Paris, France —As Paris and all of France gears up for the Olympic and Paralymic Games, sports are even making their way into the country’s monuments. The Centre des Monuments nationaux, the organisation that manages the country’s monuments, is getting into the act and this Saturday, June 1st, you can learn how to fence, for free, at the organization’s headquarters, the elegant and historic Hôtel de Sully mansion in the heart of Paris in the Marais. Foil fencing lessons are on the agenda from 2pm until 5:30 pm. And all of that fancy fencing gear is provided along with the classes. And from 6pm until 7pm you can watch a fencing demonstration, both show fencing and the three Olympic fencing disciplines: foil fencing, sabre fencing and epée fencing. The discipline all comes down to the weapons with the foil, sabre and épée all being different weapons used for different touchés. Meanwhile free guided tours of the Hôtel de Sully will be given every hour on the hour from 2pm until 5pm.

And in the land of Charles de Batz de Castelmore, aka d’Artagnan everyone’s favorite muskateer, fencing remains a very popular sport and the country has produced a host of Olympic fencing champions among them Patrick Groc who will be supervising the lessons and demonstrations. Mr. Groc was a member of the foil fencing team of France which won a bronze medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. And our musketeer d’Artagnan saw the light of day in the 17th century just like the Hôtel de Sully, which was built in the 17th century and offers a secret passageway into the Place des Vosges. In case of rain the fencing events will be held inside the mansion’s orangery. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. Hôtel de Sully, 62 rue Saint-Antoine, 75004 Paris, France. https://www.hotel-de-sully.fr/agenda/escrime-dans-les-jardins