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| Photo by DXR |
In my last post, I took you along the left bank of the
Loire to La Charité. If you want to
continue your own trip along the quiet riverside roads, as I do, then leave La
Charité on the D7. This road meanders
through to Herry and onwards to Couargues and Sancerre until it joins the
D955. This is a much busier road and it
crosses the Loire at Cosne and joins the D907 to take you to Neuvy-sur-Loire
and Briare. Whenever I’m in the area, I
always have to stop at Briare. It’s a
vibrant town with a pâtisserie I’ve
visited often, and there is the Canal bridge across the river. This magnificent piece of engineering is down
to Monsieur Eiffel and was completed in 1896.
I have a previous post all about the bridge, and you can read that Here. By all means, have a look at the
viaduct and do spend some time here in town – it’s worth it. But I’m going to move on.
Leaving Briare, you can still follow the river along
the minor roads that take you to Ouzouer, Sully, St-Benoît, St-Martin, and St-Denis
before reaching the heart of the city. Orléans
is both a city and a metropolitan urban area.
The ‘city’ has a long history and was originally a Gaulish settlement
right on the river. In 52 BC, Julius
Caesar destroyed the original settlement and massacred the inhabitants. I guess that was one way to make his presence
felt! In the 3rd century AD, Roman
Emperor Aurelian rebuilt the city and named it after himself -
Aurelianorum. Over time and history, this
became the name we use today.
Orléans sits at the most northerly point of the
river. If you look at a map, you will see
the river follows a generally northern route from its source, but at Orléans, it
kind of turns west and slightly south to cover the final section of the route
to the sea at St Nazaire. Whilst gazing
at your map, you will also note that the point where the river turns is the
closest it comes to Paris.
During
earlier periods, and especially the Middle Ages, proximity to Paris was of
great strategic importance. Because of the river – a major transport and cargo route - Orléans became a rich and powerful city, it was the capital of the kingdom of Orléans, and eventually the principal city of a duchy held by the house of Valois-Orléans. Through Louis 12, the family became the kings
of France and one or two of them were crowned in the cathedral. And that’s where I’m taking you next.
Once you hit the outskirts of the city, make sure
you keep to the north embankment with the river on your left. There are various areas to park along the road (D2152), and the nearer you can get to Pont George V, the better. The bridge links in with rue Royale, a long
straight road that is worth a look. When
it intersects with rue Jeanne d’Arc, please stop and take in the
cityscape. On your right, at the top of
the street, is the magnificent Cathédrale Sainte-Croix. You really do need to be that distant from it
to be able to take in the fabulous architecture. If you want a pic, be careful to avoid the
trams! They seem to appear from nowhere.
Along rue Jeanne d’Arc – the Maid of Orléans – there are
loads of posh shops, so you can give the credit card some serious stress if you
wish. Personally, I just like the
association with one of France’s most historic young women. Born in Domrémy-la-Pucelle in 1412, into a farming family, she grew up to be
called into service to save her country from the dominance of the English. Charles 7 took a risk and sent her, along
with more troops, to Orléans to lead his demoralised army and resolve the siege
of the city. Jeanne arrived in April
1429. Nine days later, after fierce
fighting, the English abandoned the city. Rather than let the fleeing English army get
clean away, Jeanne encouraged her men to pursue them to prevent a regrouping
and any possible second assault. The French
army continued to rout the Brits until they reached the city of
Rheims, where Charles 7 was crowned King of France with the still very young
Jeanne at his side.
Regrettably, Jeanne’s personal history is not so great
after that triumph. She failed in the siege of Paris in September and the siege of La Charité in November 1429 – hence my reason for coming from La Charité to Orléans. In another battle in Compiégne in May 1430,
she was captured by Burgundian troops (great mates of the English at the time),
and handed over to the Brits six months later.
Jeanne was committed for trial, found guilty of heresy, and burned at
the stake on May 30th, 1431. And now, almost 600 years later, she is one of the most famous women in European history. And for me, as an actor who has played the role of Jeanne when I was still a teenager myself, there is something really special about being on a street named in remembrance of her, in the city that is the site of one of her most decisive battles.
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| Photo by SelbyMay |
The cathedral was partially destroyed by the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion in 1568, but it was rebuilt in the Gothic style, and that is what we can see today. The vast nave
is long with high vaulting, and the upper windows let in natural light, giving the impression of lightness despite the substantial size of the edifice
as a whole. The play of the light in this interior inspired a
scene in the first of a new series of cosy crime stories. And when you get here and take a look for yourselves, you’ll fully
understand why!
There will be more from my journey along La Loire next month. So watch this space. If you want to catch up on any posts you may have missed, click the following links: Rivers of France La Loire Digoin Nevers
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