Ambronay and its festival

"Le Festival d'Ambronay"

Size really doesn’t matter in the case of Ambronay - the little village of just 2 600 inhabitants next to Ambérieu-en-Bugey in l’Ain is one of the world capitals of Baroque music. At the end of every summer for the past 40 years, the church resounds to the wonderful harmonious music so distinctive of the Baroque Era. The rich repertoire of works ranging from Claudio Monteverdi to Johann-Sebastian Bach, via Haydn, Handel, Vivaldi, and other lesser known composers, is in the hands of major conductors. William Christie was one of the first to climb the abbey steps and, attracted by the acoustics of the church which in the past belonged to the monks of Saint-Maur, he returns every year to enchant his fervent admirers. He is joined by many others including Jordi Savall, Christophe Rousset, René Jacobs and Leonardo Alarcon. The Ambronay Academy has trained many talented singers who are now stars in their field, such as the soprano Patricia Petitbon and the countertenor Philippe Jarrousky. In 2003 Ambronay was designated “Centre Culturel de Rencontre” and is today an all-year-round cultural venue for conferences, artists-in-residence and training courses for schoolchildren. 

Ambronay on the edge of the Ain Valley is an excellent base for exploring the countryside and villages between the hills and the river. Make a first stop at Jujurieux, a strangely named little village with a rich history illustrated by no less than 13 châteaux ! They range from very old ones, like the Château des Echelles at the heart of the village, to 19th century homes of industrialists from the Golden Age of Jujurieux. In 1835, Claude-Joseph Bonnet set up a silk factory with accommodation for workers - who numbered up to 2,200 ! The factory was a godsend for the local inhabitants and for people from further afield. The ‘Soieries Bonnet’ factory, which produced a unique, highly sought after, black silk, was very successful until the dawn of the 21st century. The factory was bought by Ain Conseil Général and is now a fascinating museum. The 70 looms now stand silent but the smell of the machines still lingers in the air. It is easy to visualise women workers bending over the looms and to hear the clicking of the shuttles… An exhibition recounts the working life of the mill over two centuries.”