The Puy du Fou
Your campsite near Puy du Fou
During your stay in Vendée At Camping Le Ragis, we invite you to book a day for the Grand Parcours du Puy du Fou and an evening for the Cinéscénie (for the Cinéscénie, please book well in advance). Your campsite is about an hour from the park, which recently won the 2012 Thea Awards in the USA. Le Puy du Fou received the most prestigious award: the “Thea Classic Award”. It’s the first French park to receive this award.
Indeed, the history of this park is a beautiful one.
It all started with Philippe de Villiers’ desire to tell the story of the Vendée.. In 1979, with the help of a handful of volunteers from the surrounding villages, he created the first night-time show, a parallel activity to the existing ecomuseum. The show took shape in the ruins of the Puy du Fou castle. Tinged with a dose of counter-Revolution, the association, which defends the values of family and tradition, expands locally. Year after year, more and more people flocked to the site, all the more so since the creation of the park with its many attractions (in 1989). Each year, its immense success forced the Cinescénie to move to new locations: the ruins, then the dungeon and finally a church recreated for scenic purposes. Each year too, the stage is equipped with increasingly high-performance technical resources, leading it to be named the world’s best amusement park in 2012.
Today, the Cinescénie is embodied by 3,400 volunteers known as ” Puyfolais “, and takes place on a 23-hectare stage, bringing together 1,200 actors, 120 riders, 100 technicians and 300 people to welcome and ensure the safety of the public. It requires 8,000 costumes, 800 fireworks, 8,000 spotlights and 150 30-meter-high water jets. Initially, the show was supported by musical extracts from the classical repertoire, but from 1982 onwards, several composers specific to the Cinescénie created the show’s original music: Georges Delerue, Nick Glennie Smith. With its 14,000-seat panoramic grandstand, La Cinéscénie welcomes nearly 400,000 spectators a year to 28 performances. A host of great actors lent their voices to the show: Philippe Noiret, Jean Piat, François Chaumette, Gérard Depardieu, Robert Hosseine, Alain Delon, Michel Duchaussoy, Richard Darbois for the men, and Catherine Salviat, Suzanne Flon, Marie Dubois for the women.
Puy du Fou’s major shows
The sign of Triumph
For this show, you enter a real Gallo-Roman arena, immersed in the atmosphere of Rome’s circus games. The show presents a group of Gauls condemned to take part in various trials to save their lives. The Roman governor at his tribune directs the games. Throughout the show, the audience is kept on its toes in an overexcited atmosphere. The various events are as impressive as each other, mixing action and humor in a series of technical feats such as when a vellum is extended over the audience. There are three daily performances of the show ” The Sign of Triumph“. enough to accommodate everyone for one day.
The Vikings
This show brings to life a Viking attack on the Fort de l’An Mil, with a cascade of special effects. We’ll tell you the gripping story of the hero who braves the impossible to repel the invaders! Les Vikings (3,000 to 3,500 seats): The show features genuine longships 20 meters long and 10 meters high, 50 animals, 30 actors and 10 guests, entertainment with igneous (fire) effects – so much so that you can feel the heat in the stands – and breathtaking 22-meter-high waterfalls. A great show!
The ghost bird ball
In this magnificent show, you’ll meet Alienor, the falconer, and her friends. During this enchanting show, set in the days of fortified castles, you’ll be flown over by a horde of birds: eagles, falcons, vultures, kites, but also, more surprisingly, owls, pelicans, storks… who will offer you a veritable aerial ballet. Some, like the vultures, will graze you with their immense wings. Impressive!
Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes has a capacity of 3,000 and features over 200 birds of prey and waders, including 150 simultaneously. The show’s soundtrack is mainly taken from Thomas Bergersen’s album “Illusions” (extract from “immortal” during the actresses’ dance among the birds).
The secret of the spear
“Le Secret de la Lance” is a show that can accommodate 3,500 to 4,000 people.
In the 15th century, Margueritte, a young peasant girl, uses a spear with magical powers given to her by Joan of Arc to defeat the English. Marguerite rises to the challenge and foils the knights’ traps with the power of her lance.
The show features original music by composer Carlos Nunez.
Richelieu’s musketeer
The 3,000-seat “Mousquetaire de Richelieu” offers unique entertainment, with impressive sword duels conducted by the greatest fencing masters, exhilarating flamenco ballets and equestrian stunts.
The action is set in the 17th century on the 2,000 m² stage of the Grand Caroussel, with original music composed by Nick Glennie Smith.
Fire organs
It’s a nocturnal show that plays with our imaginations: in a phantasmagorical universe, creatures, nymphs, leprechauns and ballerinas, accompanied by musicians, glide across the water to the music of Mozart, Bach, Bizet and Delerue.
You’ll be enchanted by this plunge into a magical world!
