Thursday's taken in Touraine - the gravestone of Yul Brynner.

Thursday's taken in Touraine - the gravestone of Yul Brynner, Hollywood actor who died October 1985, it can be found in the grounds of Royal Abbey of Saint-Michel de Bois-Aubry, Luze, Indre et Loire,

Welcome to August in Loches

A view of the Royal Lodgings and the  'Tower Saint Antoine de Loches'

Tuesday for towns in Centre-Val de Loire - who knew?

Today we feature the small village of Pussigny (pop. around 200) in Touraine which has (up until now) an  annual painting competition where in one day 30 artists create a work on a canvas of 4mtr x 2 mtr.

The competition which takes place over 8 hours, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m allows the artists freedom of expression and at the end of which they are judged by a panel and three prizes are awarded. The day has evolved into a festival with the usual array of stalls and the visiting audience get to vote for their own favourite work.

For obvious reasons this year's competition was cancelled but the village is displaying some previous works around the village,until the 31st October, with the intention,all going well, of reinstating the competition in 2021. 

You can read more about the competition here on their website here https://www.lespussifolies.com/

Molière's 'Amphitryon' at Chateau de La Guerche

Monday's Chateau is Chateau de La Guerche who have been hosting performances of Molière's 'Amphitryon' over the weekend plus tonight and tomorrow night. Images are from last year as we take in this year's performance tonight.

A Loire Valley church on Sunday - back to the collegiate church of Roches Tranchelion

Having featured this mysterious church 'from a different angle' on Friday I realised I had not actually done anything on its history. Living here in Touraine one of the things I have come to accept is to 'expect the unexpected'. We first visited this site on the recommendation of the caretaker of the church at Crissay-sur-Manse who mentioned it during a 'Patrimone' visit. We headed over to the small hamlet of  Les Roches Tranchelion nestling between there and the village of Avon-les-Roches. When you first catch site of the ruins of the church its scale surprises you as it sits on it high vantage point overlooking the modest hamlet.

After parking the car and taking the climb up the steep path the site that greets you is equally surprising! Here you have the vestiges of what is one of the few examples of Renaissance ecclesiastical architecture in Touraine but why here?    

A little research takes you to the 'Friends of Roches Tranchelion' an association dedicated to preserving what remains of the church and keeping its history alive. 

The church is here as back in 1420 Guillaume de Tranchelion, Lord of Palluau in the Indre, built a fortress here (one small tower and part of a wall remain) he also had a small chapel built on the site. This was replaced in 1524 by the fine example we see today by Lancelot de la Touch, who was, apparently the king's baker! 

The castle was important enough for Charles VII and Louis XI to stay there several times from 1449 to 1461. In July 1449 the Great Council of the Kingdom was held here by King Charles VII and the definitive reconquest of French territory from the English was planned.So the site has significant heritage. 

There is a great site where you can visit the site in a 3D recreation here

 

                                  

Have a great weekend from all of us here in the Loire Valley.

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