Questi due attraversamenti successivi della Francia non sono la via più diretta per raggiungere il confine svizzero a est di Luxeuil, distante solo 110 km. Ma riflettono l'immagine forte di un colombiano determinato che aveva lasciato l'Irlanda per sempre, senza alcun desiderio di tornare.La terza parte (3/8) è composta da 14 tappe, ciascuna con una media di 24 km al giorno:
Sully-sur-Loire - Châteauneuf-sur-Loire
Châteauneuf-sur-Loire - Orléans
Orléans - Beaugency
Beaugency - Mer
Mer - Blois
Blois - Chaumont-sur-Loire
Chaumont-sur-Loire - Amboise
Amboise - Tours
Tours - Azay-le-Rideau
Azay-le-Rideau - Chinon
Chinon - Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
Fontevraud-l'Abbaye - Saumur
Saumur - le Thoureil
le Thoureil - Juigné-sur-Loire

The castle of Sully-sur-Loire
This castle is the first of a long series that will accompany you throughout your peregrination on the banks of the Loire.Rare are the castles which underwent as many architectural modifications as that of Sully-sur-Loire. The first traces of the castle were reported in 1102, it was then a defensive post on the left bank of the Loire.In 1218, Philippe Auguste took advantage of a disagreement between the lord of the place and the bishop to briefly seize the place and build an imposing cylindrical tower, unfortunately disappeared. After a devastating flood in 1363, the castle changed family in the name of the marriage of the sole heiress to Guy de La Trémoïlle. The latter embarked on a major renovation project and asked the architect of the king and the Louvre, Raymond du Temple, to draw up new plans.At that time, Joan of Arc stayed in Sully twice to visit King Charles VII, who was visiting the castle. From the 18th century, the castle of Sully-sur-Loire was the subject of many destructions and reconstructions that in turn changed its appearance. To visit the castle of Sully-sur-Loire

The Crypt of the Saint-Benoit Basilica in Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire
It was around the year 672 that the monks of Fleury formed an expedition to Mont-Cassin. There they found the relics of Saint Benedict, then abandoned. The monks repatriate them to Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire and it is then that a pilgrimage is formed in Fleury. The pilgrims will help the Abbey to develop through their many gifts.

Oratory of Germigny-des-Prés
On this site was built in 806 the villa of Theodulfus, bishop of Orleans, abbot of St. Benoit and intimate adviser to Emperor Charlemagne, of which only the oratory remains today. Theodulph, Goth by birth, was one of the best minds of his time. A highly educated poet and art lover, he was interested in all the branches of knowledge of that time. This is undoubtedly what made him one of the most eminent missi-dominici of Emperor Charlemagne, before falling into disgrace and dying in a prison in Angers in 820.This building with a square plan and four leaves is gathered around a lantern tower. During its restoration in the 19th century two absidioles were destroyed.Inside this oratory, in the eastern apse is a vault, decorated with a mosaic unique in France, in cul de four, dating from the 9th century. On each side two angels representing the Jewish people the Christian people and two cherubs carry the Ark of the Covenant.

Saint-Benoit Abbey in Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire
Between 630 and 650, double foundation under the patronage of St. Mary and St. Peter.The first mention of a monastery living under the Rule of Saint Benedict appears in Gaul around 620 in a letter addressed to the Bishop of Albi by the abbot of a monastery near Castres. Shortly afterwards, a few monks settled on the north bank of the Loire, 30 km upstream from Orléans, on a small hillock near the village of Fleury, and built a church dedicated to Notre Dame, while a second colony of monks settled a hundred metres further on, around a church of Saint Peter. At that time these communities shared, according to the custom of the monastic foundations located in northern Gaul, a mixed rule known as that of the good fathers Benedict and Colomban.The two communities soon merged and the monastery is now known as Saint-Pierre de Fleury.In the 10th century, under the Abbot of Abbon, Fleury reached the height of its influence. Abbon is considered by his contemporaries as the most educated man of his time, his literary and scientific work is vast and he knows how to discern and promote the literary gifts of his monks.The monastery will be occupied by the monks until the French Revolution, when they will be expelled. The Abbey is then sold as national property and abandoned. It was only in 1944 that the Abbey of Fleury regained its religious activity when the monastic community reoccupied the premises.

Saint-Martial Church in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire
In the middle of the 12th century, the parish church dedicated to Saint Martial, located in La Ronce, was transferred to its present location. From destruction to reconstruction, it has been profoundly transformed over the centuries. With its eventful history, the church of Saint-Martial is a prime witness to the history of Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. Listed as a historic monument in France, this Romanesque building is full of treasures: the Gothic tomb of the Marquis de la Vrillière, the organ and its chamade pipes, the polychrome wooden statue of the Virgin and Child...More information : Tourism Loiret

Castle in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire
The origin of Châteauneuf-sur-Loire dates back to the 11th century, the name of the town was given by the "Castrum Novum".Of the castle of the 17th and 18th centuries, the remarkable rotunda as well as the numerous outbuildings of the castle still remain. Today, the Town Hall is located inside the castle.Around it, an English-style park extends over 33 hectares and offers a pleasant and restful setting with trees, most of which are two hundred years old. This natural area now links the botanical park to the Loire River.Next to the town hall visit the marine museum.

Saint-Denis Church in Saint-Denis de l'Hôtel
Built on an old building dating from the 12th century, it was destroyed in 1567 by the Calvinist armies of Coligny.Its reconstruction lasted until 1637, a date engraved in stone above the main door surmounted by a Romanesque arch. The windows are of pointed arch construction, the thick box-trees rest on massive buttresses.This building, which is 40 metres long and 14 metres wide, has no pillars; the walls alone bear the weight of the "basket-handle" vault made of chestnut wood.The interior aspect has changed little since the First Empire. The church, as it still appeared in 1905, with above the porch, the symbol of the republican spirit of the time, "propriété communale république française liberté égalité fraternité".

Saint-Étienne Church in Jargeau
The presence of a religious community in the town of Jargeau is attested by many historians as early as the 4th century. No vestiges remain from this period. The church then undergoes, as in all villages on the banks of the Loire, the many invasions of the Normans, causing the disappearance of this community. A new one will settle when the relics of Saint-Vrain were transferred in the 11th century. The development of the pilgrimage of Saint-Vrain pushes the authorities to build a new place of reception. Thus, in 1154, the choir of a new church was consecrated. The nave and the porch tower were subsequently built. As this church was still not sufficient, a larger choir was rebuilt in the 14th century with an ambulatory and chapels. The religious wars did not spare the building, which was regularly sacked by Protestants or the king's troops trying to reclaim the city. Around 1625, the choir of the church was rebuilt on the limits of the old choir but without the ambulatory and the chapels.

Latingy Castle
The lordship of Latingy dates back to the 15th century. It occupies the lands of the Sainte-Croix d'Orléans Abbey. The buildings of the original castle were unfortunately demolished and rebuilt in the 19th century. Part of the buildings of the "barnyard", the castle farm, remain, including a magnificent dovecote probably dating from the early 16th century. It is known that it was a sign of nobility and a privilege to own a dovecote. The one in Latingy is a round tower built over a beautiful vaulted cellar. The castle is a private property and cannot be visited. A gîte is available on the site

The Bief in Combleux
Le bief de Combleux est une section du canal d'Orléans. Il constitue le débouché historique en Loire du canal. D’une longueur de 5 450 m, il est presque entièrement situé sur la commune de Chécy.Après le creusement par Robert Mahieu d’un premier tronçon entre Vieilles-Maisons-sur-Joudry et Buges entre 1676 et 1678 et son ouverture au transport du bois et du charbon, la construction du canal jusqu’à la Loire est entreprise de 1681 à 1687. Il est inauguré en 1692. La construction du bief de Combleux et de l’écluse de la Patache, débouchant en Loire est réalisée dans cette deuxième phase. De 1692 à 1793 le canal est en plein essor. Au 18e siècle, 1 500 à 2 000 bateaux remontent la Loire par an depuis Nantes pour gagner Paris. En 1793 le canal devient un bien national. Aujourd’hui il n’est pas utilisé.
Plus d'informations : Wikipédia

Saint-Aignan Church - Orléans
Saint Aignan (c. 358 - c. 453), bishop of Orléans, played a great role, at least morally, during the siege of Orléans in 451 by Attila and his troops. Gregory of Tours, a contemporary of Aignan, attests to this. On the death of the bishop, the monastery of Saint-Pierre-aux-Bœufs, located on the banks of the Loire in an old castrum, took the name of Saint-Aignan. The monastery's Saint-Pierre church was the burial place of several Merovingian bishops. Its position outside the ramparts as well as on the banks of the Loire allows us to suppose that the stopover of Colomban and his companions around 610 could have taken place in this monastery. But the Vita Columbani only mentions this stop for the supply of the monks and describes a miracle, Colomban cured the father of a Syrian woman. The city of Orleans was a crossroads of international trade since Roman times and the presence of a Syrian community with camels for towing boats is attested from that time.The church cannot be visited for security reasons. The crypt has been altered over the centuries, located under the church of Saint-Aignan and accessible only with a guide. The Saint-Aignan crypt is a beautiful relic from the 11th century. As evidenced by the martyrium and a large ambulatory with five chapels condemned in the 15th century, the building was dedicated to the worship of the relics of Saint-Aignan, patron saint of Orléans. Semi-buried, this splendid Romanesque crypt preserves rare sculpted and polychrome capitals from the beginning of the 11th century.In the 7th century, the church was mentioned as a monastery under the mixed rule of the good fathers Benedict and Colomban.To visit the crypt : Orléans Tourist Office

Holy Cross Cathedral in Orléans
The foundation of Orléans Cathedral is the subject of two hagiographical legends in Orléans. Written at different times, they do not feature the same characters and, as a result, also diverge in their purpose.Until the 7th century, nothing precise is known, neither about the buildings that succeeded one another, nor about their location.In 989, the city was destroyed by a great fire which, according to Raoul Glaber, also ravaged the cathedral.Around 1277, the Romanesque cathedral is said to have collapsed and all the walls of the building were unstable. In a deed given on July 22, 1278, Bishop Robert de Courtenay offered the land on which his episcopal palace stood for the expansion of the cathedral. However, work began nine years later, on September 11, 1287, under the episcopate of Gilles Pastai, and the construction began with the chevet.The plan was inspired by that of Notre-Dame d'Amiens Cathedral, but features nine absidal chapels instead of the seven in the Picardy cathedral. In the 14th century, the chevet is completed by a new choir. The two campaigns of the construction site at the choir of Sainte-Croix are well known thanks to a plan on parchment preserved at the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg work.More information: Wikipedia

Grolot mansion in Orléans
The Groslot Hotel is a 16th century mansion. It was built at the instigation of the Groslot family and welcomed the French kings François II and Charles IX as well as the regent Catherine de Medici.Work began in 1530, the hotel was built for Jacques Groslot until 1545 and chancellor of Marguerite de Navarre, grandmother of Henri IV.Jérôme Groslot, son of Jacques, who was Bailiff of Orléans from 1545, also resided in the hotel.On 18 October 1560, King François II moved with his court into the hotel to mark his opposition to Jérôme Groslot, a fervent supporter of the Protestant Reformation. François II died in the Groslot Hotel on 5 December 1560 despite the presence of his surgeon Ambroise Paré.Grolot mansion in Orléans

Saint-Mesmin Church in La Chapelle Saint-Mesmin
In this church you will discover the history of Saint Mesmin but also his monastery of Micy founded at the beginning of the 6th century on land donated by King Clovis. The monastery was installed on the left bank of the Loire, before its destruction at the beginning of the 20th century, opposite the church of Saint Mesmin. Today the site has become the nature reserve of Saint-Pryvé and Saint-Mesmin.The oldest life of st-Mesmin was written in the 9th century, it recounts the miracles on the tomb of the holy man. Mesmin retired to a cave to die and tradition says that this cave is located under the church you are visiting. Archaeological excavations in 2013 in front of the church of La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin revealed the presence of a cemetery from the 6th century probably around the tomb of Saint-Mesmin.

Meung-sur-Loire Castle
The stronghold was occupied as early as the 4th century and destroyed by vandals in 406. Saint-Liphard and his disciples occupied it in the 6th century and cleaned up the marshes to regulate the course of the river La Mauve. It follows the destruction of the Norman invasions in the 9th century, the castle is destroyed.In the 9th century the town became the residence of the bishops of Orleans, they will restore the castle and occupy it until the Revolution.During the Hundred Years' War, and more particularly during the time of Joan of Arc, the castle experiences hours rich in events, due to its strategic position. The English occupied the building until their expulsion in 1421 by Gilles de Rais and Joan of Arc.Seized during the Revolution, the castle was sold by auction in 1791. Baron Lecoulteux, First Treasurer of the new Republic and founder of the Bank of France became owner and mayor of Meung.

Saint-Liphard collegiate church in Meung-sur-Loire.
The building was classified as a historical monument in 1840. Saint-Liphard is an abbey founded in the 6th century in Meung-sur-Loire by Lifard d'Orléans. Saint Lifard was a cousin of Clovis and governor of Orléans.Old Romanesque church from the end of the 11th century rebuilt in the 13th century.A sarcophagus is deposited in the south aisle, it was discovered in 1991. It is carved with three crosses and the funeral oration is engraved on the edge of the vat. Dating places it at the end of the 6th century.

Beaugency Castle
A superb example of a seigneurial dwelling, the Château de Beaugency was successively owned by the Lords of Beaugency, the Crown of France, then the Dukes of Orleans in the 14th century, who remained the owners until the French Revolution. Today, in the heart of Beaugency, this castle exhumes the vestiges of the past and presents you the home of Jean de Dunois, Bastard of Orleans.Between an elegant hanging garden and the main courtyard, the visit will take you from the Guard's room to the kitchen, from the chapel to his bedroom, from the oratory and its mural fresco to the superb attic with an overturned boat hull.Following in the footsteps of the guests of these places, you may meet François I, Louis XI or Joan of Arc, companion in arms of Jean de Dunois...More information: Wikipedia

Notre-Dame in Beaugency Church
The origins of this church date back to the 12th century, it is the former abbey church of the Notre-Dame de Beaugency abbey. The Beaugency Abbey has been the privileged witness of great events in the history of France. It was in 1152 that the marriage of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine, a premise of the Hundred Years' War, was annulled in the abbey church.Three centuries later, in 1429, Joan of Arc liberated the citadel occupied by the English.

Notre-Dame d'Avaray Church
The present church was rebuilt around 1835 on the site of an 11th century church.From the old church, on the north side remains the jamb of a 12th century portal with a small column, patched up in 1611, and to the left of it an 11th century coat hanger with small wedges. These remains are probable replacements used during the reconstruction of the church, which was destroyed in the early 15th or mid-14th centuries by English troops. This reconstruction was probably undertaken only after the liberation of Orléans by Joan of Arc in 1429.After the Revolution, the dilapidation was such that the complete reconstruction of the church was decided upon.The church is closed.

Avaray Castle
Private property, not open to the public.The castle first belonged to the de Mineray family before being bought by Jacques de Béziade in 1621. In 1737, the fortified castle rebuilt in 1474 was replaced by the current building, only the moat and two corner towers are preserved. In 1791, one of the lord's sons helped the Count of Provence, one of the King's brothers, the future Louis XVIII, to escape. During the Restoration, the King did not forget his companion in exile and raised him to the title of Duke and Peer of France. Under the chapel called "tribune" of the castle, there is a vault opened in 1824, which has 11 coffins: the first is that of Louis XVIII's companion in exile, the last, that of Antoine de Béziade, Marquis of Avaray and last descendant of the lineage, who died in 1921.

Saint-Saturnin de Courbouzon Church
The church of Saint-Saturnin de Courbouzon was a priory of the Beaugency Abbey before the Revolution. The square bell tower dates from the 16th century, the belfry is later, the rest of the church was rebuilt in the 19th century. There is only one large nave, extended by a semicircular choir. The chapel to the left of the bell tower houses the baptismal font. The double axial bay was built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Saint-Aignan Church of Herbilly
The hamlet of Herbilly, near the town of Mer, was attached to the latter in 1808. Its church stands on the central square. In 1944, a bombing seriously damaged it. The present building is the result of a restoration carried out in 1955, which focused largely on the Romanesque nave. The church consists of a single nave, elongated in the 15th century, with a portal in the flamboyant style (walled), and an unvaulted apse. To the south rises the bell tower, built in the 16th century, with oblique buttresses at each corner, bays on all its sides and a portal to the south. The chapel disappeared in 1944.The first church dates from the 12th century and was rebuilt in the 15th century.

Saint-Hilaire de Mer Church
The church of Saint-Hilaire in the commune of Mer is a building built in the 12th century but which was remodelled in the 16th century, for the bell-tower-porch, and in 1700 for the rest of the building.The latter consists of a flamboyant, high-quality bell-tower-porch with exceptional mouldings (foliage hooks and pinnacles), a vast panelled nave ending in a three-sided apse and two chapels on the south side.The wainscoting is classified as a Historic Monument.As you leave the church, admire the old town hall in its 19th century style.

Navigation on the Loire: the Gabares
The term gabarre, gabare or gabarros (from the Greek karabos), actually designates several types of river boats from different basins of the Atlantic coast (Loire, Sèvre niortaise, Charente, Dordogne, Garonne). The only thing they have in common is that of all river transport boats: the flat bottom called "sole" which allows them to carry a maximum load with a shallow draught. Quite often, these boats can also be equipped with a rigging.On the Loire and Charente rivers, this boat is built with "clins", i.e. the planks that make up the hull are superimposed on each other and pegged by pieces of wood.Depending on the region, the freight consisted of ore and various agricultural products, wines (pediment, gaillac, cahors, wines from the Aveyron, Lot, Brulhois, wines from the haut pays...), building materials (Apremont stone on the Loire for example), metallurgical products (anchors and cannons from the Nivernais for example).More information: Wikipedia

Saint-Dyé church in Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire
The origin of the city is ancient; it takes its name from one of the two hermits Deodat and Beaumaire who, as early as the 5th century, worked to Christianize the surrounding populations. When Deodat died around 530, his disciples buried him in a pagan cave built as a crypt on which a first chapel was built. There were thus four successive buildings, the present church dating from the Renaissance. From then on, pilgrims flocked in and the village developed. At the end of the 15th century, on the occasion of a pilgrimage to Cléry, King Louis XI offered a precious hunt to shelter the relics of Saint Déodat (or Dyé). Exhibited for a few years, this hunt later disappeared, probably stolen. The Merovingian tomb of the saint that can be seen in the church ... is therefore quite empty!Before leaving the church visit the dungeon where d'Artagnan was imprisoned.A pilgrimage town, a fortified town, Saint-Dyé became a river trading port which became more important with the construction of Chambord, because it was there that most of the materials needed for the construction of the castle were unloaded.A stroll through the town is recommended to discover the old houses and the museum of Autrefois.If the church is closed, please contact the town hall.

Saint-Pierre Church in Montlivault
12th century church, with a 15th century bell tower that was once fortified. The south aisle was added in the 16th century. The rectangular nave ends with a choir and an apse reshaped into a hemicycle. The bell tower is made up of a square block and a polygonal turret. Each side of the second floor is pierced with geminated bays in tiers-point. A chapel of the Virgin was built in 1655 for the Charron family against the north wall. An extensive restoration programme carried out since 2000 has highlighted the interest of the church's frame, which is distinguished by its rather infrequent type. Traces of coloured plastering were found at the end of 2009 behind the pulpit on the north wall. A complete panel between two windows suggests that it was covered with historical scenes. The plaster is thought to be from the late Middle Ages.

Saint-Lubin Church in Muides-sur-Loire
Dedicated to Saint Lubin, Bishop of Chartres in the 6th century, the church originally depended on the provostry of Suèvres. In the 12th century, it entered the domain of Pontlevoy Abbey. In the 15th century, it is mentioned in the chapter of Saint-Martin-de-Tours. The present building is the result of restorations carried out in the 16th and 19th centuries. It consists of a nave and a choir with two bays ending in a three-sided apse. Two side chapels, of modern times, flank the choir. Warhead vaults dating from the end of the 19th century cover the entire building. The internal decoration was completely redone at the same period. Buttresses punctuate the outside walls. A polygonal, framed spire, above the entrance hall, crowns the two-sloped roof.

Saint Martin's Church in Chailles
The church of Saint-Martin depended on the abbey of Bourgmoyen. Despite a refurbishment in the 15th and 16th centuries, the building retains elements from the pre-Romanesque period and the 13th century. The plan consists of a rectangular nave, a north aisle, a choir ending in a three-sided apse and a chapel to the south. Brick vaults added in the 19th century cover the nave and its aisle. The choir is decorated with 17th century wainscoting, the frescoes executed by Maurice de Vaines in 1858 are in very poor condition. The capitals of the nave bear a sculpted decoration of foliage from the Renaissance period. It is possible to see an oil on canvas depicting the Crucifixion, after or from Simon Vouet's workshop.An association, "Les Amis de l'église Saint-Martin de Chailles" promotes the heritage of the church. Information inside the building.

The castle of Plessis Villelouet in Chailles
Private property, not open to the public.The seigniory is mentioned from the 14th century onwards. The castle had two towers enclosing a central body, the whole surrounded by moats. Thereafter, two symmetrical wings closed the courtyard forming a U. In the 18th century, the architect Jean-Baptiste Collet took over the facades of the central body, pierced the attic with dormer windows and fitted out the interiors. The architect concealed the medieval turrets and pierced the facade overlooking the park with large bays. In 1840, restoration work was carried out by the architect Courtiller. The chapel, in a neo-flamboyant style, was interiorly decorated by Maurice de Vaines. A model farm was built, the parklands redesigned and the driveway created. The property's dairy associated with a rustic cave, under the main cowshed stable of the model farm, does not seem to be from the same period.

Saint-Bienheuré Church in Candé-sur-Beuvron
The neo-Gothic church of St. Benedict was rebuilt in the 19th century. The stained glass windows are worth a visit.

Madon Castle in Candé-sur-Beuvron
Situated on Via Columbani the castle is abandoned and cannot be visited.The current castle is located on the site of an old pleasure house of the Counts of Blois. This property once belonged to the abbey of Saint-Lomer who received it around the year 1000 from a knight. The abbots of Saint-Lomer made it a place of rest and entertainment. On October 26, 1498, Louis XII came from Blois to be questioned by an ecclesiastical council on his request to annul his marriage with Jeanne de Valois. In 1698, the abbey of Saint-Lomer was attached to the bishopric of Blois and the place became the country house of the bishops of Blois. From 1468 to 1505, the primitive castle, which had suffered from the Hundred Years' War, was rebuilt. The present castle was built around 1770 by Monseigneur de Termont, Bishop of Blois.

Greenways the Loire by bike and cycle track Euro 6
Several greenways accompany you on your journey along the Loire. Each region is developing this gentle itinerary on foot or by bike which makes users feel safe.An opportunity to make beautiful encounters as a family or as a pilgrim. Information panels are placed along the route to help you discover the natural heritage.The Euro cycle path Euro vélo 6 connects the Black Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. It follows the Loire from Nevers to Nantes.Beware the cycle path along the Loire can be sandy.More information : Wikipedia

Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle
The history of the castle begins in the 10th century, Eudes I, Count of Blois, built a fortress to protect the city of Blois against attacks by the Counts of Anjou. In these fierce struggles, a knight of Count Eudes II, Gilduin de Saumur nicknamed the Devil of Saumur, so much noticed his zeal in fighting against the Count of Anjou Foulques Nerra, that the latter rewarded him by giving him the Chaumont castle.In 1465, Louis XI ordered Chaumont to be burned and razed to the ground to punish Pierre d'Amboise for having revolted against the royal power during the "League of the Public Good". Back in grace, the d'Amboise family is authorized to rebuild the castle.On 31 March 1550, Queen Catherine de Medici bought the castle from the d'Amboise family. A few years later, she exchanged it for the castle of Chenonceau owned by Diane de Poitiers.Marie Say became the owner in 1875. She married shortly after Amédée de Broglie (son of Albert de Broglie). They had luxurious stables and a landscaped park laid out in the English style.More information: Wikipedia The estate of Chaumont-sur-Loire and the castle, owned by the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, can be visited, allow 3 to 4 hours for an entrance fee of 18 euros. A Garden Festival takes place there every year. Information for the visit of the castle

Touraine vineyard
The Touraine wine is a wine of controlled appellation of origin produced in part of the departments of Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher.Classified as an appellation d'origine contrôlée by the decree of 24 December 1939, the vineyard extends over approximately 5,300 hectares within the departments of Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher for a total of 70 communes.The white wines are made from Chenin (locally called Pineau de la Loire), Sauvignon and Arbois. The wines made from Sauvignon are dry and lively with aromas similar to blackcurrant. The whites of Touraine are dry, quite firm, lively and full and hold well in the bottle.The red wines are vinified from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris, Pineau d'Aunis and Gamay. More information: Wikipedia

Château-Gaillard in Amboise
Built in Amboise by the young King Charles VIII in 1496, Château-Gaillard was the site of the First Renaissance Gardens in France and the home of Dom Pacello de Mercogliano.In the heart of the Loire Valley castles, the "most famous gardener of Europe in 1500" acclimatized the first orange trees of France and created the Queen Claude plum, the orange boxes, the hot greenhouses, the perspective of the gardens.The site of Château-Gaillard, Dom Pacello's experimental laboratory, took the name of "Jardins du Roy" in 1500. François 1er offered Château-Gaillard to his "dear and beloved Pacello" in exchange for an extremely rare annual bouquet of orange blossoms.

Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise
The Château du Clos Lucé, formerly known as the Manoir du Cloux, was a former fiefdom belonging to the Château d'Amboise. The land of Lucé was annexed to the Clos as early as the 14th century.This estate passed shortly afterwards into the hands of the nuns of the priory of Moncé, who sold it, by deed of 26 May 1471, to Étienne le Loup, adviser to King Louis XI and bailiff of Amboise. As the buildings fell into ruin, it was he who gave the Clos Lucé its present appearance, with "its square tower, its watchtower, connected to the right wing of the building by a covered gallery, (...) its walls soon pierced with Gothic windows".In 1516, at the age of 64, Leonardo da Vinci left Rome and crossed Italy, bringing in his leather bags all his sketchbooks and three famous paintings: The Mona Lisa, The Virgin, the Child Jesus and Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist. These three paintings are now kept in the Louvre Museum. His disciples Francesco Melzi and Salai accompanied him to France, along with his servant, Batista de Vilanis. According to Benvenuto Cellini, the king gave him a pension of 700 gold ecus.More information: Wikipedia To visit the Château du Clos Lucé - Parc Leonardo di Vinci is open all year round, every day without interruption (except 1st January and 25th December). From 10 am to 6 pm. The landscaped route is presented in its entirety throughout the high season.

Amboise Castle
Palace of the kings of France during the Renaissance, the royal castle is at the heart of the commemorations of the fiftieth centenary of Leonardo da Vinci (1519-2019) whose burial place it houses.For nearly two centuries, the history of the royal castle of Amboise has been intimately linked to the great History of France. Grandiose palace of kings Charles VIII and François I during the Renaissance, the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci. For all our visitors, it is an exceptional testimony to the profound changes that took place in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. A total expression of luxury and the French art of living, the Château d'Amboise is also a unique and monumental balcony, open at 360° over landscapes listed as World Heritage of Humanity.Information to visit the castle of Amboise

Saint-Florentin Church in Amboise
Church built on the order of Louis XI who, for fear of contagion, no longer wanted the inhabitants to go up to the collegiate church of the castle. It was consecrated in 1484. The apse is located on the fortifications of the town. The bell tower, in the north-west corner, is decorated with a Renaissance dome of the 16th century. The nave ends with a three-sided apse. The south door is adorned with an archivolt topped by an embrace accompanied by two pilasters that supported missing statues. The interior was transformed in 1876: wooden vault replaced by a stone vault; the single nave was divided into three. The stained glass windows of the choir and the nave were made in 1956 by Max Ingrand. The son of François I and Queen Claude, born in 1518, was baptized in this church.The church is open to the public and temporary exhibitions are presented there.

Saint Martin, the apostle of Gaul (316 - 397)
His life is essentially known by the Vita Sancti Martini written by Sulpice Severo in 397. He was born in Pannonia, present-day Hungary, on the borders of the Roman Empire where his father, a senior officer in the Roman troops, was garrisoned. As usual in the Roman army he was baptized a Christian and at the age of 15 he became a soldier because Roman law obliged the sons of soldiers to enlist in the army. Sent to Gaul with his garrison and passing through Amiens, he gave half of his military coat to a beggar. In a dream, Martin learns during the night that it was Christ who made this request to him. In 356, he leaves the army to join the community of Saint Hilaire in Poitiers. With him, he founded the first monastery of the Gauls, at Ligugé, in Poitou. It is there that he will be kidnapped by the inhabitants of Tours who make him their bishop. Saint-Martin founded the monastery of Marmoutier in Tours and went to evangelize the pagans throughout Gaul. Today more than 500 places in France are under the name of Saint-Martin. But also throughout Europe.In the 21st century the European Cultural Centre Saint-Martin de Tours, works to the knowledge and dissemination of Martinian heritage. In 2005, Un Chemin de Saint-Martin - Via Sancti Martini - was born. Discover Via Sancti MartiniMore information: Wikipedia

Moncontour Castle in Vouvray
Vine and Wine MuseumIn the old cellars of Château Moncontour there is a treasure hidden!Come and discover a unique collection of tools and objects related to heritage, vine growing and wine making. The world of vines and wine will no longer hold any secrets for you!Nearly 3,000 preciously preserved and lovingly collected items are arranged in a fun and educational way in a troglodytic cellar. In this place steeped in history, you will discover the evolution of tillage over the last few decades and enrich your knowledge of the terroir of the Vouvray Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, in the Loire Valley vineyards.Site internet du musée de la vigne

Marmoutier Abbey in Tours
Although it is difficult to locate the site of Martin's first burial place, probably in his monastery? In this hypothesis, Saint Columban prayed in front of Saint Martin's tomb in 610, as recounted by Jonas de Bobbio in the Vita Columbani written around 640. The abbey was founded by Martin of Tours, perhaps as early as 372. The abbey reached its peak in the Middle Ages and its dependencies extended over much of medieval France and as far as England. In 1562, at the beginning of the Wars of Religion, the abbey was plundered by the Protestants. It did not recover from this event, despite the guardianship of the Congregation of Saint-Maur. It was dismembered during the French Revolution. Bought back by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, the surviving buildings were restored and others were built to house a private educational institution still in operation in the 21st century.The part of the site housing the remains of the former abbey was bought by the city of Tours in 1981 and archaeological excavations have been underway since 2004.Many popes came to Tours in the 11th and 12th centuries. Most of the time they stayed in the Abbey of Marmoutier which is directly under the authority of the Papacy. In March 1096 Pope Urban II came to facilitate the implementation of the Gregorian reform and consecrated the new church of Sainte-Croix. He preached the first crusade before the Count of Anjou and the nobility of Touraine. In 1119, Pope Calixte II stayed in the abbey and convinced Count Foulques d'Anjou to go on crusade, the latter becoming king of Jerusalem. More information : Wikipedia

The medieval castle in Tours
The castle of Tours, is located on the banks of the Loire River in the oldest district of Tours, close to Saint Gatien Cathedral, built on the remains of the ancient city from which Tours derives its origin. Despite the extent of its foundations partially revealed by the excavations of the 1970s, it leaves the very modest trace of a medieval county castle of the 11th century, as it was modified and enlarged in the 13th and 15th centuries when it acquired the status of royal residence. Almost completely destroyed in the 18th century, its two remaining towers are accommodated with a new building used by the army from the Revolution onwards.

Saint-Gatien Cathedral in Tours
The cathedral was built on the site of the building which in the 4th century was the ecclesia prima, that is to say the church of the bishop of Tours, therefore the church of Saint Martin. This first church bore the name of Saint Maurice and later the canons of the cathedral in opposition to those of the basilica gave it the name of Gatien the first on the episcopal see of Tours. The present Gothic cathedral replaces the Romanesque building built on the first church.The present cathedral has many objects and decorations relating to Saint Martin. On the outside, a Saint Martin is depicted to the left of the portal of the north transept crosspiece. Inside, a stained glass window depicts St. Martin in the large windows of the western façade; in the nave, a St. Martin is present in the fourth ornate keystone from the west; in the choir's stained glass windows, a complete stained glass window depicts various scenes from the life of St. Martin; in the chapel of the tomb of the children of Charles VIII, a 14th century fresco depicts St. Martin's charity; in the chapel of St. Francis, the stained glass windows of the two side windows represent scenes from the life of St. Martin; in the chapel of St. Lidoire, 12th century stained glass windows from the former Basilica of St. Martin (scenes from the life of St. John, St. Andrew and St. James); in the north transept, on the north wall, on the altar of St. Martin, a large 19th century painting represents charity.

St. Lawrence Church in Montlouis-sur-Loire
The first building around which the inhabitants gathered was a religious building. It was Saint Perpet, bishop of Tours at the end of the 5th century, who founded a chapel in Montlouis dedicated to Saint-Laurent. This modest construction was replaced, at the beginning of the 12th century, by a stone building. The choir vaulted at the end of the oven and the base of the bell tower remain from this period. The church was enlarged in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1870, then in 1902, during the restoration and embellishment work, the architects Guérin and then Brisacier did not hesitate to establish warhead vaults inside the church. It was in 1881, that the town council decided in its meeting of 18 February 1881 to inscribe the republican motto on the facade of the church, which usually decorates the town halls. The reasons for this inscription and whether this decision was the source of much debate are not known for sure. In 1880, the motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was officially adopted and it was soon to decorate the pediments of public buildings. This movement of republican inscriptions was renewed after the 1905 law on the separation of church and state.

Aquarium de Touraine at Lussault-sur-Loire
How about a fabulous journey through the richness of the world's oceans?With themed rooms with original decorations, the Grand Aquarium de Touraine takes you on a surprising journey where you can admire different kinds of live fish in freshwater and saltwater aquariums.As a family, you will be amazed by the tunnel allowing you to admire the great species of our regions, sturgeons, pikes, pike, pike-perch... The tropical fresh water will plunge you into the universe of piranhas, caimans, archers... Without forgetting the electric eel show and the extremely rare group of American spoon fish.The Aquarium is located on the edge of Via Columbani.Site of the Grand Aquarium of Touraine

Clock Tower, Amboise
Tower built in the 15th century on an old town gate built earlier. The work, begun in 1495, was completed around 1500. On the ground floor is the 13th century barrel vault, under which the street passes. Above it rise two square floors, then a four-sided attic that ends in a hexagonal bell tower. On the town side, large mullioned windows illuminate these floors, which are accessed via a turret stairway.

Saint-Denis Collegiate Church, Amboise
This church is the oldest in the city. In 1107, Hugues I, Lord of Tours, had the present building built on the site of an oratory built by Saint-Martin, Bishop of Tours, in the 4th century, himself built on a pagan temple. The edifice was built in three campaigns: choir and transept in the middle of the 12th century; nave and side aisles at the end of the 12th century; doubling of the south side aisle in the 16th century. Collapsed in the 18th century, the bell tower had to be rebuilt at the same time. The chevet consists of a five-sided apse and two apsidioles which replaced those of the Romanesque period in the 15th century. The cast iron choir gates come from the art foundry in Pocé-sur-Cisse. In 1498 the marriage of Louis XII with Jeanne de France was annulled.The church is open to the public during the summer season.

Saint-Julien Church in Tours
The abbey church of Saint-Julien de Tours is the church of a former Benedictine abbey whose origins date back to the 6th century; it dates mainly from the 13th century.At the end of the 6th century until the 9th century an abbey was built and developed around the square tower (still visible today). It has a cloister, cellars (which housed the estate's crops), and a library.For five centuries, destruction and reconstruction followed one another. In 853, the abbey is destroyed by the Normans, it is rebuilt in the 10th century. A hurricane caused the nave of Saint-Julien to collapse in 1224. The church is once again rebuilt and built in its present form.Observe the restored Romanesque capitals of the entrance porch. The church is closed.

Saint Martin's Basilica in Tours
The basilica of Saint-Martin de Tours houses, in its crypt, the tomb of Martin de Tours.The former collegiate church of Saint-Martin de Tours, which dated mainly from the 11th century, was disused, vandalized and transformed into a stable in 1793, then demolished following the collapse of the vaults in 1797, only two towers being preserved. The present basilica, much more modest, was built between 1886 and 1902 in the neo-Byzantine style.The body of Saint Martin, who died in Candes (you will pass through this town on your next stop), was transported by boat to Tours and modestly buried on 11 November 397, three days after his death, in a Christian cemetery outside the town, on the Roman road heading west. According to Gregory of Tours, Bishop Brice had a wooden building built in 437 to house the tomb and mantle (cope) of Martin, originally called the Chapel. Seeing the influence of this sanctuary, Bishop Perpetus built the first basilica in the place where Martin's tomb is located. It was dedicated on July 4, 470, ninety-nine years to the day after St. Martin's accession to the episcopate of Tours.More info: Wikipedia

Église Saint-Gervais and Saint-Protais Church in Savonnières
Die Kirche Saint-Gervais und Saint-Protais stammt aus dem 12. Jahrhundert, sie ist bemerkenswert für ihre architektonische Einheit im Zisterzienserstil und ihr Portal im Saintongeais-Stil.1138 schenkte Hugues, Erzbischof von Tours, die Kirche der Abtei von Toussaint d'Angers.Der ursprüngliche Grundriss des Gebäudes bestand aus einem Kirchenschiff und einem nördlichen Seitenschiff, dessen dritter Erker von einem anjianischen Gewölbe mit Rippen und Lilienen bedeckt ist.Das Seitenportal ist von Poitevin inspiriert und hat drei Archivolten, die mit Akanthusblättern, Dämonen und fantastischen Tieren, Chimären und Greifen verziert sind. Es wurde 2006 restauriert.Informationstafel am Chevet der Kirche.

Saint-Etienne Church in Villandry
The church of Villandry is dedicated to Saint Stephen, the first martyr. The first chapel known as Saint Roch dates back to the 5th century (it was destroyed around 1844). It is built halfway up the hillside, is located more than 300 m from the castle and is far from the alluvial plain of the Cher, without any risk of flooding. By its physiognomy, it finds its counterpart with the parish church of Cormery.A rectangular chapel measuring 9m by 18m was built in the 11th century. At the end of the 12th century, the transept and the choir were added. The original chapel then became the nave of the new church.

Villandry Castle
Throughout the Middle Ages and until the beginning of the 17th century, the domain of Villandry was called Coulombiers or Colombiers and was none other than the seat of a châtellenie under the authority of the castle of Tours.Living around 1080, Geoffroy le Roux, also lord of Cravant-les-Côteaux, was the first lord of Colombiers. The fortified castle of Villandry was modified for the first time after the Hundred Years' War in a new search for comfort and healthy living. In particular, fireplaces were installed in most rooms and most of the walls were pierced with numerous mullioned windows. This artistic revival marked by the development of luxury and pomp was not only the result of the influence of the patronage of the Dukes of Burgundy and Duke Jean de Berry.All that remains of the medieval building today are the foundations and the 12th century keep, modified in the 14th century, which can still be guessed, enclosed in one of the wings of the main courtyard.The last of the great castles that were built on the banks of the Loire in the 16th century, the current castle of Villandry, brings a final touch to the research at the beginning of the Renaissance while announcing the achievements of the castles of Ancy-le-Franc and Écouen.More info at: Wikipedia To visit the castle

Saint-Symphorien Church in Azay-le-Rideau
When you arrive on the square in front of the Saint-Symphorien church in Azay-le-Rideau, you immediately notice the originality of the double gable. The one on the right, Romanesque, is very different from the one on the left, more recent, with a basket-handle portico. The oldest mention of the building dates back to the 11th century charter by which Geoffroy de l'Île donated it to Cormery Abbey. This donation concerns a small church which is written as abandoned. Archaeologists date certain decorative elements of the old gable from the Carolingian Renaissance period. The main nave, to the south, is from the 11th century; however the pointed arches and the vaults with ridges are from the 12th century. The side nave from the bell tower to the apse dates from the same period. Mural frescoes were highlighted in 1997 in the choir, which was originally fully decorated. In the 16th century two bays completed the side nave to lead it to a new gabled façade adjoining the old "basket-handle" façade and a vast bay in the flamboyant style.The side chapel -chapel of the chateau- was built in 1603. This chapel is located at the back of the church to the right of the last bay before the choir. Text source: information document available in the church from the Dictionnaire géographique, historique et biographique d’Indre-et-Loire par J.-X. Carré de Busserolles, Tours, 1878 et Souvenirs du temps passé de Georges Jéhan, Tours, 1928

Azay-le-Rideau Castle
The first medieval castle of Azay was built around 1119 by one of the first lords of the place, Ridel (or Rideau) d'Azay, cited in a charter of Marmoutier, who built a defensive fortress supposed to protect the road between Tours and Chinon. A Ridel or Rideau d'Azay et de Rillé is mentioned in 1143 and 1153. Lords of Azay appear again from the second half of the 14th century. The fort of Azay is burned by Charles VII in 1418 when the king, staying in Azay on the road to Chinon, is provoked by the Burgundian troops occupying the stronghold.The present castle was built between 1518 and 1523 by the mayor of Tours and treasurer of King François I, Gilles Berthelot, and his wife, Philippa Lesbahy; it is one of the masterpieces of the early French Renaissance. The foundations, based on pilings and Saint-Aignan stones, were built under the direction of Denis Guillourd.In 1791, the castle "abandoned and very degraded" is sold by Henry de Courtemanche to the Marquis Charles de Biencourt (1747-1824), Page of the stables of the Queen in 1761, Marshal of the Royal Camps and Armies, deputy of the Nobility at the Estates General of 1789, then to the Constituent. He gave it its present appearance by carrying out profound internal and external changes. His descendants will keep it until 1899. In 1905 the castle was acquired by the State, the whole was classified as a Historical Monument the same day, and a year later was created by decree a "national museum of Renaissance art", placed under the dual responsibility of the curator Xavier de Ricard and the architect Jean Hardion. Since 1907, it has undergone major restorations.The landscaped park surrounding the castle was laid out in the 19th century.More info at: Wikipedia To visit the castle of Azay-le-Rideau

The national forest of Chinon
Der Staatswald von Chinon stammt aus dem riesigen bewaldeten Massiv, das im Mittelalter die Hochebene von Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine bedeckte. Früher ein Seigneurialbesitz, dann ein königliches Jagdrevier, wurde es während der Revolution in Staatsbesitz. Heute ist es ein wichtiger Holzproduktionsstandort, dessen ökologischer Reichtum anerkannt ist. Die Förster bemühen sich auch, die Erwartungen einer wachsenden Zahl von Besuchern zu erfüllen.Es stellt ein Relief dar, das von mehreren Tälern (Maupas, Fosse aux loups, Turpenay...) geformt und eingekerbt ist, in denen kleine Bäche fließen. Die Aufschlüsse von Kalkstein-, Ton- und Sandsteinfelsen sind der Ursprung einer großen Vielfalt von Böden und Landschaften.Die natürlichen Bedingungen sind günstig für die Eiche, die die dominierende Art ist. Der bemerkenswerte ökologische Reichtum des Massivs hat zur Schaffung des vom Maupas-Tal verwalteten biologischen Reservats und zur Klassifizierung von drei Sektoren als Natura-2000-Gebiete geführt. Es gibt viele seltene und geschützte Pflanzen, die in ein Waldgebiet von fast 12.000 ha integriert sind. Der Wald von Chinon ist die Heimat mehrerer Arten von Hochwild (Hirsche, Rehe, Wildschweine ...).

Chinon vineyard
This vineyard is located around the city of Chinon, including both banks of the Vienne River and up to the confluence of the Loire River. There are three types of soil: The first with the alluvial terraces of the left banks of the Loire and Vienne rivers, composed of gravel and sand. The second is on the limestone hillsides and mounds, composed of chalk and tuffeau. The third is on the top of the slopes with flint clays and sands. The terraces of the Loire are very sandy.The area in production covers approximately 2,300 hectares with a production volume of 110,000 hectolitres. The wines produced are mostly red wines, there are only 13% rosé wines and 2% white wines.More information: Wikipedia

Sainte-Radegonde Chapel in Chinon
The Chapel is located on Via Columbani, a semi-troglodytic Romanesque chapel built around the tomb of a hermit from the High Middle Ages (6th century). You will discover a well dug in the rock and a mural painting from the end of the 12th century representing the Plantagenets.Open every afternoon from 3pm to 6pm.

Saint-Mexme Collegiate Church in Chinon
Gregory of Tours, in his "De la gloire des confesseurs" (On the glory of the confessors), recounts the installation in the 5th century of Mexme, a disciple of Saint Martin, in a troglodytic hermitage in Chinon, to the east of the Roman castrum which was to become the present castle. Saint Mexme is said to have founded a first church, which served as the centre of a small monastery, transformed into a collegiate church around the year 1000. The church was then rebuilt on a basilical plan, then enlarged in 1050 by the addition of a western massif comprising a narthex framed by two towers. In the 12th century, the nave was extended towards the west, a transept and a choir with an ambulatory and radiating chapels completed the transformation of the collegiate church into a vast pilgrimage building.After the Revolution, work was necessary to return the building to worship, but in 1817, the collapse of the bell tower at the transept crossing led to the ruin of the eastern parts. The remaining parts, the nave and the western section, were then transformed into a school until 1980. A vast restoration work was then undertaken, accompanied by excavations to learn more about the history of the building. The collegiate church is today an open cultural centre for temporary exhibitions. The Collegiate Church contains mural paintings from the 12th to the 15th centuries.

Saint-Étienne Church of Chinon
This church was rebuilt between 1460 and 1490 by the architect Pierre Mesnager for Philippe de Commines. It occupies the place of a Romanesque building of which the base of the bell tower is a vestige (11th century). The facade is pierced by a double basket-handle door, surmounted by two hooks and fleurons braces, inscribed on either side of a canopy niche, in a tympanum circumscribed by a large brace falling on two buttresses hollowed out of niches and decorated with pinnacles. In the nave, third-point arcades separate the nave from the chapels. The choir ends with a five-sided apse pierced with flamboyant latticework windows. The stained glass windows are by L.-L. Lobin.

Rue Voltaire in Chinon
This medieval street tells part of the history of the city. The site of the old Verdun Gate of the city walls became famous because it was crossed by Joan of Arc during her visit to Charles VII. The Red House with its half-timbering is worth admiring, next to the museum "Le Carroi" offers temporary exhibitions.A little further on, the church of Saint-Maurice, unfortunately closed. The only parish church in the Ville-Fort, the present Saint-Maurice church was rebuilt from the 12th century and then gradually enlarged until the 16th century. The central nave and the choir are covered with richly decorated "Angevin" type vaults with rounded ribbed vaults, while the later aisle is covered with vaults whose complex ribbing falls on Renaissance capitals.Le Carroi Museum

The royal fortress of Chinon
From the Place de la Brèche, in the city centre, you can reach the entrance of the Fortress with a lift.The site of the Fortress has been occupied for three thousand years, as recent archaeological excavations have revealed. In Gallo-Roman times, Chinon was a small town. On the hillside, constructions made of stone or more modest, mud bricks, develop. Then, in the context of the end of the Roman Empire, the promontory is fortified and becomes a castrum evoked by the historian Grégoire de Tours. The promontory fortified in the 5th century continues to be occupied in the Merovingian and Carolingian periods. Vast buried silos and utilitarian buildings from this period have been found. Chinon is home to a royal monetary workshop in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the 10th century, the Fortress was held by the Counts of Blois, great vassals of the King of France.In the 11th century, the Counts of Anjou strongly threatened the power of the Counts of Blois. They seized Touraine in 1044. The Fortress of Chinon is at the centre of the continental possessions of the King of England Henry II Plantagenet, who in 1154 became master of an empire extending from Scotland to the Pyrenees.Joan of Arc came to meet Charles VII at the Fortress of Chinon.From the 16th century onwards, the Fortress of Chinon had no strategic role, it was abandoned in favour of more modern castles. In 1824, in spite of the dangerousness of the site, the park of the Fortress was converted into a public promenade.

Fontevraud forest, military camp access forbidden
During this stage you go along the military camp of Fontevraud. It is important not to enter the training camp of the 2nd dragoon regiment specialising in nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, based at Fontevraud l'Abbaye.

Notre-Dame de Pitié Chapel at Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
Sie entdecken diese Kapelle bei Ihrer Ankunft in Fontevraud-l'Abbaye.Es wurde von den Offizieren der Äbtissin Eleonore de Bourbon errichtet, um der Jungfrau Maria dafür zu danken, dass sie sie 1579 vor der Pest gerettet hat.

Notre-Dame de Fontevraud Abbey
Notre-Dame de Fontevraud Abbey was founded by Robert d'Arbrissel, a gyrovaga preacher from Brittany. In 1099, he settled in the forest of Bort, a large community was created with substantial financial and material means. The abbey developed and a village was established at the gates of the community in the 12th century.The transformation of the abbey into the dynastic necropolis of the Plantagenets greatly contributed to its development. Henri II, Count of Anjou and Maine, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, King of England, married to Eleanor in 1152, made his first visit there on 21 May 1154. The couple entrusted the abbey with their two youngest children. In 1189 Henri II died in Chinon, his remains were deposited in the abbey church of Fontevraud. Richard the Lionheart will be buried next to his father in this same royal abbey church.In the centuries that followed the abbey became prosperous and trade and industry developed. In the 17th century there were five mills, the surrounding fertile land favoured the cultivation of cereals. A market hall was built to promote trade. In the 18th century the abbey welcomed the four youngest daughters of King Louis XV. The Revolution led to the closure of the abbey and the ruin of the buildings. In 1804 the buildings were converted into a prison with more than 1000 prisoners. The presence of the prison staff favoured economic activity in the town of Fontevraud.The closure of the Central House of Fontevraud in 1963 was followed by the destruction of most of the buildings erected during the 150 years of occupation of the site by the prison administration. The complex became the property of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The objective was then to recover the profile of the former Royal Abbey. Today the abbey complex has become a cultural centre.More information: Wikipedia

Saint-Michel parish church at Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
Since its foundation, the religious community of Fontevraud has employed workers and craftsmen for the construction of the abbey. These men and women organised themselves around a village which would take the name of Fontevraud. In 1170, Abbess Audeburge asked King Henry II for financial aid to build a parish church near the monastic enclosure. Successive parish priests were appointed by the abbesses. The parish church will be under the name of Saint-Michel. This Romanesque church was remodelled in the 15th century and a caquetry was built in the 18th century to shelter the poor and destitute.In the choir of the church you can admire a carved wooden altar covered with gold leaf from the abbey church of Notre-Dame. It was commissioned in the 17th century by the abbess for the abbey church of Notre-Dame. The front of the altar represents the Last Supper and the tabernacle is surmounted by a triangular pediment where two angels reveal Christ and the disciples of Emmaus.Information panel in the church.

St. Catherine's Chapel or Lantern of the Dead
The Sainte-Catherine Chapel is a funeral chapel that was probably erected at the beginning of the 13th century, in what was the parish cemetery of the Saint-Michel de Fontevraud church, which also included, at that time, the nuns' cemetery. It was erected by Alix of Burgundy, to shelter the ashes of Hersende of Champagne, first Grand Prioress of the abbey, widowed she entered the community of Notre-Dame de Fontevraud. When she died in 1209 she bequeathed the chapel to the abbey of Fontevraud.The lantern of the Dead, quite common in the cemeteries of the Middle Ages, dates from the 15th century and probably replaces an older lantern adjoining the chapel. Tradition tells that a fire was kept at its top to indicate the presence of the cemetery.Private property since the Revolution, the chapel is not open to the public.

Ramparts of Candes-Saint-Martin
The name of Candes comes from the Latin Condate, confluence of the Vienne and Loire rivers, a strategic location that was fortified as early as the Middle Ages. You can admire part of the old ramparts and moats. The city has many old houses.

Saint Martin's Collegiate Church in Candes-Saint-Martin
A first church, dedicated to Saint Maurice, was built by Saint Martin in one of the first rural Touraine parishes he founded and where he died in 397. It later became a pilgrimage church, even in the absence of the saint's relics. In 1050, the church of Candes is mentioned as "collegiate" and its chapter has twelve canons.The old church of Saint-Maurice being ruined, the present church of Saint-Martin de Candes was built between 1175 and the middle of the 13th century. The addition, in the 15th century after the Hundred Years' War, of features making this collegiate church one of the few fortified churches in Touraine, reinforces its singularity. It is considered to be "the second most beautiful religious building in Indre-et-Loire after Saint-Gatien Cathedral in Tours".St. Martin, on a trip to Candes where he came to settle a dispute between religious of his diocese, St. Martin, weakened by age - he was 81 years old at the time - died on November 8, 397. His mortuary house, a place of pilgrimage from the 5th century onwards, seems to have survived until the 12th century. The church he dedicated to Saint Maurice, in which pilgrims came to celebrate his cult, still exists at the same time. Until the middle of the 9th century, the church was served by the monks of a priory also founded by Martin. It was only afterwards that they were replaced by a college of twelve canons, attested around 1050, and the church of Saint-Maurice was raised to the rank of collegiate church at the same time.

Montsoreau Castle
Built on a rocky promontory in front of the Loire, immediately at the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne rivers, it is at the intersection of three regions (Anjou, Poitou and Touraine), in the heart of the Loire Valley.The first written mention of the site being occupied by the estate of Restis dates from the 6th century. It was transformed into a stronghold around 990 by the Count of Blois Eudes 1st.The current castle lays its foundations on a rocky outcrop on the banks of the Loire. Built in 1450 by one of the richest men of the kingdom, John II of Chambes, first advisor to the Kings of France Charles VII and Louis XI, ambassador to Venice and associate of Jacques Coeur.More details: Wikipedia To visit the castle

Saint-Aubin Church in Turquant
The presence of the church of Turquant is attested to as early as the middle of the 12th century when its construction began, with most of the building dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.At the end of the 17th century, a reconstruction was carried out to restore the bell tower which had collapsed. At the beginning of the 2000s, work was undertaken to bring it up to standard and restore the foundations, the framework and part of the roof.In the choir two high reliefs in polychrome wood from the 18th century are of remarkable workmanship and are worth a visit. Each represents a scene from the crucifixion, which is described on an information panel in the building.

Saint-Pierre Church in Parnay
The church is closed.Situated on the banks of the Via Columbani, the church of Saint-Pierre is outside Parnay on the edge of the hillside overlooking the Loire.In the 11th century it was part of the domain of the bishopric of Angers. It belonged to Canon Rainard who, with the consent of Bishop Geoffroy, donated it to the Abbey of Saint-Aubin d'Angers in 1089.It later passed to the patronage of the cathedral church of Poitiers, whose chapter received two thirds of the tithes, leaving the other third to the parish priest.In September 1587, the Huguenots occupied the parish for a fortnight, as Gilles Mauxion, the parish priest at the time, pointed out.The church of Saint-Pierre de Parnay seems to have a complicated architectural past with a 12th century bell tower in front of the choir. In the southern corner, a 15th-16th century staircase turret is attached to the Romanesque bell tower. Inside, the nave, rebuilt in the 19th century, communicates with the aisles through semicircular arcades that rest on cylindrical pillars whose capitals, decorated with water leaves or roughly carved animals, are the only witnesses of the 11th century church.The Gothic choir was built in the 15th century, as was the polygonal apse, which is illuminated by two flamboyant lattice windows and covered by a seven-branch vault.

Castle of Saumur
Possession of the Counts of Anjou and then of the Plantagenets, it was transformed into a royal fortress at the beginning of the 13th century at the time of King Saint Louis. During the second half of the 14th century, Duke Louis I of Anjou (brother of King Charles V) transformed it into a sumptuous castle-palace.Until the end of the Ancien Régime, the building served as the residence of the various governors of the city. The best known of them, Philippe Duplessis-Mornay was appointed in 1589. The town of Saumur has just been conceded to the Protestant party as a place of safety. The new governor had the castle fortified by the wall that still exists, of a very innovative design for its time (the part on the side of the city was built nearly a century before Vauban's works!).During the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle of Saumur was also used as a prison: prisoners on letter of seal then from the 1780s prisoners of war (mainly British sailors).The building is spared by the Revolution. It was saved from the destruction to which its poor condition was doomed by the decision of Napoleon I to transform it into a state prison.Major works were carried out to adapt it to its future use. But the political change linked to the Restoration of the Monarchy changed its destiny once again. In 1814 it was assigned to the Ministry of War and became an arms and ammunition depot.The town became the owner of the castle in 1906, from that date on several restoration campaigns will follow one another.More information: Wikipedia To visit the castle of Saumur : Saumur Tourist Office

Notre-Dame de Nantilly Church in Saumur
The church of Notre-Dame de Saumur is the oldest church in the city. The Romanesque nave, built at the end of the 11th century, and the 12th century choir have historiated capitals.The collateral wing situated to the south, in flamboyant gothic style, was built in the 15th century by the king of France Louis XI who liked to come and pray there. In the apse, to the right of the choir, there is a 12th century polychrome wooden statue of the Virgin with the baby Jesus, representing Notre-Dame de Nantilly.The church has a collection of medieval tapestries from the 15th and 16th centuries as well as Aubusson tapestries from the 17th century.

Saint Peter's Church in Saumur
A mention in the Chronicle of Saint-Maixent suggests that a Saint-Pierre church existed déjà̀ in 1067 or 1068 and belonged then to the powerful neighbouring abbey of Saint-Florent.The monument we see today is built at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, on an embankment à at the foot of the hillside, which sheltered it from the floods of the Loire. During the French Revolution, the church was used as a public hall, hall and warehouse. It was given back to worship in 1800 and was erected as a parish church in 1802. The churches of Nantilly, Saint-Nicolas and de la Visitation on the Ile d'Offard became branches.The church of Saint-Pierre has been the subject of major restoration campaigns over the centuries, mainly due to the fact that it was built on unstable ground.The first major work brought to our attention was undertaken in the 17th century, after the collapse of the Gothic facade in 1674.On the outside, the chevet, the arms of the transept and the powerful crossing bell tower are in Romanesque style. The chevet has a protruding apse and two apsidioles on the crossbars, a common plan in Anjou in the 12th century.

The Protestant Academy of Saumur
The Protestant Academy of Saumur was founded at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries by Philippe Duplessy-Mornay. This institution was to play a fundamental role in the history of Calvinism before its closure in 1685.In March 1593, he obtained permission from Henri IV to create such an establishment. His model is the Geneva Academy founded by Calvin in 1559. The Academy was set up behind the present town hall. Until 1620 the funding was based on royal subsidies obtained by the Reformed Churches of France under the Edict of Nantes.After 1620 the financial difficulties increase until the crisis at the end of the Edict regime.For 72 years nineteen foreigners taught in Saumur, fifteen Scots, two Dutch, one German, one Swiss. More information: Wikipedia

Saumur Cavalry School
In 1763, as part of the reorganisation of the French cavalry by the Duke of Choiseul, two brigades of the Carabinieri regiment of the Count of Provence settled in Saumur. The construction on the spot of an exemplary cavalry school, intended to instruct the best officers and non-commissioned officers instructors is decided on May 1st 1765. The work continued with the construction of a covered arena in 1764-1765, stables in 1766 and 1768, and the central building of the cavalry school in 1768-1769.The troops moved into the central building of the carabinieri barracks in 1770.From 1771, it became the only training centre for military cavalrymen, replacing the five schools created in 1763 (Douai, Metz, Besançon, Cambrai and a brigade of the Royal Carabinieri in Angers).

Saint Bartholomew's Church in Saint-Florent l'Abbaye
One could not talk about the church of Saint Barthélémy without first mentioning the abbey of Saint-Florent-de-Saumur, a vast architectural ensemble in which it was integrated and of which it is today one of the rare testimonies.In the year 270 AD, under Emperor Maximilian, Florent, a Bavarian serving in the Roman Legions, was arrested on the Danube and promised martyrdom. He was miraculously freed from his bonds and guided to France to present himself to the great Saint Martin. The latter prepares him, confers the priesthood on him and sends him to Christianize the Lower Loire. It was around 360 that he reached Mont Glone (Saint Florent le Vieil) and settled there as a hermit. His reputation for holiness, accompanied by miracles, attracted pilgrims and brothers to Mont Glone.In 866, the Normans of Hasting took Mont Glone. The monks were forced to flee to Burgundy, taking with them the reliquary of their holy founder. Once the Norman danger was averted, the monks deposited the relics in 956 in the enclosure of the "castrum de Saumur" built by Thibault le Tricheur, Count of Biais.The count generously helps the monks to build a new abbey. The work on the abbey church was completed between 1128 and 1159 and many conventual buildings, such as the chapter house, the parlour and the refectory were started.But the Hundred Years' War broke the expansion of what was then called "La Belle d'Anjou".New restoration work was undertaken, including the Saint-Barthélemy chapel located on the monastery grounds. During the Revolution, the abbey was destroyed and only the parish church of Saint-Barthélemy remained.

Saint-Hilaire Church in Saint-Hilaire Saint-Florent
It is likely that this place of worship predates the monastery of Saint-Florent. Its name is attested in 866 by an abbot of the monastery. It is located on the banks of the Loire River at the exit of Saumur in the old village of Saint-Florent-le-Vieux.The present church is not the one mentioned in the texts. It is the result of a stone construction built in the 11th century, rather in the first half. Packed under its imposing bell tower, it seems Romanesque, even if only a few original elements remain. A few sections of walls and capitals in the north transept, rough and very worn, are original. A new nave and façade were added in the 18th and 19th centuries.The church is closed.

Église Notre-Dame de la Prée des Tuffeaux in Chènehutte-Trèves-Cunault
This church built in tuffeau (local stone) owes its name to the meadows that bordered it in medieval times, when the Loire River flowed further north.The square tower of the bell tower and the side door of the choir date from the 12th century. The bell tower and its geminated bays are typical of Romanesque art. The chapel was sufficient for several centuries but the economic activities, stone extraction and cutting, and navigation on the Loire, attracted a new population. In 1837, the church was enlarged, the side door of the Romanesque period was dismantled to be inserted, stone by stone in the new masonry.

Saint-Aubin Church in Trèves-Cunault
In the 8th century Pépin le Bref, father of Charlemagne, gave the Clementiniacus estate to the Benedictine monks of Saint-Aubin d'Angers who founded the Saint-Macé priory nearby. The monks of Saint-Aubin d'Angers began building the church in the 12th century. It will be restored in the 19th century.

Trier-Cunault Castle
The feudal clod and the Tower of TrierIn the 11th century, the Count of Anjou Foulques Nerra established a fortified mound on the heights of Trier. It was from this stronghold that in 1026 he attacked Lord Gildouin, who held the Saumur region on behalf of Eudes II of Blois. The Tower of Trier is the only remnant of Robert the Mason's former castle (15th century). It was connected to the rest of the castle by a drawbridge. In 1750, Trier Castle, which had been converted into a pleasure residence, was sold to Jean de Stapleton. He had it demolished, leaving only the main tower. The three lower levels are devoted to the defence and the kitchens. The last two floors are those of the seigneurial apartments. A staircase leads to the terrace surrounded by a machicolated parapet walk.

Notre-Dame Church in Cunault
Notre-Dame de Cunault is the church of a priory located in the former commune of Cunault (now Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault).The first building was a monastery founded by Saint Maxentius, evangelizer of the region, in the 4th century. In the 9th century, the monks were driven out by the Viking invasion.As a refugee in Tournus in Burgundy, the priory became a dependency of Tournus Abbey.In 1741, after having suffered the torments of the Wars of Religion, the priory was suppressed and the choir dismantled. In 1754, the nave became the new parish church of Cunault, replacing the parish church of Saint-Maxenceul, destroyed that year by a hurricane. Remains are visible near the cemetery.The church reveals a large interior. It has a large and luminous ambulatory. The last bays of the nave are built in the Angevin Gothic style.Its austere 13th-century facade is pierced by a tympanum.Notre-Dame de Cunault is famous for its 223 sculpted capitals and its murals, which make it a real artistic treasure.The church keeps in its place the shrine of Saint Maxenceul, the founder of the abbey church, it is carved in a single block of walnut.

Saint-Vétérin Church in Gennes
The Saint-Vétérin church already existed in the 9th century and belonged to the royal domain. In 845 King Charles the Bald gave the church to the Abbey of Saint-Maur. Only a few elements remain from this period. The church was regularly restored, probably as a result of a sloping and unstable ground.

Saint-Eusèbe Church and the Saumur Cadet Memorial
The Church of St. Eusebius is located on Via Columbani, it still preserves all its eastern part (choir and transept) from the Romanesque period. The nave is partly ruined but the south wall has a small device probably dating back to the Carolingian period. The base of the bell tower is from the 13th century and the spire, from the 15th century, was destroyed in 1940 and again in 1944. It was during the Second World War that an observation post was set up in the bell tower, which caused the spire to be destroyed by German shells.THE BRINE CADET MEMORIALArmed with their training equipment, officer cadets from the Saumur Cavalry School opposed the German advance on the Loire in June 1940. At the end of May, the men deployed from Gennes to Montsoreau, a front of 40 km. While Pétain's speech calling for an end to the fighting and the intention of an armistice was broadcast on 17 June 1940, the pupils were to hold the position under the command of Colonel Michon. On 19, 20 and 21 June 1940, they fight with courage and determination in a sacrificial battle against the German troops superior in number and armament. It is the first act of armed resistance on the national territory. The graves of the Cadets killed in action, initially grouped together in the Gennes cemetery, were transferred to the foot of the Saint-Eusèbe church. The memorial has 17 graves of soldiers killed in Genoa and the Saumur region.

Saint-Maur Abbey in Glanfeuil
Archaeological excavations have attested a Gallo-Roman occupation of the site on the banks of the Loire. According to legend, in the 6th century, Saint Benedict sent a disciple named Maurus, a monk from Mont Cassin, to Gaul. There he founded Glanfeuil Abbey, the first Benedictine abbey in Anjou, which he governed for almost forty years.The abbey of Saint Maur, ruined by the Norman raids in the middle of the 9th century and reestablished in the same century under the reign of Louis le Bègue, had been, according to the custom of those times, built and fortified as a place of war.It was rebuilt again towards the end of the 17th century and completed with an abbey house in the 18th century. Saint-Maur-de-Glanfeuil Abbey was restored in the middle of the 20th century.Until the 1980s, the abbey belonged to the Assumptionists; it was a reception centre. They sold it to the Apprentices of Auteuil who, not having the right to build workshops, in turn sold it to the Departmental Council of Maine-et-Loire. Today it is a holiday centre.The abbey cannot be visited.

Saint-Rémy la Varenne Priory
A deed of foundation, dated 929, cedes the priory to the Abbey of Saint-Aubin d'Angers. A religious community settles there. In the 12th century a fresco was painted in the chapter house, one of the oldest in Anjou. From the 13th to the 14th centuries the priory prospers with its agricultural income, new buildings are added in the 15th century. Admire the superb fresco on the fireplace. After the Revolution the priory became a private estate and in 1988 the commune became the owner of the estate.

Saint-Aubin Church in Blaison-Gohier
Saint-Aubin church replaces a collegiate church founded by Foulques Nerra, county of Anjou from 987 to 1040. The present church, in the Angevin Gothic style, was built between the mid 12th and mid 13th centuries. The choir vault was rebuilt in the 15th century, at the same time as the chapter of four canons and ten chaplains were given new stalls.This fortified church had two covered walkways pierced with loopholes. It was built with a local stone, the blond tuffeau. This fine limestone rock, easily worked, was extracted from the quarries of Raindron, a troglodytic hamlet located in the south of the commune on the hillside of Aubance. It owes its colours to traces of iron oxide.Text source: Extract from the information panels of the Saint-Aubin church.

The castle of Blaison-Gohier
This medieval fortress had seven towers. It was surrounded by a moat. On several occasions it was set on fire, destroyed and then abandoned...Castle erected under the authority of Foulques III, known as Foulques Nerra, Count of Ajou, from 987 to 1040.From 1415 to 1430 it belonged to Gilles de Rays, companion of Joan of Arc, better known under the name of Bluebeard accused of witchcraft. Then from the 15th century it is rebuilt and undergoes the influence of the Renaissance.From the medieval fortress remain visible certain details such as fire hydrants, the base of a tower of the entrance châtelet, and a mark of the drawbridge that spanned the old moat.Underground passages, and this time it's not a romantic legend, lead from the castle to various points in the village.Today the castle is a private property that cannot be visited.