To See Great Medieval Art Come to Loches in the Loire Valley

Earlier this year the Cluny Museum of Medieval Art in Paris held a special exhibition of art from the reign of Charles VII. He is a much under rated late medieval king of France, and his mistress, Agnes Sorel, lived in Loches. The Cluny approached the town of Loches with a request to borrow her beautiful tomb effigy, the first time such a loan had been agreed. But on the day the specialist art transporters came to lift the effigy off the tomb and take it to Paris everyone involved was in for a nasty shock. The effigy was barely lifted a few millimetres and it was obvious that an old crack, dating from the 19the century, was opening up, and she would break in two if efforts to lift her continued. At the very last minute the loan had to be cancelled and the exhibition went ahead without her. That means, that if you want to see what was to have been the star piece you have to come to Loches and see her in situ. 

The effigy of Agnes Sorel taken a few days after the removal attempt, with the crack clearly showing between her elbow and her belt.

 

We are always happy to welcome visitors to Loches. It is packed with history, and Agnes's story alone will fascinate and intrigue you. Why not book a 3 hour walking tour of Loches, or a chauffeured tour that includes this charming medieval town?

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. You may also like to check out our YouTube channel. 

A Review From Tom

Tom and Rose were returning clients who brought their family with them for a second visit to the Loire Valley. Here is what Tom had to say:

Everything was fantastic! Our teenaged grandchildren had a great time. The car and the tours were professional and fun. Do see the Tintin museum as well!

Our second time with Simon and Susan and we look forward to another time!

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. You may also like to check out our YouTube channel. 

Where in the Loire Valley Can You See Important Modern Sculpture?

Where in the Loire Valley is this piece of modern sculpture by a well known artist, displayed in public? And it is not the only piece of important 20th century sculpture in the public domain nearby. If you are interested in modern art or how historic towns stay relevant and are not just stuck in some randomly chosen time warp of the past, book a tour with us and we will include this town in your itinerary. Find out who the artists are and why their works are here, what their connection to the Loire Valley is and how it inspired them.

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. You may also like to check out our YouTube channel. 

Finding Edible Snails in the Loire Valley

Famously, French people eat snails. You may or may not want to try them and these days they don't appear on that many menus, but they aren't especially difficult to find if you know the right restaurants. What you may not know is that the species of snail which is the most prized lives in the wild in the Loire Valley, and if we are in the right place at the right time we may see some. They are a protected species, so only certain people can gather them and only for a limited time during the year. But if we encounter any while we are with you, we will be sure to point them out. One of the lesser known chateaux that we visit with clients has them in the grounds, so if you are very keen to see real Escargots de Bourgogne roaming free and living their best life, let us know and we will include that chateau in your itinerary.

 

Roman, or Burgundian Snail Helix pomatia, in the grounds of a chateau.

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. You may also like to check out our YouTube channel. 

Watch Skilled Conservators Working in the Loire Valley

We always try to show clients how the heritage of the Loire Valley is maintained by professional conservators, curators, architects and artisans. Wherever possible we try to offer a behind the scenes look at how the famous chateaux are managed so they can continue to receive visitors. A good example is our encounter with a young stone conservator working on the repair of the iconic carved limestone stag from the frieze of the beautiful Chapel of Saint Hubert. She was very happy to tell our clients what she was doing, what had caused the damage in the first place and how she would repair it. In this photo she is showing us the sort of material she is removing because it was plaster added in a poorly executed repair in the 19th century.

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. You may also like to check out our YouTube channel.