A historical region and former province of west-central France. Taken by the English in 1152, it was recaptured by Philip II of France in 1204 and incorporated into the royal domain by Henry III.
Touraine
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Tou·raine (tʊ-rān', -rĕn')  |
A historical region and former province of west-central France. Taken by the English in 1152, it was recaptured by Philip II of France in 1204 and incorporated into the royal domain by Henry III.
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Touraine (tūrĕn'), region and former province (until the French Revolution), W central France, centering around Tours (the historic capital) and drained by the Loire, Cher, and Vienne rivers. Roughly coextensive with Indre-et-Loire dept., Touraine, with its fertile valleys, orchards, and vineyards, is known as the "garden of France." Its numerous châteaus (see Chinon, Azay-le-Rideau, Chambord, Amboise), built mainly in the 15th and 16th cent., are noted tourist attractions. Descartes, Rabelais, and Balzac were born in Touraine, and the latter two celebrated their birthplace in their writings. Originally the county of Tours, Touraine passed (10th cent.) to the counts of Blois, who ceded it (11th cent.) to the counts of Anjou. Touraine then passed (1152) under English domination and was retaken (1204) by Philip II of France and united with the French crown.
| Wine Lover's Companion: Touraine |
[too-REHN] A large, picturesque, wine-producing provence surrounding the city of Tours in the middle of France's loire Valley, an area commonly known as the château country. Red, white, and rosé wines are produced throughout the region. The grapes used for red wines include cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc gamay malbec and pinot noir. These grapes, plus the local grapes of Grolleau and Pineau d'Aunis, are also used for rosé wines. The two white-wine grapes are chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc-wines made from this latter grape are usually the best. Touraine AC is a general appellation that encompasses most of the surrounding region. Three villages-Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, and Mesland-make higher-quality wines and can therefore append their name to the Touraine AC. In addition, there are a number of smaller appellations scattered throughout the area, some of which are quite well known. These include bourgueil, chinon and saint-nicolas de bourgueil (all known for their red wines), and jasnières, montlouis and vouvray which are known for their white wines. Appellations making fully sparkling wines include Touraine Mousseux AC, Montlouis Mousseux AC, and Vouvray Mousseux AC. Those making lightly sparkling wine include Touraine Pétillant AC, Montlouis Pétillant AC, and Vouvray Pétillant AC.
| Wikipedia: Touraine |
- Touraine may also refer to Alain Touraine, French sociologist.
The Touraine is a former province of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher and Indre.
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Geography
Traversed by the Loire and its tributaries the Cher, the
History
The Touraine takes its name from a Celtic tribe called the Turones, who inhabited the region about two thousand years ago. In 1044, the control of Touraine was given to the Angevins, who (as the House of Plantagenet) became kings of England in 1154, the castle Chinon being their greatest stronghold. In 1205, Philip II Augustus of France regained Touraine. At this time, Touraine was made into a royal duchy. In 1429, Saint Joan of Arc had a historic meeting with the future King of France Charles VII at Chinon. Throughout the late 1400s and 1500s, Touraine was a favorite residence of French kings, and the dark and gloomy castles were converted to Renaissance châteaux; for this reason the region was nicknamed the "Garden of France". These same châteaux became popular tourist attractions in modern times. The royal duchy became a province in 1584, and was divided into departments in 1790.
Sights
The Touraine is celebrated for its many châteaux: examples are those at Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chaumont, Chenonceaux, Chinon, Langeais, Loches, Villandry and Blois.
Famous natives
Famous non-natives
- Leonardo Da Vinci died in Amboise in 1519
- Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, Duke of Touraine leader of the Scots' army in France during the Hundred Year's War
- Clan Douglas
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Touraine |
Coordinates: 47°24′N 0°41′E / 47.4°N 0.683°E
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 | Indre-et-Loire (department, France) |
| Tourangeau (family name) |
| Indre (department, France) |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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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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| Wine Lover's Companion. Wine Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2003 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 "Touraine". Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Indre-et-Loire (department, France)
- Tourangeau (family name)
- Indre (department, France)
- Bacot (family name)
- Amboise (wine-related term)
- Herpin (family name)
- Seymour (family name)
- Chenonceaux (city, France)
- Brazeau (family name)
- Chretien (family name)
- Levant (family name)
- Roland (family name)
- Turenne (family name)
- Alain Touraine
