Chinon (shēnôN'), town (1993 est. pop. 8,961), Indre-et-Loire dept., W central France, in Touraine, on the Vienne River. Chinon was an important medieval town and many buildings (notably three churches) from that period are preserved. Its castle, overlooking the river, consists of three distinct fortresses built from the 11th to the 15th cent.-the Château Saint-Georges, the Château du Milieu, and the Château du Coudray. The builders of the castle included Philip II of France, Richard I of England (the Lionhearted), and Henry II of France (who died there in 1559). In the Château du Milieu in 1429 Joan of Arc presented herself to Charles VII of France and correctly identified him although he was disguised. In La Devinière, a nearby hamlet, stands the house where the poet Rabelais was born (c.1490).
Chinon
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Coordinates: 47°10′04″N 0°14′37″E / 47.1677777778°N 0.243611111111°E
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Commune of Chinon |
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| Location | |
  Chinon
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Centre |
| Department | Indre-et-Loire |
| Arrondissement | Chinon |
| Canton | Chinon |
| Mayor | Jean-Pierre Duvergne (2006–2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 27–112 m (89–370 ft) (avg. 37 m/120 ft) |
| Land area1 | 39.02 km2 (15.07 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 8,256 (2006) |
| - Density | 212 /km2 (550 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 37072/ 37500 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
For other uses, see Chinon (disambiguation).
Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
In the Middle Ages, Chinon developed especially during the reign of Henry II (Henry Plantagenêt, Count of Anjou, crowned King of England in 1154). The castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming one of his favorite residences.
Chinon was included in the French royal estates in 1205. It was during the Hundred Years' War that the town took on a new lease of life, as the heir apparent, the future Charles VII of France, had sought refuge in 1418 in the province. The town remained faithful to him and he made lengthy stays at his court in Chinon. In 1429, Joan of Arc came here to acknowledge him.
From the sixteenth century, Chinon was no longer a royal residence.
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Geography
Chinon is located in the heart of the Val de Loire area, within the Vallée de la Vienne (Vienne River valley). It is situated on the banks of the Vienne River.
Château
Main article: Chinon (castle)
Wine
Main article: Chinon wine
Carved into the banks of the Vienne River, and open to public visits, are the caves, or wine cellars, for Chinon's well-known Cabernet Franc-based red wines.
Notable people
- François Rabelais, (c. 1493-1553), was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor and humanist
Paul Lelaud, Member of The French Resistence, My Story- Spy Smuggler
Media
- Chinon is the setting for the historic fiction story The Lion in Winter.
See also
- French wine
- Chinon Parchment - The Chinon Parchment is a historical document, published by Étienne Baluze in Vitae Paparum Avenionensis ("Lives of the Popes of Avignon"), Paris, 1693.
References
External links
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Learn More
 | Chinon AC (wine-related term) |
| Bourgueil AC (wine-related term) |
| Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AC (wine-related term) |
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 | Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Chinon". Read more |
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Answer these
- How was the castle of Chinon taken?
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Mentioned in
- Chinon AC (wine-related term)
- Bourgueil AC (wine-related term)
- Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AC (wine-related term)
- Travelview International: Loire Valley (2000 Travel Film)
- Henri de Vulcop (art)
- Joan of Arc (1948 Historical Film)
- Touraine (region, former province, France)
- Hubert de Burgh
- Loire (wine-related term)
- Jacques Lemercier (architecture)
- Joan of Arc
- 1429 (chronology)
- The Lion in Winter (play)
- Jeanne d'Arc
