Visit France > Touraine > Follow the Loire on a journey through history

The Loire valley today boasts a very large number of historical monuments including its majestic châteaux along the river, which take us on a journey through the major and minor events of the history of France.

The Loire is also associated with a large number of monuments which do not necessarily reflect in its waters… For example, Chambord dominating the banks of the Cosson, Azay-le-Rideau mingling with the Indre, Cheverny nestled in the valley of the Beuvron, Chenonceau spanning the Cher, and the château of Chinon, flirting with the Vienne. All these monuments from the château of Sully-sur-Loire (the furthest upstream) to that of the Dukes of Brittany in Nantes (the furthest downstream) passing by Valençay (the southernmost), benefit from a legendary mild climate and the dazzling beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Medieval fortresses, royal châteaux and Renaissance residences, bucolic manors, impressive cathedrals… This artistic miracle which was under development without any interruption for over three centuries and which gave birth to what historians call « the French way of life », is in fact the result of a military disaster : the battle of Agincourt (October 1415). A defeat which forced the King of France at the time, Charles VII, chased from Paris by the English, to take refuge for safety reasons on the banks of the Loire, in Touraine, where several sturdy fortresses were already standing. The region presented in addition a number of advantages : rich and fertile, it was crossed by a river, main means of communication between the Mediterranean, Burgundy, the Lyonnais and the provinces further to the west. Forced initially to take refuge, the nobility remained here, and then, much to its pleasure settled for much longer stays! The region was thus named the « the Garden of France ». The golden age of the Loire valley was at its very beginning… Once the country had found peace again, economic prosperity combined with the development of the arts gave birth to an unprecedented architectural frenzy.

Land of Kings
François I, Charles VII, Leonardo da Vinci, Maurice Genevoix, and Julien Gracq were not mistaken when choosing this region for their home. Today still, it is this cultural aspect which is at the heart of these varied surroundings with such contrasted architecture: troglodyte dwellings, Renaissance châteaux, medieval fortresses, historical towns, gardens, abbeys…