‘Francophonie’ month: Lecture on Lieutenant de la Nérolle
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Yasmin Rajapakse honoured by the French Ambassador
In the ‘Francophonie’ month, the Alliance Française de Kotte (AFKo), the only official French language institute affiliated to the Embassy of France, will present Yasmin Rajapakse’s lecture on “The journey of a French Naval Officer in Ceylon– De La Nérolle”.
The presentation on De La Nérolle on Thursday, March 24 at 6.30 p.m.at the AFKo auditorium (11, Keppetipola Mawatha, Colombo 5) will take the audience on a long journey to witness the Sri Lankan and French relationship.
Yasmin Rajapakse was recently honoured with the Insignia of ‘Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”. She says, “I always felt a passion for France, its culture, its civilization and its language. During the twenty years of work, I discovered the rich heritage that was available for me to work to culturally link France and Sri Lanka. I will relate the fabulous story of a Frenchman from Jarnac, the Lieutenant de la Nérolle (Allias, Pierre de Laisné, seigneur de Nanclas, et de la Nérolle) who left with the Squadron of Persia in March 1670 with the French East Indies Company. After a perilous sea voyage he arrived in the island of Ceylon.”
The De Lanerolle Brothers will perform a French song.