La collection du musée de l'ancien Collège français Saint-Augustin, constituée au fil des décennies par les moines, sera exposée à la Galerie d'art de Stara Zagora jusqu'au 20 octobre, rapporte l'agence de presse bulgare BTA. La plupart des œuvres sont des gravures sur cuivre réalisées dans les ateliers de la Chаlсоgrafуе dе Lоuvre sur une période de près de 200 ans – du 18th jusqu'au tournant du 20th siècle.
<p>The French College of St. Augustine was created in Plovdiv by the order of the Assumptionists on 3 January, 1884. The congregation of the Assumptionists was founded in 1850 by father Emanuel d’Alzon /1818-1880/, <span>vicar general of the diocese in Nimes, France and headmaster of Collège de l'Assomption from which the name of the new catholic order was derived. The order was blessed by Pope Pius IX to pursue an educational mission in the Eastern part of Europe, which was part of the Ottoman Empire. </span></p> <p>Before Bulgaria’s liberation, in 1863, a catholic school opened doors in the town – St. Andrew, making Plovdiv the first mission of the Assumptionists. The teachers at the school were monks who had graduated from elite educational establishments in Western Europe – the Sorbonne in Paris, the Gregorian University in Rome. Dozens of prominent figures from the arts and the world of business earned their education there – painter Tsanko Lavrenov, renowned Kapellmeister Georgi Shagunov, leading public figure and émigré Pierre Rouve (Petar Uvaliev). The St. Augustine College was closed down on 1 September, 1948. The monks, who were foreigners, were expelled from the country, and the Bulgarians were sent to the concentration camp at Belene.</p> <br/></span>
