Orléans, the largest town in the middle Loire valley after Tours, chief town of the département of Loiret and the see of a bishop, with a university founded in 1309, lies in a fertile plain at the most northerly point in the course of the Loire. Its name is inseparably bound up with that of Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orléans. Orléans is a lively trading town (agricultural products and industry) and a good base for excursions to the Châteaux in the Loire.
From the third century AD the Roman town of Aurelianum (from which the name of Orléans is derived) was a place of some consequence, situated at the junction of important roads.
In 451 it was besieged by Attila, but was liberated by the valiant Bishop Aignan (later canonized). In 498 it was captured by the Frankish king Clovis. During the Hundred Years' War, in 1428-1429, it was the last French stronghold, then under siege by the English, but was relieved on May 8, 1429 by a French army led by Joan of Arc. This marked a turning point in French fortunes. A festival in her memory is held annually on May 7 and 8.
The town was badly damaged during the Wars of Religion and during the Second World War, but has since been rebuilt.
The huge Orléans Cathedral was built between the 13th and 18th C. The striking entrance displays five Baroque doorways, below three rose windows and the massive twin towers, which dominate the skyline.
This elegant Renaissance mansion, once the Hôtel Cabu, now houses the Musée Historique et Archéologique de l'Orléanais (Gallo-Roman and medieval antiquities).
To the south of the two museums is the charming old town of Orléans, with many Renaissance houses.
Address: Musée Historique et Archéologique, Hôtel Cabu, Square Abbé Desnoyers, F-45000 Orléans, France
Hours:
May 1 to June 30: 1:30pm-6pm; Closed: Mon
July 1 to August 31: 10am-12:15pm, 1:30pm-6pm; Closed: Mon
September 1 to September 30: 1:30pm-6pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
October 1 to April 30: 1:30pm-5:45pm; Sun:2pm-6:30pm; Closed: Mon, Mon, Mon, Tue
This interesting art museum in Orleans has an extensive collection of works from the 15th to the 19th C. by Gauguin, Sérusier, Rouault, Soutine, Kupka, Mathieu and Dufy, among others. Temporary exhibitions are also held.
Address: Musée des Beaux Arts, Place Sainte-Croix, F-45000 Orléans, France
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), 1945 Victory Day (May 8), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
This 16th C church in Orléans, Notre Dame de Recouvrance, to the south of St-Paul, has Renaissance sculpture and fine stained glass in the 11th C choir.
This annual festival pays tribute to the most-beloved French saint, Joan of Arc. Festivals are held in the two towns in the month of May marking the days she liberated Orléans from the English and the day she was burned at the stake in 1431. Pageants and ceremonies in both towns keep the saint's memory alive.
The church of St-Aignan in Orléans, dedicated to the warlike fifth century bishop, was built in the 15th and 16th centuries and partly destroyed during the wars of religion. All that survives is the transept and the beautiful Late Gothic choir, under which is a crypt of 1029.
An entrance at the Chateau St Aignan in Orleans.
Stairs leading to a tower at Chateau St Aignan in Orleans.
The 15th C church of St-Paul, south of the Place du Martroi in Orléans, was badly damaged during the Second World War. In the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Miracles (rebuilt in the 17th C) is a 16th C Black Virgin.
48km/30mi east of Orléans, in fertile agricultural country, is the little town of Bellegarde (pop. 1,500), which has a castle with a 14th C. keep and a Romanesque church containing 17th C. pictures.
Address: Bellegarde-du-loiret Tourist Office, 12 Place Charles Desvergnes, F-45270 Bellegarde-du-loiret, France
In Orléans, La-Source (8km/5mi southeast, on the opposite bank of the Loire), are the attractive Botanical Gardens, with a fine assortment of native plants, together with waterfalls, animals and other attractions.
Hours:
April 1 to November 11: 9am-6pm
November 2 to March 31: 2pm-5pm
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25)
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Orléans Cathedral
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St Aignan, Orleans
Orléans Cathedral, Orleans
St Aignan, Orleans
