COVER N.168 - FRANCE

Postmark: Le Petit Louvre - Loire - Premier Jour 09.09.2022 - 42 La Pacaudière  
Posted on the 9th September; received on the 3rd October 2022
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As much as anyone, I love a good surprise and today I got a great one. Mr. Postman droped this very fine cover, with First day obliteration and the autograph of the stamp designer. Truly Excellent. Couldn't be happier about it Eric, Thanks a lot!

I guess that these days the best approximation we could make to a stage coach relay station of yore would be what...a motel? A highway hotel of the kind where the weary driver pulls up to spend the night when the eyelids begin to feel too heavy to trust one's own resistance?

La Poste has issued on 12SEP22 the lovely lettre verte (domestic, up to 20g) stamp, of which a pair can be seen on the cover, dedicated to Le Petit Louvre, which I understand is an ancient "relais de diligence" on the Paris-Lyon Road, now part of the heavy traffic Route Nationale 7, connecting Paris with the Italian Border right after Menton, in the French Riviera.

The Petit-Louvre, located at La Pacaudière (Loire) and built in the first third of the 16th century was conceived in a mixture of ghotic and rennaissance styles. Of note is its amazingly high roof that stands much higher that the rest of the building (13m tall to be precise, against the 9,75 metres of the walls).

In its days it served as a much frequented stop for rest and horse change for those that took the 450+ km of the journey. Amidst the many anonymous travelers that must have used its traveler support facilities  high sounding names like Catherine de Médicis or Louis XIII, could be traced and it is a known fact that it was here (citing la Poste site) that "the Duke of Richelieu, Bishop of Luçon, learned in September 1622 that he had been appointed Cardinal".

The place is also famous for the graffiti on its inner walls, bearing testimony to those that were once there, in the form of names, thoughts, dates, coats of arms, drawings...

As I said, the cover is autographed by the author of the stamps, Thierry Dubois, a well respected name of the French Bande Dessinée universe, whose work clearly illustrates his love for classic cars, and for...La Route Nationale 7, which he turned into a BD series.

It should also be noted that Thiery Dubois has also authored a set of 8 stamps dedicated to La Route Nationale 7, issued by La Poste  in 2021.

The first day postmark captures the ornaments above the buildings's main door (there must be an architectural name for this,,,), that are also replicated on the stamp sheet margin, where the portrait of Catherine de Médicis can also be seen.