Carte blanche Carteblanche Saint-Émilion baritonestrumpeting.“Eachbuildinghasitsownvoice,its Bursts of light Inthisbeautifulcitysituatedonitsgeological uniqueandsecularwayofechoingtimbre.Tessiturasare depression,whereloftythinkingtakesustohigherplanes,and discoveredhere;emotionflowsnaturally.”TheMonolithic narrowstreetsleaddownward,elevationofthemindisa Churchisaboonforpoets,theirsongsrisingupwardsin constant.Andit’sasurprisinglyheavenlyexperience.Inakind thenave,theirwordswindingroundgiantpillars. ofoddopticalillusion,travelersapproachingthecityfromthe Fartheron,thenaveoftheCollegiateChurch,whichis plateauareconvincedthatthecityrunshorizontally.Froma thelongestinGironde,isexcellentforchoralperformances. distance,Saint-Émilionseemstoloomupfromamidstthe “TheblendofRomanesqueandGothicarchitectures vines,dominatingthesurroundinglandscape,whichhasbeen RuellepavéeetcloîtredelaCollégialeélevéeauXIVsiècle.e CobbledstreetandthecloisteroftheCollegiateChurch,builtinthe14thcentury. createsnooks,cranniesandentrenchmentsthatrenderthe listedasaWorldHeritagesiteforsome22 years.Thesteeple soundevenmoredynamic.Yetastheeffectsaremultiplied oftheMonolithicChurch—thesoletallfeatureandthesym- tenfold,soloistsaswellaspianiststendtogetswallowedup bolofthecity—seemstobepositionedwithinthefields.You andtheirinstrumentricochetsoffthewalls,”saysVasseur, havetogetascloseasyoucantofullygraspthatthebelltower, anexpertonperformancespaceandechoes. astonediamondjuttingupintothesky,towersoverabasin Forlecturesandconferences,it’sbesttooptfortheclois- withalowertowncoveringthesurfacearea,atwistinginter- teroftheCollegiateChurchoreventheDominicanroom. lacingofmedievalroadsandanentiremazeofunderground Thesespaceswherelightoftenfiltersinthroughstained cellarswherebatsfrolicinthestuffydampness. glasswindowsarenaturallyconducivetogreaterclarityin Intheendyourealizethatthevinesandcellars,tractors termsofartisticexpression.Justasthevoicestreamsinand andplowshares,cisternsandvats—theentireamphigouric aroundeverywhere,asiftransportedbyundergroundpas- decorthatmarksaterritorywithitsgarnetplumes—conceal sagesandtheevaporationofwatertrappedinlimestone anentirelydifferentgem.Fromamorelucidgazesproutclay rock,thoughtdoesexactlythesame.Anditreignssupreme andlimestonesoils,sumptuousmonuments,ruinsandtiled duringthethree-dayFestivalPhilosophia;Saint-Émilionis roofs,burstsoflightandburstsofvoices,newsynergies—in hostingthe14th annualfestivalthisyear.Thethemewill short,innovativethinking,boldfeaturesandawholeceremo- havetongueswagging:language.Itspresidentistheexcel- nialritualthatmakeSaint-Émilionswellwithpride.Yes,the lentwinemakerFrançoisMitjavile,whomastersitmerrily, cityofathousandandonechâteaux,glossywithitsappella- andwhenhespeaksabout“aGirondewayofphilosophiz- tionanditsglitteringscales,isondisplayinallitssplendor. ing,”wecanpresumethatbeneaththeseverityofhisintel- Suchisthepearlthatoystersbythemillions,nestledinthe lectualreflectionliesanincipientdoseofsmilingbliss. cool,smoothstones,stamp,shelterandprotect. 120