Welcome to the Alliance Francaise de Charlottesville!
Come and join us if you want to speak French, learn French, or just soak up the French Culture, right here in Charlottesville!  Browse our pages to learn more about our offerings and feel free to contact us for more information.  

Member in the Spotlight

History and Mission    

The Alliance Française is a non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting French language and culture, and to fostering friendly relations between Francophones and Francophiles of all racial and national origins. It is the largest cultural network in the world promoting French language and culture.
     Since its creation in Paris in 1883, the Alliance Française has spread worldwide to offer cultural centers and a social forum for people interested in French culture and language. Today Alliance Française is regarded as a standard that represents the highest quality for teaching French as a Foreign Language (FLE). At present there are 1,300 Alliance chapters established in a 112 countries, including 140 chapters in the United States, serving over 400,000 students.
      Chantal Bouvier de la Motte        Detender – Marquise de Cepoy

 Chantal was born in Grasse French Riviera France and was educated in the Convent of Sacre Coeur Paris.
   She was Miss Paris and subsequently won the title of Miss France. Chantal has done modeling, and photo shoots for such lines as Yves St Laurent, Nina Ricci, Balmain, Louis Féraud, Cardin, Balanciaga, Dior Furs, Lanvin, Estée Lauder, etc. She also did photo shoots for Jours de France, Vogue, l’Officiel de la Couture, Gala, etc. She participated in the Salon du Prêt à Porter and appeared on numerous television shows, movies and interviews. She has expertise in luxury clothes and accessories, fabrics etc..
   For 15 years she was on the Comité Miss France and also served as a judge for Miss France. She has also done training and coaching for 45 regional beauty contestants.

Chantal is married to Jean-Claude Detender and they have one daughter Angelique, 15 years old, born in Paris.