Many of his structures were later embellished with more modern building materials. Since he lived in the 900s, those he built were made of wood. Many of them exist today in varying stages of ruin. It was built by the Count of Anjou, Foulque Nerra, known as the Builder (Foulque le Bâtisseur) because of the number of châteaux he built in the Loire Valley, 50 of them. Some of the best-preserved and oldest castles in the Loire Valley are the Chateau of Angers, in the western half of the Loire valley, and the Chateau of Loches, in the southeast.Ĭhateau of Loches: This castle was built in the 11 th century as a residence and defensive fortress. Some Loire Valley castles date from 900 A. At one time both Tours and Orléans were larger and more important than Paris. What was once a haven of exiles became the luxurious “suburbs” of Paris, even after the seat of government returned to Paris. Later, during the Renaissance, the architectural revolution began, and many castles were built or restored. Once things settled down (and France was once again French), many of the exiles to the Loire decided to stay there, since the land was fertile, and the river provided easy transport of goods to many parts of the country. The city of Orléans was later delivered from the English by Joan of Arc. France’s king, Charles VII, fled Paris to the Loire Valley, followed by many other French nobles. Henry V of England defeated France in 1415 and became the regent of France, as well as heir to the throne. The chateaux of the Loire Valley give clues of the area’s noble and opulent past. The abundance of castles we see today in the Loire Valley has its roots in a spectacular military defeat during the Hundred Years War between France and England. even for a day trip!Ĭastles in the Loire Valley. This area is so close to Paris, where so many tourists embark, that it’s easy to include a castle tour in your vacation. They are the magnets that draw the majority of visitors to the area. Some are tourist destinations, others are hotels, and still others, abandoned medieval fortresses. with varying ages and degrees of ruin or elegance. There are about 300 of them (some sources say 1000) in an area of about 175 miles long. One place you’ll find a high concentration of castles is in the Loire Valley. All over France, you can see these physical remnants of history, 40,000 of them. Kings and queens, battles, court traditions. Maybe that’s why we’re so drawn to them since we’ve grown up with these tales. European castles are the stuff of fairytales and fantasies.
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