They are the stars of the carnivals or sales in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais, and there are many of them. Seven hundred and fifty-one to be precise, of which about a hundred come from Douaisis, one of the heart of this tradition with Flanders. “However, twenty of these giants Douais are in very poor condition, deplores Jérôme Finet, resident of Cantin. They have been abandoned, the town halls no longer know where to store them and the associations have not taken them back. “
These giants are damaged: clothes become moldy, mice nibble on papier-mâché heads. The idea of Jérôme Finet, president of the De Gayant association in Gayantin, would be for these giants to find shelter in a future conservatory of giants… to be built.
Douai is the cradle of giants
He almost won his case in his town in 2016, but the case had collapsed at the last moment. Jérôme Finet did not let go. Since then, he has fought to educate local elected officials, in particular the agglomeration of Douai. “I met François Guiffard, vice-president for tourism, in the spring, he seemed to me sensitive to the process. “
Why aim for Douaisis? “Such a conservatory could well be built elsewhere, but here it makes sense. It is the cradle of giants ”. The oldest listed, Monsieur Gayant, who rises to 8.50 meters, was born in 1530 in Douai. Moreover, Douai is nicknamed “the city of giants”. Jérôme Finet sees this hypothetical center as a real asset for the territory.
The giants, some of which are classified as intangible heritage of humanity (the festivals of Cassel and Douai for the region), do not have a resource place in the region, unlike Ath in Belgium, who has his house to welcome them. “This conservatory would be an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: protect them and turn them into a tourist asset. We can clearly feel the public interest at each edition of heritage days, ”assures the one who discovered the giants with his grandfather.
Possibly for the day after tomorrow
On the Douai agglomeration side, elected officials are not against and recognize the usefulness of the project. “But would everyone agree to exhibit their giants there?” Asks François Guiffard, the vice-president in charge of the issue. According to tradition, those of Douai should only be visible a few days in the year. Could they go to this center? If they are the best known, it would be a shame to do without ”.
In any case, the history-geography teacher says he is sensitive to the issue and consults the various players in the territory. One thing is already certain: unbudgeted, the Giants Conservation Center will not be carried out on this mandate. The giants, even in peril, will still have to wait.