Surroundings
A land where history is written...
So many monarchs, politicians and famous names have left their mark on the city and its region, or even written pages in its history. Foulques Nerra built sturdy fortresses whose remains are still standing; Louis XI set up residence in Loches and died in Tours; François I selected Amboise as a residence for Leonardo da Vinci. Catherine de’ Medici made Chenonceau’s reputation and Richelieu that of the town that bears his name. Gambetta wrote a page of history with the 1920 Tours Congress that gave birth to the French Communist Party. Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle met in Tours to safeguard the future of France...
And history rolls on, in such renowned residences and châteaux as Villandry, Amboise, Chinon, Azay-le-Rideau, and Le Lude, as well as in such places as Fontevrault Abbey and Candes Saint Martin – all sites that can also be discovered from above, by balloon or helicopter.
A land of culture...
Every year, the Touraine Institute welcomes students from throughout the world, who come to learn or practise the French language. Touraine, which has long been reputed for its culture, is also known for its fine French!
The region’s many museums, cultural centres, theatres, centres of artistic interpretation and cultural events provide visitors with in-depth knowledge and experiences of real quality. A wide range of guided excursions is on offer to help you discover its riches to the full.
A region where creativity blossoms...
Touraine attracts many creative craftspeople with the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” label (EPV – “Living Heritage Company”) along with such master artists as the sculptor Michel Audiard, the glass artist Hervé Debitus (to whom we owe the safekeeping of the stained-glass windows of Chartres, Bourges, Angers and Tours Cathedrals), and the statue restorer Antoine Amarger.
Such creativity is also to be found in medical research, with Professor Maupas, who perfected the Hepatitis B vaccine, Léandre Pourcelot, who made major advances in medical imaging, and Robert Debré, founder of modern paediatrics and of University Hospital Centres.
A mouth-watering gourmet crucible...
Touraine was Gargantua’s playground, and is a land of good eating and fine wines. Its vineyards produce such AOCs as Chinon, Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, Bourgueil, Vouvray, Montlouis, Azay-le-Rideau and Cheverny.
Its many gastronomic specialities – such as rillettes and rillons, andouillettes, Touraine black poultry, Sainte Maure goat’s cheese, the monks of Cormery’s macaroons, Rabelais’s beloved “fouace” pancakes, barley sugar, and Tours nougat – are nothing less than delicious !
A land of hospitality and good living...
From the days of the monarchy onwards, courtesans, writers, artists, physicians, creators, journalists, scholars, actors, craftspeople and others of their kind have been drawn to Touraine, which, in their day, played host to such great names as Rabelais, Ronsard, Balzac, Agnès Sorel, Descartes, Courteline, Anatole France, Calder, Francis Poulenc, Velpeau, Paul Louis Courier, Yul Brynner and Jacques Villeret, and has more recently welcomed Mike Jagger, Jean Carmet, Patrice Leconte, Zaz, Nadiya, E.Soul and Pascal Nègre, among many others to add to the list of celebrities who have flocked there over the course of the centuries !