Euro Musée Series. Tours, France: Fine Art as culture

This is the first article in a series that I have been meaning to write for a long time. I have found myself in different European cities over the past year for various reasons and I wanted to do a review of the culture of the Museum in Europe.

I will be reviewing different European cities that I have visited through the wealth of art and the architecture or the lack of it. I believe that structures, from museums to cathedrals and public spaces can tell you a lot about the history and background of a country. Art can not only reflect but mould a culture. The art that is shown in public forums can be of limited scope of what is happening cullturally in an environment, but this reinforcesthat there is power in curation of cultural heritage. What art a gallery or museum and more widely (if we are taking about state museums) the state wants to select to tell the story of the town, city or country is very controlling. It depicts a perspective on what occupies the people, practically and ideologically.

What I look for in a destination is never the size of the city, the frequency of the tourism population, the nightlife or the proximity to the sea. What does it for me is what the place has to offer in terms of culture and history, most notably in the medium of art. For this reason I often find myslef travelling to cities that don't always come to mind when thinking of holiday locations. It means more to me what I can take away from the sights than the sights themselves. This brings me to my first review city: Tours, France.

France has so much culture and was always a strong nation on the world stage so there is wealth and preservation of archiitecture and culture nationwide. The mark of a stronghold is not only the politics of the nation in the world stage or the law-making but also the fabric of the city and the public spaces. When building up a city or town the majesty of the public buildings such as the city hall and the theatre reflect the majesty of the legislation and the law.

What makes a city? It's catedral. The cathedral in Tours speaks measures about the European standard and standing of religion in society. The church in Europe has been a shaping force of culture. It has less of a hold on the law in society in modern times in the West but the architecture shows the importance of religion in the standing of the city when you consider its importance in city planning.

I not only appreciated the architecture but also revelled in the art of the city. I visited a few museums but one that stood out for me was the Musée des Beaux Arts (Museum of Fine Arts)

What struck me about the Museum was the emersive educational aspect of the Museum. The feel of unfriendly and imposing art appreciation was aleviated because the Fine Art was just a back drop for learning and communicating with art. The fact that people of all ages were not only appreciating the art but also creating made the museum more accessible and open.

Apart from the fact that museums have connotations of exclusivity for the educated and the elite, art has often been cut off from the masses because it requires immense wealth to acquire. For this reason, Fine Art has remained in the private sphere of aristocrats and the elite. However, with the break up of the monarchy and the rise of democracy in France and the change of times, the Chateux and palaces of the royals are opened to the public to appreciate.

Tours is famed for its high number of breathtaking Chateaux (castles). I visited Chateau de Chenonceau (above) and Chateaux de Villandry (below)