From Dinard to Rennes, Lawrence of Arabia’s legacy in Brittany is revealed in a whole new light! A project submitted to La Fabrique Citoyenne’s participatory budgeting program aims to highlight the historic orchards of La Bellangerais, drawing inspiration from the British adventurer’s journey. Combining arboricultural heritage with the legacy of a great explorer, this initiative aims to connect local culture, history, and innovation. Text by Kevin Lognoné
Lawrence of Arabia in the Orchards Up for Vote in a Participatory Budgeting Process
If there’s a “Lawrence of Arabia” tour in Dinard on the Emerald Coast, let’s imagine a tree-lined oasis of gourmet creations featuring the Bintinais Ecomuseum. A proposal along these lines is currently up for a citizen vote as part of the participatory budgeting initiative supported by La fabrique citoyenne – City of Rennes.
The Bellangerais Manor, first mentioned in the 14th century, belonged in the 19th century to the Le Bastard family, and later to the family of P. Artur, editor of the *Ouest-Eclair*. He created community gardens for the newspaper’s employees.
The surrounding houses were built around the manor and the farm. The cul-de-sacs, named after towns in Brittany, form arabesques, crooks, keys, crosses, or squares.
The estate's land—Rennes' last remaining orchards—was still being farmed in the 1970s.
This area is characterized by its many green spaces and its proximity to the Ille-et-Rance Canal; it is bordered to the east by the «green corridor,» a large meadow that runs through the neighborhood from north to south.
A horticultural journey in memory of a great adventurer and his discoveries
In Dinard, there is a «Lawrence of Arabia» tour commemorating his many childhood visits to the Emerald Coast. The next step is to raise awareness of his journey from Rennes through the Marches de Bretagne to Fougères. “I fell in love with the Ille-et-Rance Canal”: On August 26, 1907, Lawrence of Arabia wrote a letter to his mother in which he compared the canal to the banks of the Thames in London and to the River Isis, where Oxford University’s rowing races take place.
Lawrence of Arabia: Ambassador for the Cider- and Fruit-Growing Region of the Rennes Area? During his tour of France in 1908, Lawrence of Arabia developed a passion for cider. As an archaeology student at Oxford University, he crisscrossed all of Brittany on his racing bike to study the defensive architecture of castles (Moncontour, Lamballe, Fougères, Lanleff…) as well as relics from the Crusades (made of medieval lead-glazed pottery).
How Lawrence of Arabia’s journey through Brittany could promote the orchards of the Rennes region by drawing inspiration from the Blida initiative developed for champagne.
Originally, the glassworks located around Reims produced «Blidas»—small tea glasses—which they exported to Algeria via the city of Blida to supply markets across Africa and the Middle East. Furthermore, this tea glass was repurposed from its original use by the Ruinards, the Moëts, and the Taittingers—the great families who established champagne’s reputation around the world.
In the 1960s, the market collapsed and unsold production was left with no outlet. To avoid wasting it, artisans (cup makers) and, in the case of Reims, winemakers chose to put it to use. A pragmatic approach and recycling ahead of its time!
A transformation that could inspire the craftsmanship and imagination of the Rennes region, attracting curious visitors eager to explore and learn, with a view to developing future eco-distilleries.
Lawrence of Arabia between Rennes and Sétif?
Like buckwheat flowers and other treasures from the East, Rennes can foster a creative dialogue with other partner cities such as Sétif in Algeria (twinned since 1980).
It should be noted that the Pôle Fruitier de Bretagne is a resource center dedicated to the preservation, study, and promotion of Brittany’s fruit-growing heritage, founded in 2009 by the association Les Mordus de la Pomme. It coordinates and brings together Breton pomological stakeholders, supports the establishment of heritage orchards, and assists with all types of individual or collective projects.
Up for a vote starting today: https://fabriquecitoyenne.fr/project/budget-participatif-7/collect/le-depot-des-projets/proposals/lawrence-darabie-dans-les-vergers-de-la-bellangerais-et-du-pays-de-rennes-en-longeant-le-canal-dille-et-rance
