Ferdinand Cheval, the Postman Who Built a Palace
Join Us in France Travel Podcast
Annie Sargent
4.6 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 29 September 2024
⏱️ 62 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Have you ever heard of a postman who built his own palace? In this episode, Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dive into the incredible story of Ferdinand Cheval, a humble rural postman from France who dedicated 33 years of his life to constructing the extraordinary Palais Idéal. Located in the village of Hauterives in the Drôme, this unique structure was entirely made from stones Cheval collected on his daily postal routes.
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Annie and Elyse explore what drove Cheval to pursue this ambitious and unusual project. They discuss his inspiration, the challenges he faced, and the artistic vision that turned his dream into a reality. This quirky and little-known monument is now a historical landmark and draws visitors from around the world.
If you love discovering hidden gems or learning about unusual places to visit in France, this episode is perfect for you. Annie and Elyse also share tips on how to plan a visit to the Palais Idéal and highlight other interesting sites in the area, such as Château de Tournon and the Grotte de Choranche.
Listen to the full episode to hear the amazing story of Ferdinand Cheval and learn why this whimsical palace has captured the hearts of so many visitors. It's a must-listen for travelers who seek out the quirky, unusual, and downright inspirational!
Table of Contents for this Episode
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The This is an |
| 0:19.7 | This is join us in France episode 513 Since santres |
| 0:22.3 | bonsieur. I'm Annie Sergeant and join us in France is the podcast where we take a conversational |
| 0:27.8 | journey through the beauty, culture and flavors of France. |
| 0:32.0 | Today I bring you a conversation with my friend Elise Riven |
| 0:35.5 | of Toulouse Guided Walks about the enchanting tale |
| 0:39.5 | of Ferdinge Treval, the French postman who turned an extraordinary dream into reality. |
| 0:46.6 | It all started with a single stone, and then he dedicated 33 years to creating the Palais Idial, a whimsical and awe-inspiring palace. |
| 0:58.2 | There is magic behind one man's vision and the remarkable structure that continues to |
| 1:03.7 | captivate visitors to this day because yes you can visit it. This |
| 1:08.1 | podcast is supported by donors and listeners who buy my tours and services |
| 1:12.2 | including my itinerary consuled service, my GPS |
| 1:16.0 | self-guided tours of Paris on the Voicmap app, or take a day trip with me around the |
| 1:21.5 | southwest of France in my electric car. You can browse all of that at my boutique. |
| 1:26.5 | Join us in France.com for a slash boutique. And Patreon supporters get new episodes as soon as they are ready and add free. If that sounds good to you, be like |
| 1:36.4 | them. Follow the link in the show notes. In the episode you'll hear me explain how I had no idea who sent me the book that we based the episode on. |
| 1:45.2 | In the meantime I figured it out and I'll tell you about that after my chat with Elise. |
| 1:50.8 | I'll also tell you about the two day trips I took last week, one with Paul and Joanna, |
| 1:56.6 | and the other with Diana and Bill it was very fun. And I'm going to release, |
| 2:13.0 | Bonsiele, I'm going to end. Welée in Chauvel. Oh, no, no, no, no. |
| 2:17.0 | We are going to talk about a man named horse. |
| 2:20.0 | Yes. |
... |
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