Medieval Foundations

The Birth of France

The Loire Valley witnessed France's birth as a nation. It was here, between Tours and Orléans, that Charles Martel stopped the Moorish advance at the Battle of Tours in 732, a victory that shaped European history. The battlefield, now peaceful farmland, bears no monument to the thousands who died, but local farmers still unearth weapons and bones, tangible reminders of this pivotal moment.

Charlemagne's empire fragmented after his death, and the Loire became a frontier between competing powers. The Vikings, sailing up the river in their longships, ravaged monasteries and towns throughout the 9th century. Their repeated attacks prompted the construction of the first stone fortifications, transforming the valley's architecture from vulnerable wooden structures to defensive stone strongholds.

The Counts of Anjou emerged from this chaos as major powers. Fulk Nerra (the Black), Count from 987 to 1040, built dozens of castles throughout the valley, establishing a defensive network that controlled river crossings and dominated the countryside. His building campaign, financed by pilgrimage taxes and military conquests, created the architectural skeleton that later Renaissance builders would clothe in beauty.

Joan of Arc and the Miracle of Orléans

No event in Loire Valley history resonates more powerfully than Joan of Arc's relief of Orléans in 1429. The city, besieged by English forces for seven months, seemed doomed when a teenage peasant girl arrived claiming divine guidance. Joan's four-day campaign to lift the siege defied military logic but succeeded through a combination of innovative tactics, inspiring leadership, and perhaps the English army's exhaustion.

Joan's time in the Loire Valley reveals a complex figure beyond the simplified saint of popular imagination. Court records from Chinon, where she first met the Dauphin, show a young woman of remarkable intelligence who debated theology with scholars and discussed military strategy with generals. Witnesses described her concern for common soldiers, insisting on proper provisions and medical care—revolutionary ideas in medieval warfare.

The Loire Valley preserves numerous sites connected to Joan's brief but transformative career. At Chinon, the great hall where she recognized the disguised Dauphin among his courtiers still stands. In Tours, the house where her armor was forged remains a pilgrimage site. At Orléans, the annual festival celebrating the siege's lifting continues after nearly 600 years, making it one of Europe's oldest civic celebrations.

Women throughout the Loire Valley found inspiration in Joan's example. Christine de Pizan, writing from her retreat in Poissy, composed the only contemporary poem celebrating Joan written during the heroine's lifetime. Local women formed confraternities dedicated to Joan's memory, providing mutual aid and preserving stories official histories overlooked. These groups, some surviving until the Revolution, demonstrate how Joan's legacy empowered women long after her death.