Place du Marché aux Fleurs in Loches, this charming, market place right in the heart of the old town, buzzing with life on market days.
The scene today: white market stalls and tents spread across the wide paved rond-point, vendors offering fresh produce, flowers, cheeses, local honey, and artisan goods under a pale winter sky. Locals and visitors mingle among the market stalls. Surrounding the square: elegant white-stone buildings with slate roofs, classic Touraine façades, a few half-timbered touches, and the striking Tour Saint-Antoine soaring 52 meters above it all, a Renaissance bell tower (built 1529–1575) that dominates the skyline with its elegant lantern top and stone carvings. At its base, the bronze statue of poet Alfred de Vigny (erected in the square) adds a literary touch, patina turning green-blue over time. In the background, glimpses of the medieval Château de Loches perch on its rocky spur, with pointed turrets and the royal lodgings peeking through.
Quick history: The square takes its name from the historic flower market that once filled it (now part of Loches' famous twice-weekly markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays). The Tour Saint-Antoine, originally a belfry linked to a chapel of St. Anthony at its foot (long gone), was built in pure Renaissance style, the only one of its kind in Touraine, to serve as the town's communal bell tower after the old church structures evolved. Loches itself is a medieval gem: fortified since the 9th century, royal residence under Charles VII (who gave it to Agnès Sorel), and a key stop on the Loire Valley trail.
Place du Marché aux Fleurs in Loches, this charming, market place right in the heart of the old town, buzzing with life on market days.
The scene today: white market stalls and tents spread across the wide paved rond-point, vendors offering fresh produce, flowers, cheeses, local honey, and artisan goods under a pale winter sky. Locals and visitors mingle among the market stalls. Surrounding the square: elegant white-stone buildings with slate roofs, classic Touraine façades, a few half-timbered touches, and the striking Tour Saint-Antoine soaring 52 meters above it all, a Renaissance bell tower (built 1529–1575) that dominates the skyline with its elegant lantern top and stone carvings. At its base, the bronze statue of poet Alfred de Vigny (erected in the square) adds a literary touch, patina turning green-blue over time. In the background, glimpses of the medieval Château de Loches perch on its rocky spur, with pointed turrets and the royal lodgings peeking through.
Quick history: The square takes its name from the historic flower market that once filled it (now part of Loches' famous twice-weekly markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays). The Tour Saint-Antoine, originally a belfry linked to a chapel of St. Anthony at its foot (long gone), was built in pure Renaissance style, the only one of its kind in Touraine, to serve as the town's communal bell tower after the old church structures evolved. Loches itself is a medieval gem: fortified since the 9th century, royal residence under Charles VII (who gave it to Agnès Sorel), and a key stop on the Loire Valley trail.
“The streets here don’t hurry. They simply invite you to walk, to notice, to belong.”
Part of the “On the Streets of the Loire” Series
Each Saturday, we stroll through the lanes and cobbles of Loire towns and villages — places where every step feels like a story.
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