Church on Sunday...Loches St.Ours

The 11th/12th century church of Saint Ours in the medieval town of Loches - more details here... 

       

Royal Lodgings at Loches...

Visiting the Chateau at Loches combined with the Dungeons must be one of the best 'tickets' in the Loire Valley at only 7.50 euros (children under 12 free). Add to this the fact that you can visit the free 'house museum' of the painter Emmanuel Lansyer on the way and you have an excellent value-for-money day out.

The chateau or 'Royal lodgings' sit really well into the landscape of this medieval town - it was after all where it all began. There has been a fortification on this site since the Romans built the first one in the third century. Situated to the north of the citadel, the  least exposed to attacks, it was used as the residence of the King and his court when they were passing through the town or staying clear of their enemies in and around Paris.. Two buildings dating from different periods sit side by side, the south-east part, built against the round tower called the Agnes Sorel tower was built at the end of the 14th century. Its built-in turrets and its machicolations are reminiscent of military architecture.

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Of what you see today, only the watchtower,or Agnes Sorel tower, (centre) is earlier than 14th century when it was annexed to the great hall and 'Royal Chamber' - which is what you see below.

I often think this building is the opposite of the 'Tardis' in that when you look up from the gardens on the other side of the river Indre it looks quite large but when you visit it feels really quite compact.

The dogs sitting on the walls of the entrance stairs recall the favourite pastime of  its royal residents who would hunt in their well stocked hunting estates close by.

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 It was in the great hall (right), in June 1429, Joan of Arc, on her way back from Orleans, came to find Charles VII and convinced him to go to Reims in order to be crowned.The castle would become a favourite residence of Charles VII who gave it to his mistress, Agnes Sorel as her residence. Agnes is recognised as the first official royal mistress. It would be converted for use as a state prison by his son, Louis XI  who had lived there as a child but preferred the chateau at Amboise as a residence -- spoilt for choice really.

The entrance to the oratory of Anne of Brittany*,on the right of the picture, is actually part of the citadel wall. The tower in the background is 'La Tour Saint-Antoine' which served as the town belfry. It rises to 52 meters. Built between 1529 and 1575, it is apparently the only bell tower of  Renaissance design in Touraine. * You can read more about Anne, Agnes and Joan here

A good view of this and the rooftops of the town can be had from the terrace.

Keep at Loches...

The keep at the 'Donjon' at Loches 

 

Dunjon at Loches....

You cannot fail to notice the dungeon and keep as you drive into the Sothern Touraine town of Loches in the Loire Valley - its lofty situation well chosen by Foulques Nerra the Count d'Anjou  - the 10th century prolific fortress builder, makes it the first thing you notice on the skyline.

 If you make your way up through 'Port Royale' turnng right takes you along the route to the 'dunjon' and keep.

 Even from here it looks quite imposing and formidable.

Before making your way up the wooden stairs to the entrance take time to wander around the exterior of the buildings - you won't be disappointed.

The fortress was fought over for a time by the English and the French. In 1193 after being left in the protective custody of  John Lackland (King John) while his brother Richard went off on the crusades it was easily taken by Philip Augustus of France. On Richard's return a year later, according to legend, he took it back after only a three hour siege.When you look at the fortifications this was no mean feat! It  stayed in English hands until 1205 when Philip again took possession this time after a year long siege, this episode marked the end of the presence of the Plantagenets in Loches.

It remained a military fortress until the middle of the 15 th century.It eventually became a state prison and was still used up until the beginning of the 19th century.

It is interesting to think , as you walk around, that you are walking in a garden where 'Richard the Lionheart' and John Lackland once strolled.

As you make your way up the steps via the 15th century barbican you immediately feel you are about to be immersed in history.

Once inside there are a number of different aspects to explore.. You first wander through the 14th century 'Governer's residence' before making your way to Louis XI tower (above) with its viewing terrace.

Looking back down to the barbican from the terrace.

Inside there are a number of interesting areas such as the 'model room' giving you a better idea of the fortress's construction and use. You can also see some ancient graffiti left by previous 'residents', a torture chamber and the cage in which Cardinal Balue, an enemy of Louis XI was apparently held for three years

You can then move on to the 15 th century 'Martelet' which leads you into a network of 11th century subterranean passageways -from where some of the stone used was quarried from. The tower was used as a prison for political prisoners and there is a reconstruction of a cell for you to view within it. If you walk down through the caves you can exit the complex on Bd,Philippe Auguste.

Cash in the attic?...

A more recent attraction in the Loire Valley town of Loches is the display of two paintings 'Supper at Emmaus' and 'Doubting Thomas' by Caravaggio.The paintings were discovered discarded in the organ loft of Saint Antoines church in the town in 2006 and were identified on an inventory as original Caravaggio's and reputed to be worth up to £50 million each !

Although initially authenticated as originals various experts have since doubted the pictures are by him. This has not stopped Loches promoting itself as a 'Caravaggio town' and they can be viewed where they were discovered in a specially commissioned annex at the church of Saint-Antoine.

A walk in the park...

Loches public gardens are worth a visit if you are visiting the town. The local authorities in France take great pride in their public places and Loches is no exception. The planting and landscaping concentrates on local  plants and flowers.You also get the added benefit of  great views of  its royal lodgings dungeon and church.

The gardens can be accessed by either leaving the centre of town via the Porte des Cordeliers and crossing the river Indre before turning right after a short walk or by parking at Place Quintefol at the other side of the  gardens again by the river Indre.

The gardens are a good mix of trees, shrubs and flowers with some additional attractive features such as the  bandstand. It Is delightful any time of year.

Looking back towards the gates.

Looking up at the dungeons from the gardens.

We would suggest you should make time to visit these lovely gardens - if you take the kids they are also catered for with a small play park in the corner of the gardens.