Jean de La Fontaine Festival

A festival dedicated to the work of Jean de La Fontaine

Created in 1991 by the Association Festival Jean de La Fontaine, formed in autumn 1990, the Jean de La Fontaine Festival is a major cultural event in Château-Thierry, in the Aisne department. For over thirty years, it has celebrated the literary and poetic heritage of the most illustrious French fabulist, born in this town in 1621. The festival holds spectacle entrepreneur licenses of the 2nd and 3rd categories.

A multidisciplinary program centered on text

The festival's signature lies in its multidisciplinarity: music, theatre, dance, and visual arts come together in a program where vocal music plays a predominant role, with text at the heart of each edition. The programs are structured around three axes: direct adaptations of La Fontaine's texts (fables, tales, operas), performances exploring the literary genres of his era, and contemporary creations inspired by his work.

Les Printanières: a month of performances in spring

Each year, the festival presents its program under the name "Les Printanières" (Springtime events), lasting over a month between May and June. Renowned artists, baroque music ensembles, theatre companies, and contemporary groups perform in emblematic locations of the region: the American Memorial Church, the Abbey Church of Essômes-sur-Marne, the Saint-Crépin Church, the Hôtel-Dieu Chapel, and the Palais des Rencontres.

Les Rencontres de Psyché

The festival also hosts the Rencontres de Psyché (Psyche Encounters), an annual symposium organized in partnership with the Society of Friends of Jean de La Fontaine. These conferences, open free of charge to the public, explore a different theme related to the fabulist's work each year. In 2025, the 10th edition focused on "La Fontaine, God and the gods.".

A festival rooted in the heritage of southern Aisne

The Jean de La Fontaine Festival does more than just program performances: it showcases the architectural and cultural heritage of southern Aisne by using historic sites. La Fontaine's birthplace, medieval churches, castles, and chapels in the region become stages where music, theatre, and dance resonate with stone and history. The festival also highlights young talent and features a significant number of original creations.