Bilingues & Artistes November 2013 | Page 13

Arbre de vie Column and photograph by Thomas Sittler If I should name one thing which most particularly distinguishes France from its European neighbors, it would be the especially rich and cohesive cultural heritage that arguably 1,500 years of existence as a sovereign state has left us. Unlike its neighbors Germany or Italy, for example, who before the 19th century did not exist as a unit but rather as a multitude of small independent entities; France has since the reign of Clovis been a mainstay of the western European map. The re ??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)??????????????????a????????d??????? ??????) ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???Q?????M?????)?????????????????????($)M????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ????????L?????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????Q???????????? ?????????? ???????????)????????????????????????????????????????????($)M??????????????????? ??????????????????A???????????????????????????????????????????????Q????????????)???????????3?e???????Y????????????????????????? ?????????)???????????????????????)???????????????M???????????????????????????????????????)?????%?????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????((??() ???????????????8???((0