| | Published September 3, 2008
| Descendents of the Marquis de Lafayette visit Lafayette
| | By Sophie Braccini |  | | Larry Duson, manager of the Bank of the West and president of Lafayette Chamber of Commerce; Adrienna Renault-Sablonière; Albane Renault-Sablonière; Sabine Renault-Sablonière; Carol Federighi; Alexi Renault-Sablonière; Jay Lifson, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director; Paul Fillinger, Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club, in front of Lafayette’s murals in the Bank of the West lobby Photo Paul Filinger |
Carol Federighi, past mayor of Lafayette and present Councilmember, had a visit from a very famous French family in mid August, relatives of the Marquis de Lafayette. Sabine Renault-Sablonière and her children were house guests of Federighi and her husband. Sabine is the great-great-great-great-great-great granddaughter of the Marquis de Lafayette, for whom the City of Lafayette is named. The family was in the United States this summer visiting cities and counties across the country named for their ancestor. Sabine and her children visited the murals commissioned by the Lafayette Sunrise and the Lafayette Rotary Clubs picturing highlights in the life of the Marquis and early Lafayette. The final location of the mural has not been determined yet, and according to Paul Fillinger, past President of Sunrise Rotary, "We might have put the bull before the cart. We wanted the mural to be ready for Lafayette's 250th birthday and got entangled in politics when it came to determining its final destination." Right now the murals are on exhibit in the Bank of the West's lobby. The Board of Directors of the Veterans' Hall in Lafayette is considering having the mural as a permanent display in their facility, and the City of Lafayette is considering possibilities in the downtown area. |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA