The Tuffeau Heritage

The Loire Valley's distinctive white stone—tuffeau—has shaped more than architecture. The quarries that provided stone for châteaux and churches also created vast underground spaces that have been continuously repurposed. These caves have sheltered everything from wine cellars to mushroom farms, from troglodyte homes to nightclubs.

In Saumur, former quarry worker Mohamed Amrani leads tours through caves his father helped excavate: "My father came from Morocco in the 1960s to work in these quarries. The work was hard, dangerous. But he said the stone was noble—it built castles. Now I show people these underground cities. It's like showing them the foundations of France itself."

The cave communities challenge conventional ideas about French heritage. In Turquant, artists from around the world have established studios in former quarries. A Japanese potter works next to a Venezuelan sculptor, both drawn by the unique qualities of spaces carved from living rock. Their international art village shows how the Loire Valley continues to attract creative spirits from everywhere.