Thursday 13 October 2022

In the city of Moulins, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, central France

 Jean Hay, who is now generally identified with the artist formerly known as the Master of Moulins, was an Early Netherlandish painter working in France and the Duchy of Burgundy, and was closely associated with the court of the Dukes of Bourbon.

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(in southeast-central France) Moulins (sometimes called Moulins-sur-Allier), a city in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is the prefecture of the department of Allier. The historic capital of Bourbonnais, it is a city of art and history that is found on the right bank of the Allier River (to the northwest of Lyon) and boasts a remarkable heritage that includes the Castle of the Bourbon dukes, who were kings of France from the accession of Henry IV in 1589 to the death by guillotine of Louis XVI in 1793. (The citytakes its name from the many mills that once stood along the river banks here.)
+ Moulins' 16th- to 17th-century flamboyant Gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame houses the famous triptych by the 15th-century Dutch painter referred to as the Master of Moulins. (The cathedral has some lovely 15th- and 16th-century stained-glass windows.) The nearby 15th-century tower has a quaint jaquemart clock with automatons that strike the quarter-hours. The municipal library opposite contains the 12th-century Bible of Souvigny, a magnificent illuminated manuscript from Souvigny Priory, seven miles (~12 km) southeast of Moulins. The city, which has some fine old houses, reached a high state of prosperity in the 15th and 16th centuries. (Despite the presence of some light industry, Moulins acts primarily as an administrative and commercial center for the surrounding, prosperous agricultural region.) 

+ Explore the cobbled streets of the historic center, lined with half-timbered houses; head to the top of the Jacquemart tower for 360° degree views; and visit Notre-Dame Cathedral -- where the Bourbons are immortalized in stained glass. Don’t miss the opulent Grand Café, a jewel of Art Nouveau style, nor the Maison des Palets d’Or that has been producing chocolate temptations for more than a century. Whether you love fashion, needlework, or just a nostalgic look at the past, take a tour of the National Center for Stage Costume and Scenography. The only one in the world, it includes costumes and sets from the National Opéra de Paris and the Comédie Française. Set in a large 18th century building, this unusual museum, which holds many thousands of costumes, is quite appealing to film and theater enthusiasts.

+ Elsewhere, in the historical center of Moulins, visitors can see some interesting medieval houses, both half-timbered and in brick and stone designs, while other grand buildings include the Palace of Justice and the Town Hall. Other monuments include the mausoleum of the Duke of Montmorency in the Chapel of the Ancient Convent; the Church of Saint-Pierre; a tower that is a remaining part of the chateau of the Dukes of Bourbon, and the 18th century bridge -- the Pont Régemortes.



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At the medieval Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), in the city of Cologne, Germany

 One of the key inland ports of Europe, Cologne (German: Köln) is the historic, cultural, and economic capital of the Rhineland. ===========...