Jean-Louis Bletel is an emblematic figure of Fontenay-le-Vicomte where he was elected for 22 years and acted to save the Saint-Rémi church.
Jean-Louis Bletel qualifies as a “ loyalty man ” And that’s the case ! In his professional career, he has had only one employer: Galeries Lafayette where he started in 1956. The figure of Fontenay-le-Vicomte has neither his school certificate nor his baccalaureate, but he has an incredible knowledge of history, including that of the local heritage of his village. When he was off, Jean-Louis Bletel toured museums during the day and went to the cinema in the evening. Even today, the Fontenois goes once a week to Paris for exhibitions. ” I was never dragged into museums as a child, because from an early age I was in demandhe explains. I seriously cultivated myself around the age of 18 “.
In his house in Fontenay-le-Vicomte, where his mother was born in 1908, there are walls covered with books in each of the rooms, including the stairs. Each shelf has its category: art books, cinema, American photographers, novels… The books of his favorite authors are stored in a closed library. We find there the French writers Albert Camus, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Michel Houellebecq or the American specialist in noir novels James Ellroy. As soon as this Fontenois is interested in a subject, he commits to the end and his relatives will not say the opposite.
Passionate about sport, culture and history
Father Frédéric Gatineau, president of the Archaeological and Historical Society of Essonne and Hurepoix (SAHEH), salutes the work provided by Jean-Louis Bletel for the rehabilitation of the Saint-Rémi church: “ He is a very intelligent man who knows the local heritage very well and who pushed for the restoration of the church of Fontenay. He is also a great lover of art even if he did not practice it. He has done many things for his village and local artists. For thirty years, he held the position of president of the jury of the Arts & Matière painting and sculpture fair in the south of Essonne.
Among his greatest passions, there is also sport. With his 1m65 and 60 kilos, Jean-Louis Bletel held the position of right winger in ice hockey at the Lille ice sports club. He made six matches for the France team.
He also distinguished himself in the field of cycling. The cyclist has already circled the Earth twice! Responsible for the cycling race at Ufolep (French union of secular works of physical education), he created 25 years ago the Jacques Gouin with 115 km of course in Essonne and an altitude difference of 850 m.
At present, he still holds the position of president of the association “Autour de Saint-Rémi” and he is a standard bearer for the National Union of Combatants of Mennecy/Ormoy/Fontenay-le-Vicomte/Ballancourt-sur-Essonne. . He explains “ not be satisfied with his journey, but he wants it to continue until his last breath “. His last wish: to see his grandsons take up the torch and find everything they want in his books and records. In the meantime, Grandpa Lou accompanies Louis, 10 years old and Clément, 13 years old, in their path of spirituality.
If you want to know more details about Jean-Louis Bletel’s childhood in Fontenay-le-Vicomte, he shares his memories with four other Fontenois in the book “Fontenay Formerly”. Residents tell. Years 1944-1945 and following” published by the Foyer rural.
Portrait in Essonne: Jean-Louis Bletel, a lover of life in Fontenay-le-Vicomte