The Keep
The construction of the fortress of Loches is attribued to Foulques Nerra and goes back to the XIth century. 36 metres high, it is considered to be one of the most impressive keeps of the Norman period. The Gate House, the XIVth century Governor's lodge, Louis XI tower topped with its early artillery emplacements, Cardinal Balue's dungeon, the torture chamber... together with video projections and the computer generated images all combine to give you a "first hand" experience of the medieval period.
Discover the garden (medieval style) at the foot of the keep.

The Logis Royal
The Logis Royal (Royal Lodge) dominates the Northern point of the medieval city, built on a rocky spur. Many important scenes in the history of France have taken place in the Royal lodge. Joan of Arc, Agnès Sorel and Anne de Bretagne were among the famous ladies who held court here.
This country seat is now a monument to Feminity and Courtly love. Richly furnished, it contains beautiful collections of Flemish tapestries and paintings. To the west, a magnificent view over the old town, the Picois gate and the clock tower.

The Royal Gate
The Porte Royale is the only entrance to the Castle. It dates from the XIIth and XIIIth centuries and was completed in the XVth century. From the Porte Royale, you can enter the Citadel to visit the Keep, the Logis Royal and the Collegiate Church Saint Ours, or continue your walk round the outside of the walls via the Boulevard Philippe Auguste.

There is a fine view of the town from the top, reached via the Maison Lansyer.

The Collegiate Church
The Collegiate Church was built in the XIth and XIIth centuries. It is noted for its polychrome doorway, richly carved with figures and fantastic animals, and for the two unusual pyramidal towers called "dubes" which were built around 1165.
The Collegiate Church contains the marble tomb of Agnes Sorel.

André Hallays, a traveller at the end of the last century, enthusiastically asserted that : « The Collégiale Saint-Ours is the marvel of Loches, and one of the marvels of our religious architecture ».

The House of Lansyer
In the royal city of Loches, within the ramparts, the "Maison Lansyer" is the family home of the painter Emmanuel Lansyer (1835-1893). A friend of Jose Maria de Heredia, was a pupil of Viollet le Duc and Gustave Courbet. Discover the man but also the artist, considered as one of the best landscape painters. Throughout his career, he painted over 1500 canvases. Today over one hundred of them are displayed amongst an exceptional collection of Japanese Art. Also discover original pictures from Piranese, Canaletto, Gustave Doré, Millet, Hugo and Corot, as well as sketches by Delacroix.
Dias "Couleurs du Temps". Visual and sound animation in the studio.

The Chancellery
The Renaissance house known as the Chancellerie houses all the services connected with the culture and heritage of the town of Loches. On the ground floor there are a permanent exhibition of the town's history, and exhibition rooms. These contain objects of historical interest and works by modern artists, and may be hired for special occasions. On the first floor is a Heritage Workshop intented for young people.

Price « Les Rubans du Patrimoine » in 2003.

The House of The Centaur
It was built at the beginning of the XVIth century, takes its name from the sculpture on the façade, which represented Hercule and the Centaur Nessus. (picture : at the left)

The Town Hall
The Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) is linked to the Porte Picois. It was built in the Renaissance style between 1535 and 1543, on the orders of François I, and consists of a main building and a Renaissance wing for the staircase. The windows of the façade are decorated with the town arms and the salamander of François I.
Town Hall
Place de l'Hôtel de Ville - 37600 Loches
Tel : 00 33 2 47 91 19 50 / Fax : 00 33 2 47 91 19 69
www.ville-loches.fr

The Porte Picois
The Picois Gate defence system comprised portcullis, drawbridge and machicolations.

The Tour Saint-Antoine
52 metres high, was the bell-tower of a former church and the belfry for the town. Built between 1529 and 1575, it is the only Renaissance belfry in Touraine.

Free entrance for the « Journées du Patrimoine »
in September.

The Porte des Cordeliers
The Porte des Cordeliers, leading to the lower town, was built in the third and outermost circle of walls during the XVth century, with two drawbridges across the river.

Next to the Porte des Cordeliers is the Jardin Public of Loches (in the direction of Beaulieu-lès-Loches).

The Loches National Forest
This former royal forest covering 3586 hectares contains a variety of different trees. The dominant species is a particularly fine sessile oak. The forest has retained the improvements and infrastructure made in the XVIIIth and XIXth centuries : forest tracks with star-shaped junctions. Some junctions are marked by stone pyramids, used as meeting places during hunting : the pyramids of Saint-Quentin, Montaigu, Genillé, Chartreux and Saint-Hubert. Waymarked paths based on historical or forestry themes : starting points are the "Etang du Pas aux Anes" and the Fountain d'Orfonds.

Beaulieu-lès-Loches

The town takes its name from the Latin « Belli Locus », and was built around the abbey founded in 1007 by Foulques Nerra, Count of Anjou. Evidence of its monastic foundation is shown by the many religious buildings : the Church of Saint-Laurent, with its XIIth century nave, is an example of the Plantagenet style ; the Church of Saint-Pierre, the Maison des Templiers. There are also XIVth century houses : the Leproserie, the House of Agnès Sorel, the Maison du Pilori. Le Logis du Prieur (the Priory) with its square turrets and its outside pulpit ; The House known as the House of Justice (XVth and XVIIIth centuries) and the XVIIIth Century Monastery which became the Town Hall after the Revolution.

Town Hall - 37600 Beaulieu-lès-Loches
Tel : 00 33 2 47 91 94 94
E-mail : mairie.beaulieu37@wanadoo.fr

Chanceaux-près-Loches
As soon as you enter the market town of Chanceaux-près-Loches, the sensation of arriving in a place straight out of a fairytale is overwhelming. This village, tucked away in the centre of the forest, seems timeless with its vault of greenery formed by hundred year old plane trees, its traditional houses with tiled roofs, its XIIth century church, renovated in the XIXth century, and its Second Empire chateau rising majestically can be seen, such as the XIXth century chateau of May and Beaurepaire.
Hunting parties were regularly organised. Every year two major artistic events : the "Fête des Peintres" (Painters' Festival) and the "Forêt des Livres" (Book Festival).

Town Hall - 37600 Chanceaux-près-Loches
Tel : 00 33 2 47 59 08 25
E-mail : mairie.chanceaux.37@9online.fr

Dolus-le-Sec
The Windpump
The Bollée windpump from 1897 is operating again in Dolus-le-Sec after undergoing remarkable restoration.
When it starts up, the windpump is activated and supplies the wash house, which has also been restored according to the original drawings. The rebuilt unit is well worth a visit.

Town Hall - 37310 Dolus-le-Sec
Tel : 00 33 2 47 59 11 52
E-mail : mairiededoluslesec@wanadoo.fr

Chédigny
The rhythm of life in Chédigny, a small market town tucked away in the Indrois Valley, is as languorous as the river flowing past it. Everything here reflects the serenity of the surrounding countryside - from places of worship to typical Touraine houses, passing by the crafts folk who open their doors to day trippers and not forgetting the different farms scattered throughout the countryside. Visitors, taking a stroll through the centre of the village, which has been entirely remodelled and landscaped, immediately sense that a very different art of living is being cultivated here. Old rustic varieties of rose (200 varieties) climb the fronts of the houses. This creates "a riot of flowers" to be visited between 15 May and 1st July. The "Jardins de Curé" (country curate's gardens) have replaced the pavements thanks to the planting of perennials which flower throughout the year !

Town Hall - 37310 Chédigny
Tel : 00 33 2 47 92 51 43
E-mail : mairie-chedigny@voila.fr

Chateau of Bridoré

2 Minutes from the RN 143 between Loches and Châtillon-sur-Indre : a magnificently preserved feudal fortress. Between the lower courtyard, where the soldiers and servants were lodged, and the upper courtyard where the Lord of the manor lived, is an impressive 30-metre-high keep crowned with watchtowers.

Cormery

Cormery Abbey was founded by Ithier in 791. His successor, Alcuin, became a student at the Episcopal School, then librarian in the richer Western libraries. He laid down the rule for the 20 monks of Cormery. In 1054, the abbey was reconstructed and the Porch tower, refectory, cloister and the chapel of the Virgin were added. From the XVIIth to XVIIIth century, the monastery declined and during the Revolution it was emptied of furniture. Only the Roman tower remains.
Visit of the Abbey in July and August. All the year, groups guided tour on request.
Tel : 00 33 2 47 91 82 87
E-mail : service-groupes@wanadoo.fr