Loches (lôsh), town (1990 pop. 7,133), Indre-et-Loire dept., W central France, in Touraine, on the Indre River. Products include processed food and electronics. It is famous for its medieval buildings, especially the ancient château that dominates the town. Originally established by the counts of Anjou, it later became (mid-13th cent.) a royal residence and a state prison. The royal lodge, built by Charles VII, contains the tomb of Agnès Sorel and the oratory of Anne of Brittany.
Loches
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Coordinates: 47°07′45″N 0°59′46″E / 47.1291666667°N 0.996111111111°E
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Commune of Loches |
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| Location | |
  Loches
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Centre |
| Department | Indre-et-Loire |
| Arrondissement | Loches |
| Canton | Loches |
| Mayor | Jean-Jacques Descamps (2001–2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 64–147 m (210–480 ft) |
| Land area1 | 27.06 km2 (10.45 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 6,375 (2006) |
| - Density | 236 /km2 (610 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 37132/ 37600 |
| 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. | |
Loches is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
It is situated 29 miles (47 km) southeast of Tours by railway, on the left bank of the Indre River.
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History
Loches (the Roman Leucae) grew up around a monastery founded about 500 by St. Ours and belonged to the Counts of Anjou from 886 until 1205. In the latter year it was seized from King John of England by Philip Augustus, and from the middle of the 13th century until after the time of Charles IX of France the castle was a residence of the kings of France, apart for a brief interlude in 1424 when it was heritably granted to Archibald Douglas, Duke of Touraine. and they had parades once a year where they would dance le zouk and play games.
Sights
The town, one of the most picturesque in central France, lies at the foot of the rocky eminence on which stands the Château de Loches, the castle of the Anjou family, surrounded by an outer wall 13 ft./4 m. thick, and consisting of the old collegiate church of St. Ours, the royal lodge and the donjon.
The church of St. Ours dates from the tenth century to the twelfth century; among its distinguishing features are the huge stone pyramids surmounting the nave and the beautiful carving of the west door.
The royal lodge, built by Charles VII of France and once used as the subprefecture, contains the tomb of Agnès Sorel and the oratory of Anne of Brittany. It was here on 11 May 1429 that Joan of Arc arrived, fresh from her historic victory at Orleans, to meet the king.
The donjon includes, besides the ruined keep (12th century), the Martelet, celebrated as the prison of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, who died there in 1508, and the Tour Ronde, built by Louis XI of France and containing the famous iron cages in which state prisoners, including according to a story now discredited, the inventor Cardinal Balue, were confined.
Loches has an hôtel-de-ville and several houses of the Renaissance period.
On the right bank of the Indre, opposite the town and practically its suburb, is the village of Beaulieu-lès-Loches, once the seat of a barony.
Economy
Liquor, distilling and tanning are carried on together with trade in farm produce, wine, wood and livestock.
People
Loches was the birthplace of:
- Alfred de Vigny (1797-1863), poet, playwright, and novelist
- Jacques Villeret (1951-2005), actor
Twin towns
Loches is twinned with
External links and reference
- Tourism office website
- Tour virtuel interactif de Loches/VR Tour of Loches
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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