Castle of Loches Loches : Loches Tourism

Description

The castle of Loches is located in the department of Indre-et-Loire and integrates the castles of the Loire. It sets itself up above the town of Loches, the city built around the building.

Château de Loches, the castle of the Ladies
Roman camp, the fortress of Loches was destroyed in the 8th century by the son of Charles Martel before being reinvested by Charles the Bald, a century later. Through alliances, the fortress of Loches then belonged to the counts of Anjou. Foulque the Good strengthened the fortifications, while the Notre Dame church was erected by Geoffrey Grise-Gonelle whose famous relic, the belt of the Virgin, is still carefully preserved. Foulque Nerra then made Loches one of thirteen fortresses designed to protect the territory of Anjou and Touraine.

The emergence of the dynasty of Plantagenets was realized by the alliance of a descendant of the Counts of Anjou, Geoffrey the Fair, and Matilda, daughter of William the Conqueror incidentally Duke of Normandy and King of England. The son of that union, Henry II, built ramparts and a magnificent tower to the castle of Loches in the 12th century. At his death, the fortress which was considered impregnable, was occupied by the French king Philip Augustus and the English descendant of Richard the Lionheart.
The Plantagenets permanently expelled in 1205, the castle of Loches became a fortress then royal domain after the purchase made by St. Louis. It was again the scene of historical events when Charles VII, under the pressure of the English and the Burgundians, came to live there. Joan of Arc in 1429 found him here to implore him to go to Reims for his coronation.
Another personality integrates the history of this castle, Agnes Sorel. Nominated as the first official mistress of a king of France, Charles VII, she is buried in Loches. Finally Anne de Bretagne went twice in Loches and built there a chapel which is still visible.
The castle of Loches hosted several kings and played a role in the war of religions because it was occupied for a time by the Protestants. The castle became a royal prison. In the 18th century, the construction of a royal bridge in Tours diverted large flows of passengers causing a near fatal desertion. The building was almost forgotten until the arrival of Prosper Merimee in the mid 19th century which saved the castle from ruin.

The Castle of Loches, the base of a medieval city
The castle of Loches can be divided in four areas of interest. First, the Logis Royal with its terraces offers a breathtaking view of the Indre valley and the town of Loches. The building consists of two parts: the old house dating from the Middle Ages and the New Home from the Renaissance. In these parts took place the main historical facts of the castle.
The tower is the second attraction. Dating from the 11th century, its height symbolizes the protective effect generated by Loches during the various wars. The fortified ensemble is completed by two other significant elements: the round tower and the peg. Inside the buildings built in the 15th century are the dungeons. Some legends still haunt the cells.
The castle of Loches is a necessary stop on the tour of the castles of the Loire. The walls and doors have a great historical interest.

Website

(Distance < 1 km)
Info: Set in a17th-century country house, La Closerie Saint Jacques is located on Saint James' Way, inside the ramparts of Loches. Homemade cakes and jam are served for breakfast in this luxurious B&B.

Each suite is decorated with antique......

(Distance < 1 km)
Info: Located in Loches, in a 15th-century building, Inter Hotel George Sand features individually decorated rooms with private bathroom, TV and telephone.

The buffet breakfast is served every morning in the hotel's dining room. Regional......

(Distance < 1 km)
rooms ranging from: 58.00 Euros
Info: The Hôtel de France is located in the heart of Loches and 150 meters from the medieval city, between Place de Verdun and Place de la Marne.

Hotel de France offers comfortable rooms with personalized decoration.

The hotel's......

(Distance < 1 km)
Info: Ideally set on the banks of the Indre river, in the heart of an extraordinary medieval town and facing the Logis Royal, the residence is made up of former flour-mills that have been fully renovated and small contemporary buildings, built in perfect......

(Distance < 1 km)
Info: Located 500 metres from Loches, Camping La Citadelle offers self-catering mobile homes, just 1 km from the market and citadel of Loches. It offers an outdoor, heated swimming pool, table tennis facilities and a tennis court.

The mobile......