A certified "Town of Art and History" and "Most Beautiful Detour in France", Loches is a must-see destination in Indre-et-Loire. Located amid the Loire Valley castles, this royal city has many stories to tell and attractions to offer.
Walk along the cobbled streets to discover a thousand years of history. Ancient dwellings with tuffeau stone façades or fortified gates, such as the Porte des Cordeliers or the Porte Royale, will make you feel like you have stepped back in time. The Romanesque Collegiate Church of St. Ursus, with its two eight-sided pyramidal cupolas, houses the tomb of Agnès Sorel, favourite of Charles VII.
You can also walk to the Tower of St. Anthony, an old belfry standing 52 metres tall, the Chancellery and the Centaur House, the latter two both having Renaissance façades. By the River Indre, the public park is a pleasant place for a walk where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the town and the collegiate church. Art-lovers should head to the Lansyer Museum-House, where works by the painter of the same name are exhibited, and to the Saint-Antoine Gallery, where there are two paintings by Caravaggio.
Loches is also famous for its castle towering over the town. Built by Foulques Nerra in the 11th century, several women who shaped history spent time there: Joan of Arc, Agnès Sorel and Anne of Brittany. It consists of towers, dungeons, underground tunnels, passages, stairways and beautiful terraces. A testimony to the Renaissance, the Royal Lodge is one of the castle's most important rooms. Don't forget to climb to the top of the tower, where you will be greeted by a panoramic view of the city!
Every Wednesday and Saturday, one of the largest markets in Touraine is held in Loches. Be sure to pay a visit, if only to admire the many colourful stalls that will undoubtedly make your mouth water...Loches is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
It is situated 29 miles (47 km) southeast of Tours by railway, on the left bank of the Indre River.
The town, one of the most picturesque in central France, lies at the foot of the rocky eminence on which stands the Château de Loches, the castle of the Anjou family, surrounded by an outer wall 13 ft (4 m) thick, and consisting of the old collegiate church of St Ours, the royal lodge and the donjon or keep.
The church of St Ours dates from the tenth century to the twelfth century; among its distinguishing features are the huge stone pyramids surmounting the nave and the beautiful carving of the west door. It contains the tomb of Agnès Sorel.
THE ROYAL LODGE
The royal lodge, built by Charles VII of France and once used as the subprefecture, contains the oratory of Anne of Brittany. It was here on 11 May 1429 that Joan of Arc arrived, fresh from her historic victory at Orleans, to meet the king.
The donjon includes, besides the ruined keep (12th century), the Martelet, celebrated as the prison of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, who died there in 1508, and the Tour Ronde, built by Louis XI of France and containing the famous iron cages in which state prisoners, including according to a story now discredited, the inventor Cardinal Balue, were confined.
Loches has a town hall and several houses of the Renaissance period. The town hall was constructed after royal approval by Francis 1st in 1515.
On the right bank of the Indre, opposite the town, is the village of Beaulieu-lès-Loches, once the seat of a barony.
THE CHATEAU
The Château de Loches (also called Le Logis Royal de Loches) is a castle located in the département of Indre-et-Loire in the Loire valley in France; it was constructed in the 9th century. Built some 500 metres (1,600 ft) away from the Indre River, the huge castle, famous mostly for its massive square keep, dominates the town of Loches. The castle was captured by King Philip II of France in 1204. In 1985 it was converted into a museum, and has one of the most extensive collections of medieval armour in France.
The castle was occupied by Henry II of England and his son, Richard the Lionheart during the 12th century, it withstood the assaults by the French king Philip II in their wars for control of France until it was finally captured by Philip in 1204.Construction work immediately upgraded Loches into a huge military fortress.
The castle would become a favourite residence of Charles VII of France, who gave it to his mistress, Agnès Sorel, as her residence. Agnès Sorel was the first woman to be officially recognized as a « Favorite ». It would be converted for use as a State prison by his son, King Louis XI who had lived there as a child but preferred the royal castle in Amboise.
In December 1699 Henriette-Julie de Murat was involved in a scandal when a report was circulated accusing her of "shocking practices and beliefs" including lesbianism. She was estranged from her husband and disinherited by her mother, forced to take a hiatus from publishing, and eventually exiled to the Château de Loches in 1702; in 1701 her debauchery was considered confirmed by the fact that she was pregnant. She tried to escape from the Château de Loches in 1706 wearing men's clothing. She was then transferred to two other prisons before being brought back to the Château de Loches in 1707. In 1709 she obtained partial liberty from the Countess d'Argenton on the condition that she return to her aunt's home.
During the American Revolution, France financed and fought with the Americans against England and King Louis XVI used the castle of Loches as a prison for captured Englishmen.
At the time of the French Revolution, the château was ransacked and severely damaged. Some major restoration began in 1806 but today there are parts visible as ruins only. Owned by the Commune of Loches, the castle and the adjacent ancient Church of Saint-Ours are open to the public.
The Château de Loches has been recognised as a monument historique since 1861 and is listed by the French Ministry of Culture.
