and well-known to the highly enthusiastic Musketeer James RAKHAM, who represents the Armagnacs  “Marquis de Montesquiou” and “Comte de Lauvia”.  Importer Neil Mathison, a passionate defender of Armagnac for many years, had no idea that he was to be inducted, and was delighted to join the Company.
- Delia SMITH, who was inducted yesterday, is a television and press personality famous for her cookery  books and programmes. Everyone in the British Isles knows Delia and her television shows and books. It was a great honour for us that she accepted our invitation to our Dinner. Delia is quite simply a delightful person and very approachable.. She told us that she was very, very honoured to become a Musketeer of Armagnac.

In his medical opus dated 1310 and preserved since its edition in 1531 in the Archives of the Vatican library, Domini Vitalis de Furno, or Maître Vital Dufour, vaunted the « 40 virtues » of the Aygue Ardente, eau-de-vie produced locally that took the name from the land of its birth, Armagnac.

Extract of the « forty virtues » from the oeuvre by Maître Vital Dufour :

• « If one adds herbs, it extracts their virtues,
• it makes redness disappear
• and heat in the eyes,
• it stop tears from running,
• it heals hepatitis if one drinks it soberly,
• it heals gout,
• cankers,
• and fistula by ingestion,
• it heals wounds by application.
• Frequent anointment of a paralysed member will render it to its normal state.
• It enlivens the spirit, partaken in moderation,
• recalls the past to memory,
• renders men joyous above all.
• It makes disappear pain in the ears
• and deafness,
• It makes disappear stones in the bladder
• and the kidneys.
• If one anoints the head, it removes headaches, particularly those coming from a cold.
• and when retained in the mouth, it loosens the tongue,
• emboldens the wit, if someone timid from time to time himself permits. »

Great Tourist Sites in Midi-Pyrénées - Auch

The Musketeers at the Vatican!

A delegation from Armagnac has left for Rome at the beginning of March to receive a facsimile of Vital Dufour's famous text from the Vatican authorities.

The delegation has been received at the Vatican Library by Mgr Cesare Pasini, Prefect of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, and Mgr Duval-Arnould, Scriptor.

An official ceremony has then taken place at the Holy Trinity on Pincio Hill, French territory where the delegation has been invited by His Excellence Stanislas de Laboulaye, French Ambassador to Saint-Siège, in the presence of Mgr Duval-Arnould, Scriptor of the Vatican.

This place is also full of history and sumptuous to say the least : "Non est in tota laetior urbe locus" [In the whole of Rome there is not a more pleasing place] : this motto affixed to the door of the Holy Trinity library emphasizes its magnificence.

The refectory in which the ceremony will take place is one of the most beautiful dining rooms in Rome : Brother Andrea Pozzo, a master of trompe l'oeil, has painted the walls and the vaulted ceiling depicting the Wedding at Cana.

An induction cerenomy has taken place with the presence of the Italian Squadron conducted by Capitaine Sandro Predieri, and a delegation of French Musketeers Tabarin, Lacroix, Campa and Samalens.

Once obtained, this facsimile will travel with us and will be given pride of place at each of our 2010 celebrations in all the countries that we visit.

The festivities conducted throughout its journey will invite respect for the text and for Armagnac.

At the end of the year, it will come back to the region to inaugurate the distillation period, known as the Flamme de l'Armagnac. Hence, we will close this immutable cycle of Armagnac and the preceding 700 years and symbolically launch, with the arrival of the newly distilled Armagnac, the next seven centuries ...

We would sincerely like to thank : His Excellence Stanislas de Laboulaye, French Ambassador to Saint-Siège, his Conseiller Ecclésiastique, Monsieur l'Abbé Xavier d'Arodes de Peyriague, and Monseigneur Duval-Arnould, Scriptor and previous Archivist to the Vatican, for their precious help.

Le 19/20 dated 03/25/2010

News: archives

An exceptional Chapter was held in New York on the 18th of February to mark the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the d’Artagnan Society, founded by Ariane Daguin.

At this event, Christophe Jankowiak and Sébastien Lacroix, representing the Company, inducted the following 8 new Musketeers :
- Philippe Lalliot, Consul General of France,
- Eric Ripert,
- Anthony Bourdain,
- George Gellert
- Denis Lesgourgues
- Baron Francois
- Henry Preiss
and
-Stanley Tucci, American actor, producer, director and scriptwriter who most notably appeared in « The Devil dressed in Prada » for which he was nominated for the best supporting role at the 2010 Oscars.

t. Photos here...

Musketeer Paul Pigman is a successful racing driver from Pittsburgh (USA). When he noticed our « badge » on the vehicle of our friend Dr. Paul Liefeld he asked if he could show the colours of the Company on his race car.
We were delighted, but suggested that he refrained from toasting each of his wins with Armagnac until he’d crossed the finishing line.

In the presence of His Excellency, Alexander Orlov, The Russian Federation Ambassador to France.

Photos Larrieu Condom

Presentation of  The Company of Musketeers