All over the kingdom
The media regularly report on the travels of the french President and the various government ministers. Over and above the communication generated, the aim is to show that the executive is well connected to the realities of the various territories. A few centuries earlier, in the Middle Ages, the travels of the king and his court were also essential to ensure the cohesion of the kingdom of France.
High-stakes travel
Until 3 November 2024, the exhibition The King Traveller sheds light on the sovereign’s travels. Whether for military purposes, religious pilgrimages or political reasons, these journeys required considerable logistical effort. Several hundred people take to the road alongside the king, who has to be housed and fed. Wherever the court travelled, economic activity suffered: welcoming the king was a godsend!
As they travel around their kingdom, kings also measure their popularity by the acclaim they receive. Above all, kings know that nature abhors a vacuum: if royal power is perceived as remote, local counter-powers will soon develop. In fact, the French Revolution broke out just a few decades after Louis XIV initiated the sedentarisation of the court at Versailles…
There are also a number of fun ways for young visitors to enjoy the exhibition!
© ADT Touraine / Jérôme Huet
A visit for all the family© N.Memeteau/CD37
16th century chest - Lent by the Musée de Cluny © ADT Touraine / Jérôme Huet
© N.Memeteau/CD37
The Royal City of Loches
The keep in Loches, which was built between 1013 and 1035, is one of the best maintained from the Romanesque period of time. A thousand years later, a brand new audio-visual equipment is now offered to visitors wanting to wander around and discover the keep, the royal residence and the medieval garden.
Illustrious characters punctuated the history of the Royal city of Loches, the first one being the Count of Anjou (also called Foulques Nerra), who started the building of the keep. Later, Charles VII, Joan of Arc, Agnès Sorel, Louis XI and Ann of Brittany contributed to the richness of this unique historical heritage built upon a rocky spur. They all have a common point: their rebellious personality!
A keep, a royal residence and a garden
The keep is a real masterpiece from the 11th century military architecture. This 37 meter high square tower used to be a place of defense as well as a residence. Several sieges due to territorial struggles took place between the Plantagenet and the Capetian dynasties (12th and 13th centuries).
The keep of Loches
The medieval garden
Through the centuries, many changes occurred at the keep like the royal residence with its facade overhanging the town. This small and precious piece of architecture which was built at the end of the Middle Ages (Gothic style and flamboyant gothic style) used to be the favourite residence of the Valois dynasty.
They would have undoubtedly enjoyed the medieval garden created 20 years ago according to original illuminations. Surrounded by the centenary stones of the Royal city of Loches, you will be seduced by a peaceful oasis with a pergola, grass seats and living wicker hedges. This is an ideal place for daydreaming, as it is full of stories, which make up the History of France.