De captivants à banals, les articles et photographies de “The Baguette” sont une tentative de publier un journal de ma vie dans la Manche et de proposer un forum de discussion pour tout ce qui touche à la Normandie.
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Legend has it that Montrésor owes its name to a lizard—one coming out from a grotto in the hill covered in gold. Legend or not, this medieval town is one of the many pleasant treasures to be visited throughout the Touraine. The rocky peak was in the 10th...
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Loches was first mentioned in the 6th century by the historian Gregory of Tours, who described the founding of a priory by Ursus the Hermit (Saint-Ours). It was not until circa 900 A.D., however, that the town really became established, under the ownership...
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Louis XI built the Château de Langeais from 1465 to 1469 as a stronghold along the road from Nantes, the route most likely to be taken by an invading army from Brittany. This threat vanished after the marriage of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany was...
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Villandry was one of the last great Renaissance châteaux to be built on the Loire; it has unusual features for Touraine, like rectangular pavilions (instead of round towers) as well as the layout of the esplanade and its moat. Villandry’s international...
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The Musée des Beaux-Arts is housed in the former bishop's palace built in the 17th and 18th centuries near the Cathédrale St-Gatien. A magnificent Lebanon cedar planted by Napoleon in 1804 adorns the courtyard of the museum. Work on the cathedral started...
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La gare de Tours was built between 1896 and 1898 under the direction of the Touraine architect Victor Laloux. Four statues dominate the façade—two were created by Jean-Antoine Injalbert (allegories of Bordeaux and Toulouse), while the other two were created...
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The Église paroissiale Notre-Dame in Montbazon was built between 1851 and 1862 under the direction of Gustave Guérin . Two artists named Jules Benard and Alexandre Ripault painted all of the décor including the spacious barrel-vaulted nave and its walls...
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In 991, the Benedictine monks of Cormery complained to Hugues Capet, the King of France, that Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou (17 years old and Earl of Anjou in 987), was building a fort on their land in Montbazon. Despite their annoyance, the King did not...
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After visiting Château du Lude, I thought we’d stop at Château de Champchevrier since it was on the way to Tours. Upon arrival, I found out that it wasn’t going to open for another two weeks. Oh well. At least I was able to get some photos of the exterior...
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