VERGENNES CONVOCATION

225th anniversary program
(Subject to final arrangements)

A joint initiative of the Society in France SAR and the City of Versailles

Under the high patronage of the Président de la République, of the Ministre des Affaires Étrangères and of H.E. the Ambassador of the United States of America.

Sunday, February12, 2012: Registration and welcome. (Hotel Pullman or Ibis at Versailles)
14:00-15:30 Guided visit of Versailles Palace's Petits appartements; (Vergennes' desk …).
15:30 Transfert by bus to Hotel des Invalides (Paris).
16 :00 Presentation of the French Intervention in the American Revolution (DVD) at Austerlitz lecture hall in Musée de l'Armée.
16:45 to 17:30 Guided visit of Musée de l'Armée's XVIIIth rooms.
18:45 -20:45 Reception of American visitors by a French family at Versailles.

Monday, February13: Commemorations and homage to Comte de Vergennes.
8:30 bus departure from Pullman hotel
9:00 Service at Notre-Dame de Versailles, where Comte de Vergennes' funeral was celebrated as illustrated by a monumental cenotaph; wreath laying.
10:00 Guided private visit to the former War Department and its superb paintings of the Seven Years War battles by Pierre L'Enfant's father.
11:00-12:30 Reception by the Mayor of Versailles at the former offices of the Navy and Foreign Departments, now Versailles' Municipal Library. Both Ministries had been built by Berthier, father of Maréchal Berthier, who was aide to Rochambeau in America.
13:00 Lunch at restaurant "La Petite Venise", former home of the gondoliers, fronting the Grand Canal in the Palace's Gardens.
15:00-16:30: Hotel Lambinet Private visit of XVIIIth century apartments and exhibition.
18:00: Reception and buffet dinner hosted by the President of Domaine de Versailles at the former private Vergennes' appartment in the Palace.

Tuesday, February14: Visit to official venues in Paris:
8:00 bus departure from Pullman hotel, transfer to La Courneuve
9:30-11-30 Visit of the Diplomatic Archives Department (original treaties …)
12:30: lunch and private visit of the Museum at Maison de la Chasse (XVIIIth Century Hotel Guénégaud) in Paris.
14:45 Transfer by bus to Angers in the Loire River valley.
19:00 Welcome dinner at Angers' Mercure hotel

Wednesday, February 15: Angers.
Cathedral and Château d'Angers: the famous Apocalypse Tapestry is the longest tapestry in the world (woven between 1373 to 1382).
13:00 École du Génie; lunch at the officers' mess
14:30 Lecture on military engineering and général Du Portail by hisbiographe , colonel (h) Le Pottier.
15:15 Lecture on the landing of American Expeditionary forces in France (Saint-Nazaire, ...). in 1917.
16:00 Unveiling of General Du Portail's bust at Musée du Génie. (n°4 of the Sons' project).
17:00 Cocktail in the Museum.
Dinner at Angers Mercure hotel.

Thursday, February 16
Visit of extraordinary double chateau de Brézé, near Saumur; lescture on the Colbert family in the War for America.
12:30-13:45 Lunch at château de Brézé ; departure to Versailles
19:30 farewell dinner at Versailles Pullman Hotel

Friday, February 17: departure to USA or continuing private program(s).