Valençay
Encyclopedia
Valençay is a commune
in the Indre
department in central France
.
on a hillside overlooking the River Nahon.
On 6 May 1941, Georges Bégué
, the first SOE
agent from England, was parachuted into a field near Valençay. Fifty years later to the day, the Valençay SOE Memorial
, originally known as the "Spirit of Partnership," was dedicated in honour of the 104 members of SOE's F Section who died for the liberation of France.
Valençay is berrichon by its geographical situation. But the castle is attached to the Loire Valley by the time of its construction and its vast dimensions which give him the same appearance as Chambord.
Built at the end of a plate, Valençay faces the river Nahon. the entry astonishes by its dissymmetry and the surprising presence of an enormous tower and a house. The wing offers a more homogeneous style but this unit is only apparent and dissimulates several recoveries.
The castle is built at XVIth and XVIIth centuries by the family of Estampes. The castle of XIIth century which existed on this site, was destroyed and in its place the construction, very slow began, which starts in the years 1520. Louis of Estampes, governor and baillif of Blois, undertake the gross round tower at the end of the wing of entry. It dies in 1530, leaving the unfinished tower.
A castle of financial.
Work of Valençay begins again about 1540 thanks to Jacques of Estampes, lord of the manor of the feudal residence which existed at this place. This lord, having married the girl grassement equipped with a financier, wanted to have a residence worthy of his new fortune.
Jacques of Estampes makes cover the tower of a dome to imperial. Starting from the tower, it raises half of the wing in return and begins the wing of entry. At the XVIth century end. Jean of Estampes builds surprising it house of entry in the shape of keep, confined of four turrets and crowned of a covered way, like the tower. He connects it by a body of gallery on a floor to the first spans built by Jacques. Jean of Estampes builds also the building and the tower on the left of the central house.
At the XVIIth century, Dominique of Estampes finishes the wing in return in the same style as the first half high to XVIth century. One knows by an old sight that the castle then had the form of a quadrilateral closed by a second wing in return and, at the bottom of the court, by arcades.
Finance remains often mixed with the history of Valençay: among its successive owners pass from the general farmers. Thus Valençay is sold in 1747 and is acquired little afterwards by the general farmer Legendre de Villemorien. This one made cut down a part of the buildings, preserving only the wing of entry and the first wing in return of which it transforms the roof and at the end of which it raises a tower.
The famous John Law of which dazing it adventure was a first and masterly example of inflation was himself also one of the owners of the castle.
, built in 1540 by Robert d'Estampes and most notably acquired in 1747 by the Scottish Banker John Law
. In 1803 the castle was purchased by the diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand.
made from raw goats' milk.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Indre
Indre
Indre is a department in the center of France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are called Indriens.-History:Indre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Valençay is situated in the Loire ValleyLoire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
on a hillside overlooking the River Nahon.
History
The commune was formed by the amalgamation of three settlements: the "Bourg-de-l'Eglise", the "Bas-Bourg" and what is called the "old quarter."On 6 May 1941, Georges Bégué
Georges Bégué
Georges Bégué or George P. Begue was a French engineer and agent in the Special Operations Executive.-Early life:...
, the first SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
agent from England, was parachuted into a field near Valençay. Fifty years later to the day, the Valençay SOE Memorial
Valençay SOE Memorial
The Valençay SOE Memorial is a monument to the members of the Special Operations Executive F Section who lost their lives for the liberation of France. The memorial was unveiled in the town of Valençay in the Indre département of France on May 6, 1991, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the...
, originally known as the "Spirit of Partnership," was dedicated in honour of the 104 members of SOE's F Section who died for the liberation of France.
Valençay is berrichon by its geographical situation. But the castle is attached to the Loire Valley by the time of its construction and its vast dimensions which give him the same appearance as Chambord.
Built at the end of a plate, Valençay faces the river Nahon. the entry astonishes by its dissymmetry and the surprising presence of an enormous tower and a house. The wing offers a more homogeneous style but this unit is only apparent and dissimulates several recoveries.
The castle is built at XVIth and XVIIth centuries by the family of Estampes. The castle of XIIth century which existed on this site, was destroyed and in its place the construction, very slow began, which starts in the years 1520. Louis of Estampes, governor and baillif of Blois, undertake the gross round tower at the end of the wing of entry. It dies in 1530, leaving the unfinished tower.
A castle of financial.
Work of Valençay begins again about 1540 thanks to Jacques of Estampes, lord of the manor of the feudal residence which existed at this place. This lord, having married the girl grassement equipped with a financier, wanted to have a residence worthy of his new fortune.
Jacques of Estampes makes cover the tower of a dome to imperial. Starting from the tower, it raises half of the wing in return and begins the wing of entry. At the XVIth century end. Jean of Estampes builds surprising it house of entry in the shape of keep, confined of four turrets and crowned of a covered way, like the tower. He connects it by a body of gallery on a floor to the first spans built by Jacques. Jean of Estampes builds also the building and the tower on the left of the central house.
At the XVIIth century, Dominique of Estampes finishes the wing in return in the same style as the first half high to XVIth century. One knows by an old sight that the castle then had the form of a quadrilateral closed by a second wing in return and, at the bottom of the court, by arcades.
Finance remains often mixed with the history of Valençay: among its successive owners pass from the general farmers. Thus Valençay is sold in 1747 and is acquired little afterwards by the general farmer Legendre de Villemorien. This one made cut down a part of the buildings, preserving only the wing of entry and the first wing in return of which it transforms the roof and at the end of which it raises a tower.
The famous John Law of which dazing it adventure was a first and masterly example of inflation was himself also one of the owners of the castle.
Sights
The town is dominated by the Château de ValençayChâteau de Valençay
Château de Valençay is a residence of the d'Estampes and Talleyrand-Périgord families in the commune of Valençay, the Indre département of France. Although geographically it is part of the province of Berry, its architecture invites comparison with the Renaissance châteaux of the Loire Valley,...
, built in 1540 by Robert d'Estampes and most notably acquired in 1747 by the Scottish Banker John Law
John Law
John Law may refer to:*John Law *John Law DD was an English mathematician*John Law *John Law , Hong Kong film director...
. In 1803 the castle was purchased by the diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand.
Economy
The town is known for its pyramid-shaped Valençay cheeseValençay (cheese)
Valençay is a cheese made in the province of Berry in central France. Its name is derived from the town of Valençay in the Indre department....
made from raw goats' milk.
See also
- BerryBerry (province)Berry is a region located in the center of France. It was a province of France until the provinces were replaced by départements on 4 March 1790....
- Saint-Benoît-du-SaultSaint-Benoît-du-SaultSaint-Benoît-du-Sault is a commune in the Indre department in central France.It is a medieval village , perched in a curve on a rocky butte overlooking the Portefeuille River in the former province of Berry....
- French wineFrench wineFrench wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
- Communes of the Indre department