Le blog d'Inflexyon

Guignol is a french marionette created in Lyon by Laurent Mourguet. Since its creation in 1808, Guignol has become a symbol of the town Lyon. However, in the beginning, Guignol were entirely practical. Laurent Mourguet was one of the many silk workers made unemployed by the Revolution. He started working as a dentist, pulling teeth at county fairs, and to lure in the crowds he came up with the idea of a puppet show. The main character was Gnafron, a boisterous drunkard , and Guignol was his friend, engaged to Gnafron’s daughter. Created for adults – some of the early plays had some pretty strident political satire, and were censored. Eventually the puppets became “true” child’s play, with Guignol as the hero.

Guignol belongs to the second generation of marionettes: his ancestors are the Italian Pulchinello and the English Punch and Judy. You can see them in the Gadagne Museum in Lyon amongst 2000 other marionettes from all over the world. To learn more about Guignol you can visit the museum and theater “La Maison de Guignol“, in the old part of Lyon. There you can also see spectacles for adults.

To get information about the school, you can connect to the website of the French school Inflexyon and to the forum of the French courses.

Valentine's Day, on 14 February, is a day to celebrate the relationships between lovers, friends and family members. It is the perfect time to remind your loved ones just how much you love them.

It is said that in France Valentine's day originally came to be held in mid February because this was the time of year that birds and animals started pairing off and mating. Eventually it became popular to exchange small tokens and love letters and so the day was born. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards.

Here are some french key words for Valentine's day: I love you: Je t'aime. I love you too: Moi aussi, je t'aime. I adore you: Je t'adore. To date: Sortir avec.

Happy Valentine's day! Bonne Saint Valentin!

To learn more about the french language contact Inflexyon.