Loire Valley–Gardon of France

admin ♦ June 18, 2010 ♦ Leave Your Comment

The Loire Valley is often referred to as “the Garden of France” and the Cradle of the French Language. (The city of Tours is reputed to speak the purest French.) Listed (at least in part) amongst the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in late 2000, the Loire Valley is also noteworthy for the quality of its architectural heritage, in historic towns such as Amboise, Blois, Chinon, Orléans, Saumur and Tours, but in particular for its world-famous chateaux (castles), such as the Châteaux Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chambord and Chenonceau.

The region of the Loire Valley also had a long, long history and it is the site of some of the most important conflicts in the history of the Western world. The Battle of Tours in 732 AD saw the armies of Charles Martel defeat an invading Islamic force from Spain. David Ascoli chronicles this hard won battle in “Day of Battle: Mars-La-Tour,” which looks at how the smaller force until Charles Martel managed to stop the superior force, and turn the tide of Islamic advance into Western Europe. Paul Fourace explores more of the life of the warrior king in “The Age of Charles Martel.” This book offers study that shows how the man went from being hailed as the savior of Christendom to a true enemy of the Christian Church during the middle Ages.

Martel isn’t the only controversial character to live in the Loire Valley. Polly Schoyer Brooks tome “Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc,” provides insight to the time and that this brave girl lived in, while also attempting to offer interpretations about Joan of Arc’s visions.Error processing request