A small French village caught the eye of the Disney studio animators who were inspired by it, during their trip, to create the sets for the animated film Beauty and the Beast. Compare for yourself in photos and video.
We all have in mind the pretty song that Belle hums at the beginning of the Beauty and the Beast cartoon, reading a book in the alleys of a charming village. Immersed in her work, she wanders among the inhabitants, greets the traders, and then sits on the fountain of the square, in the company of adorable sheep. But did you know that this small village is none other than a French village, which inspired, in 1989, the animators Hans Bacher, Andreas Deja, Thom Enriquez, Jean Gillmore, Don Hahn and Tom Sito for the sets of the film ‘animation ? They undertook several journeys before finding the ideal place that would be associated with Belle’s daily life. Initially, several locations had been identified such as the Châteaux de la Loire, the south of the Black Forest as well as Alsace.
One village in particular finally caught the attention of Disney studio animators: Riquewihr, a town located on the Alsace wine route, in eastern France. It is true that the resemblance is obvious: we find very typical medieval architecture, colorful houses, cobbled and pedestrian streets… All in a fairy tale atmosphere that could not have escaped the creators of La Belle et the Beast, the cartoon of which was released in 1991. Other scenes highlight the half-timbered houses and the medieval Alsatian city, in the village of Gaston.
The architecture being rather atypical in Alsace, we find similarities across other villages such as Ribeauvillé. Other places in Alsace also inspired the animators, such as the villages of Eguisheim, Colmar and Obernai, with striking similarities, which we find in the cartoon. In Eguisheim for example, it is possible to recognize, on the Place du Château, the unmissable fountain on which Belle sits to read, at the beginning of the film. This village has also been ranked among the most beautiful villages in France since 2003 and even won the title of Favorite Village of the French in 2013. What if Belle had contributed to this success?