Casper, the little ghost of venues heritage and culture

by Jade Caillot
October 17, 2024
History and Heritage
0

halloween at venues heritage loc'hall with casper and marie antoinette

Every year, around October 31, ghosts emerge from the closets of old manors and striking spirits redouble their blows in castles... It's Halloween! This eminently Anglo-Saxon celebration came to France in the 1990s.

Adults may be slowly losing interest, but children still look forward to this day of gentle terror... and candy distribution! And for many companies in France, it's also an opportunity to kick off the festive season with their North American partners and customers visiting the country.

So, on this day of spooky tales*, Loc'Hall celebrates Halloween with ghost stories, but in its own way. Forget the sad White Lady of Puymartin and the poor wandering souls of the chapel Notre-Dame de la Consolationerected in tribute to the victims of the terrible fire at the Bazaar of Charity.

Today, we enter the shoes of a kindly homeless ghost; a traveling Casper in search of his final resting place. Will he find his Paradise? How will he choose among the fabulous venues heritage and cultural items in the Loc'Hall collection?

* haunted tales

Refined showman seeks heritage and cultural venue to set his strings

If you only knew how tired I am of haunting the catacombs! First of all, all those skulls lined up, it scares me! The souls? So many, it's like line 13 of the metro at rush hour... And then... There's the Green Man. A true evil spirit, this one: always ready to cast spells on visitors! I'm sure he's a jinx.

It's decided: I'm going to the surface. By Beelzebub, I find my final resting place before midnight, or I eat my shroud and sell my soul to Lucifer. At least his place is warm. But in Paris, if I can't find a little corner lost in a delightful garden or a chic refuge on the quayside, I'll be damned. As long as it's central!

For our delicious ectoplasm, the adventure begins...

The Palais Royal estate

But how pretty, all those black-and-white columns, like a bizarre oversized chess set! My memory is fuzzy: were they there on my last visit, three hundred years ago? In any case, it's charming, the gardens of the Palais Royal. The air is mild and, in any case, I'm not afraid of the cold. Could it be beginner's luck? Have I already found my port? But... who are these people all of a sudden? What's with all this bright lighting and these slim ladies in sheer dresses? A photoshoot here, a cocktail there? So many people, so much light! Is it like this every day? A place so conducive to human activity is no haven for a melancholy spirit. Let's get out of here!

The Cité de la Musique

An auditorium! What a great idea! I've always loved the theater. When I was alive, I used to go to premieres... and actresses. One day, with Molière and the Marquise du Parc... But I digress. Let's look for a quiet corner. Here come the spectators. But what awful outfits! What are these blue linen frocks, these shirts in public? How careless! And all those women in pants; is Paris populated only by Georges and Colettes? And what do the artists play? This music... it's not that I'm old-fashioned: I'm just of my time, well, the other time. It's beautiful here, but let's see if I'm there!

La Conciergerie

Ahhh... How quiet... But baste, I recognize the place: it's the the Conciergerie. During the day, visitors flock here and sumptuous gala dinners are organized in the medieval halls, but what if I went a little further in? Here are some lovely cells, dark and restful. Yes, I like it. I settle in. But what do I hear? Someone crying? Damn, someone! A moon dress, the scent of perfume... A friend, perhaps? But where's her head? She's carrying it in her arms. She looks so pale and sad.

"What's your name?

- Marie-Antoinette.

- Why are you crying, Marie Antoinette, and why are you holding your head in your hands?

- I was Queen of France, I think... I don't remember, it's so long ago... but I remember, my head was cut off. And I'm sad, so sad. And alone, so alone. Will you stay with me?

- Yes... no, my queen, it's sinister here. I'm leaving Paris. Come away with me!

- May I? Do you really want to? I'm coming, sweet Casper, let's go!"

Two ghosts in the night

In the pale glow of the streetlamps, Casper and Marie-Antoinette speed away. And just as they're beyond the ring road, the Conciergerie rises into the moonlight. Shrouded in a joyous softness, it seems ready at last to open up to laughter, games and the promise of happy celebrations.

What's next for our new travel companions? In search of their ultimate cultural heritage site, they will criss-cross France. They'll marvel at the beauty of an abbey, the grace of a manor house. They'll meet new people and visit magical landscapes, until they find their paradise.

Perhaps you'll come across them during a business meeting in a mysterious château in Brittany? Or, accompanied by one or two missing stars, will they enliven your team-building session in a legendary Mediterranean villa? If your guests feel a puff of breath on their cheeks and see their documents fly away during a very serious corporate seminar at the Musée Balzac - Château de Sachédon't worry: it'll be our prankster Casper, gently lightening the atmosphere, too wise for his taste. The sudden flickering of chandeliers and the extinguishing of torches during your business cocktail party in the splendors of Bordeaux's Grand-Théâtre de Bordeaux? It's simply the innocent play of a queen who died too soon, and who has rediscovered the carefree elation of her youth. Above all, don't be afraid.

Smile: it's Halloween. The whole Loc'Hall team wishes you all the best... and lots of treats!

Casper, the little ghost of venues heritage and culture