The project of the Path of the Wise was born during a session of the Council of Elders, made up of 9 women and 9 men aged 60 and over, chosen for their wise experience by the Municipal Councillors. On that day, the subject of reflection was the question of how to bring our republican motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” to life?
The birth of the Path of the Sages
The idea germinated that sprinkle the city with sentences emanating from famous women and men, globally recognized for their wisdom and their humanism, could challenge the awareness of passers-by Borméens as tourists. In order to justify this bold and innovative project in the eyes of the Mayor and his Municipal Council, the decision is taken to combine this route with historical plaques which were to be installed on the city's emblematic monuments. The members of the Council of Elders then determined the route of this path within the medieval village and worked on the support, texts, images and symbols of these plates.
Le butterfly symbol is chosen because it represents joy, beauty, grace and lightness of being. It refers to the power of personal transformation by its strong power of rebirth. Indeed, before being a butterfly, this insect is first an egg, then it becomes a caterpillar before being a chrysalis and finally a butterfly. Each new step symbolizes a change in life, the let go on what you were to appreciate what you have become. As a symbol of wisdom, This animal is a source of inspiration in life. Under his fragile appearances,
The butterfly has a great strength. Indeed, his life is fleeting (life span of a few days to a few weeks) and yet, it spreads joy and good humor by the grace and beauty of its flight, enjoying every moment that nature offers it. So why not do like the butterfly, to approach with confidence everything that life offers us, good or bad experience, because after all it only lasts a moment. These experiences are not the past the better preparation for the future allowing us to move forward more serenely on the paths of life?
The biography of Victor Hugo
A sacred monster of French literature, exceptional in the battles of his time as much as in the fertility of his imagination.
Victor Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 in Besançon and died in Paris on February 26, 1885. He is considered to be one of the most important writers in the French language. He is also a political personality and committed intellectual who played a major ideological role and occupies a prominent place in the history of 19th century French literature. The youngest of three boys, his father Leopold was a general in the Napoleonic Empire. While he was at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Victor Hugo already seemed to have a very precise idea about his future. À 14 years old, he writes “I want to be Chateaubriand or nothing.”
On October 12, 1822, Victor Hugo wife Adele Foucher, a childhood friend. They will have in all five children whose eldest, Lépoldine, died tragically drowned in the Seine in 1843 and Hugo would be very affected. While his wife is doing Sainte Beuve her lover, a certain Juliette Drouet becomes her mistress. Several other adventures of the writer are known as Léonie d'Aunet.
In the theater, Victor Hugo established himself as one of the leaders of French romanticism by presenting his conception of the romantic drama about prefaces who introduce Cromwell in 1827 then hernani in 1830, which are true manifestos, then by his other dramatic works, in particular Lucrèce Borgia and in 1833 Ruy Blas in 1838. Its poetic work includes several collections of lyric poems, the most famous of which are Odes and Ballads published in 1826, Autumn Leaves and in 1831 Contemplations in 1856. Victor Hugo is also a poet committed against Napoleon III in
The Punishments, published in 1853, and a epic poet in The Legend of the Centuries, published from 1859 to 1883. As novelist, he met a great popular success, first with Notre-Dame de Paris in 1831, and even more so with Les Misérables in 1862. His multiple works also include political writings and speeches, of travel stories, collections of notes and memoirs, of literary comments, an abundant correspondence, close to four thousand drawings most of which are made in ink, as well as the interior design and contribution to photography.
Very involved in the public debate, Victor Hugo was parliamentarian under the July Monarchy and under the Second and Third Republics. He has exiled for almost twenty years à Jersey and Guernsey under the Second Empire, of which he was one of the great opponents. Committed to peace and freedom et sensitive to human misery, He spoke out in favour of many social advances, its opposed to the death penalty and supported the idea of a unified Europe. His resolutely republican commitment in the second part of his life and his immense literary work made him a iconic character, which the Third Republic honored with national funeral.
Sa bare is exposed under the Arc de Triomphe during a night and the transfer of his remains to Pantheon from Paris on the 1ster June 1885, ten days after his death by the hearse “of the poor” (as he wished) is followed by a crowd of two million people. delegations from all over the world made the trip for a final tribute. Having contributed greatly to the renewal of poetry and theater and having marked his time with his political and social positions, Victor Hugo is still celebrated today, in France and abroad, as a famous character, whose life and work have been the subject of numerous commentaries and tributes.
The Cigalou House and Park
Cigalou Park knew multiple owners over the years. The first owner was Alfred Courmes, here inherited the park from his parents in 1893. He expanded the property in 1908, when it consisted mainly of uncultivated land with a few olive and pine trees. The land was located in the Blèque district and belonged to several owners, including Mr. Audibert de Bormes and Mr. Félix Bremond du Lavandou. In 1909, Alfred Courmes acquires an additional plot of 49m2 belonging to the municipality, in the Saint-Esprit district. Then, part of the property was purchased by Madame Goulin, a Parisian lyric artist, followed by Madame Augustine Bérengier and her son Louis Chenus.
In 1925, the Cauvet couple bought the part built by the Bérengier-Chenus couple, which is now occupied by the “Friendship Club House”. In 1928, Mrs. Germaine Delafon-Jacob and her daughter Madeleine Saupique have acquired part of the park belonging to Madame Goulin. They have expanded the property in 1940 by acquiring another plot of land from Mr. Ernest Cauvet, a former public works contractor. Mrs. Germaine Delafon-Jacob and Madeleine Saupique are the heirs to the famous sanitary ware company Jacob Delafon. Germaine Delafon, who was of fragile constitution, stayed at Bormes the Mimosas improve your health. Her husband, Eugene, gave her bought the Cigalou property. Germaine has planted many exotic trees in the park for her well-being. The house was occupied by herself, her husband, their daughter Madeleine Saupique and their granddaughters, as well as household staff.
After Second World Warhave property was transformed into a hotel, the Hôtel du Cigalou, with its park. In 1979, the municipality bought the park and the house. Le park is now open to the public et hosts events such as Mimosalia, a exhibition of rare plants, as well as concerts during the summer season. Jules Emile Eugène Jacob, industrialist and mayor of Damparis, died in 1941. Germaine Delafon died in 1980. Madame Jacob's family is still present in Bormes les Mimosas.
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