First, a little geography.

La Borne is a hamlet in the Cher, one of four Départements which make up Le Berry, in the Région Centre. Half the hamlet belongs to the village of Morogues, 4 miles/6.5 kms away, and half to Henrichemont at 2½ miles/4 kms.

During the reign of France's most loved king, Henri IV, his right-hand man the Duc de Sully had great plans for a town he began to build in 1609. He named it Henrici-Mons, le Mont Henri, which became Henrichemont, in his sovereign's honour. Sully was prince of Boisbelle. This is how we find ourselves in the Principauté de Boisbelle and in the Cité de Sully.

This weekend I went to Henrichemont to join the town's 400 years celebrations.

For three days there was dancing, music and demonstrations of old crafts. We heard the violin and medieval vielle being played and watched slate-laying and other métiers by young apprentices.

The townspeople, including the Maire who laid a plaque with other dignataries of the region, wore costumes of Henri's time.

Annick, dressed as a monk,* represented François Ravaillac who a year after the laying of the first foundation stone in the presence of Henri IV, travelled to Paris and there murdered the king by stabbing him to death on 14th May 1610.

*The notice reads, 'I am the monk Ravaillac, come here on this day in May 1609 to make a rendez-vous with King Henry one year from now in a street in Paris.'

Click on the pics!