Richelieu is unlike any other town in the Loire Valley. Founded in 1631 by Cardinal Richelieu, it was designed from the ground up with a perfectly ordered street grid and elegant limestone houses that still define its character today.
This view along Rue Paul Viau Laurence leads towards the church, with architecture that has remained remarkably faithful to the Cardinal's original vision.
The irony of Richelieu is that the town survived better than the château it was built to accompany. After the French Revolution, Cardinal Richelieu's vast palace was plundered for its treasures and eventually demolished, its stone sold as building material. Today, the carefully planned town remains the greatest monument to his ambition.
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