The Loire valley castles

The Loire castles evoke the color of slate and the stone of tuffeau.
The inheritance of our area is fabulous on the architectural and historical level. Numbers these castles are in fact rather far away from the Loire; they are dispersed in Blésois, Touraine, Anjou, Berry and Orléanais.
Their origins correspond to requirements of defense. Indeed they are built on strengthened natural sites, almost always with the crossroads of waterways and terrestrial, on heights where people can supervise the neighbourhoods with kilometers with the round and stop the progression of the enemy.
The first constructions are keeps of which it still remains of many vestiges (Montbazon, Loches, etc). A great part of them were built by the frightening count of Anjou Foulques Nerra, at the end of Xème century time to which it disputed the control of Touraine to the counts of Blois.
These fortresses will play then a paramount strategic part in the fight between the crown of France and the Plantagenêt dynasty.
Thereafter, the majority of these monuments will be rebuilt, often offering contrast seizing d'un new home frame very close to an old tower.
In these pages we will be delayed more particularly on the buildings of the Loire valley.


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Amboise Built on a rock headland dominating the city of Amboise and the Loire, this old medieval fortress preserved this time an enclosure, which contains the actual castle. The seigniory of Amboise is attached to the crown in 1431 per Charles VII who orders to do some work. There are not many informations... Azay le Rideau With the Middle Ages, the lords of Tours build a castle on an island in the medium of the Indre river to protect the passage from the road carrying out of Tours to Chinon. In 1119, the lord Ridel of Azay gives to the city his name of Azay le Rideau.... Blois Le château de Blois éclaire l'histoire et l'art de notre pays. Il est comme un livre ouvert sur les événements qui ont marqué l'histoire des rois de France Blois est une de ces places fortes dont le rôle était si important au Moyen Age... The Jacques Coeur palate in Bourges Jacques Coeur would probably not have his position in the French history without various constructions that he made build across all France. He has, indeed, makes build "maisons", lodgings and trading posts across the entire kingdom. Thus he left buildings in Paris, Tours, Marseilles, Montpellier, Pézenas, Béziers, Saint-Pourçain...... Chambord Chambord, which measures 170 yards out of 128 yards and account 440 rooms, is vastest of the Loire castles. In the order of gigantic, it announces Versailles, Its sudden appearance at the edge of an alley, and the vision of its white mass which widens and specifies little by little produce... Chaumont sur Loire Dominating the Loire, Chaumont has a situation which points out that of the Amboise castle. Of its terrace, the sight on the valley is admirable... Chenonceau The current castle was built of 1513 has 1521 per Thomas Bohier, receiver of Finances under Charles VIII, Louis XII and François 1st. Acquisition Chenonceaux by Bohier is a true Balzac drama... Cheverny Le Château de Cheverny est situé à une dizaine de kilomètres au sud de Blois et à quinze kilomètres du Château de Chambord. Pour le touriste qui visite le château de Cheverny après ceux de Blois et de Chambord le contraste est frappant; Blois est une... Chinon Dominating the river Vienne, the plate of Chinon finishes out of spur, almost to touch the river. This spur, strengthened as of the Romans, knows during ten centuries a confused and tragic history.... Grand Pressigny The ancien "Prisciniacus", mentioned in VIth century by Gregoire of Tours, was a fief of the canons of Saint Martin of Tours in IXth century. Installed on the edge of the plate which dominates Claise... Langeais Le château de Langeais est un des plus intéressants du Val de Loire. Il a été construit d'un seul jet, en quatre ou cinq ans, ce qui est rare ; il n'a pas subi de remaniements ou d'adjonction, ce qui est plus rare encore. Il est par conséquent considéré comme le "dernier des châteaux forts". Son aspect défensif est éloquent: ses tours rondes et imposantes s'élèvent au-dessus de mâchicoulis,... Le Lude The castle of Lude overhangs laughing it valley of the Loir of its four powerful round towers. In spite of the apparent regularity of its plan in quadrilateral, the castle knew several successive states and of many modifications which even made swivel ...

Loches Fatherland of Alfred de Vigny, Loches rises on banks of Indre. The central part of the city preserved its aspect of the Middle Ages: strengthened a "city" reduced to two of its three primitive enclosures crowns the city. Its historical, military and archaeological interest is of first order... Montbazon The origin of Montbazon is at the time Gallo-Roman, the rock mount which was to belong thereafter to certain Bazon was already a strengthened site... Montgeoffroy Montgeoffroy se situe dans la vallée de l'Authion, sur une hauteur boisée qui domine le village de Mazé. Ce bel édifice de plan régulier (un corps de bâtiment imposant raccordé à deux grandes ailes en équerre par des pavillons en terrasse) fut édifié au 18ème siècle pour le maréchal de Contades... Montpoupon C'est à l'époque carolingienne, que les Poppo, un clan germanique, ont choisi de s'établir sur le piton rocheux du " Mons Poppo ". Le nom de la ville ne peut renier son étymologie latine : Mons Poppo (la colline du clan poppo) est devenu Mons Puppum puis Mont Pepon, et enfin Montpoupon.... Montrésor If Montrésor is, by its extent, the smallest commune of Touraine with less than one km2 of surface, it is also one of the most beautiful villages to the picturesque streets frame in the protective shade of its powerful castle which dominates top the vain valley of Indrois. The village of Montrésor is classified among "the Most beautiful Villages of France"... Montsoreau With the confluence of the Loire and Vienne, with the limit of Anjou and of Touraine, Montsoreau allured by the originality of its architectural choices and by its situation. The castle of Montsoreau is... Nitray L'histoire du château de Nitray est assez obscure dans la mesure où aucune archive ne permet à ce jour de connaître l'histoire de sa construction. En 1453, le fief de Nitray appartenait à Jean Lopin. Selon les annales... Le Plessis-Bourré The castle of Plessis-Bourré is rebuilt since 1468 on the basis of Middle Ages fortress, the castle of the Plessis-le-vent, is bought in 1462 per Jean Bourré, Minister of Finance and right-hand man of Louis XI. The construction of the castle is spread out over 5 years. We are likely to... Saumur The castle of Saumur is built on a height which orders the Loire Valley. Saumur is in the beginning a strengthened site. A main tower of square plan occupied the slope at the 11th century. There remains of this first construction... Serrant The sumptuous castle of Serrant, whose brown schist contrasts with white tuffeau, has much personality. Surrounded of broad water ditches, it is located at about fifteen kilometers in the west of Angers... Ussé Ussé surplombe l'Indre. Il est construit à mi-coteau, sur le flanc sud de la vallée. Sa silhouette découpée évoque un château de conte de fée et aurait inspiré Charles Perrault pour le décor de la Belle au bois dormant. Il est situé à la lisière de la forêt de Chinon. Cet écrin de verdure... Valençay Valençay is berrichon by its geographical situation. But the castle is attached to the Loire Valley by the time of its construction and its vast dimensions which give him the same appearance as Chambord.... Villandry Au Moyen-âge Villandry s'appelait Colombiers. Un château féodal, siège d'une Châtellenie dépendante du château de Tours, y était bâti. Le Villandry d'origine est construit au bord du Cher. Il est situé au bas du coteau et rompt ainsi avec les dispositions traditionnelles défensives des places fortifiées de la région. Le premier seigneur connu de Colombiers était Geoffroy le Roux qui vivait...