Tours
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What is Tours, France?
Tours is a city in west-central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire département, Centre région, and a major tourist destination in the Loire Valley due to its historic châteaus.
Originally settled by the Turones, a pre-Roman Gallic people, the Romans moved the settlement to the other side of the Loire River and called it Caesarodunum. The modern city exhibits contrasting architectural styles, exemplified by the town hall (finished in 1904) and the cathedral of Saint-Gatien, which represents four centuries of French religious architecture.
Tours has gone through times of prosperity and decline, from its significance in the Middle Ages to its role as the French government's headquarters during World War II. Today, Tours has a diversified economy that includes manufacturing, administration, commerce, and research.
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Where is Tours located in France?
Tours is a city located in west-central France, specifically in the Centre-Val de Loire r\u00e9gion, and is the capital of the Indre-et-Loire d\u00e9partement. The city sits on the Loire River, and it serves as the primary tourist center for the Loire Valley and its historic ch\u00e2teaus.
Tours has expanded since the 1960s and possesses a diverse industrial sector that includes the manufacturing of electronics, machinery, foodstuffs, and pharmaceuticals. The city is linked to Paris by high-speed train.
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What river flows through the city of Tours?
Tours, France, is situated on the right bank of the Loire River, the longest river in France. In pre-Roman times, a Gallic people, the Turones, settled there. The Romans later moved the settlement across the river, naming it Caesarodunum. Today, Tours has expanded, becoming an industrial center with historical preservation efforts, especially in the old section south of the Loire.
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What is Tours known for historically?
Historically, Tours is known for its significance in the spread of Christianity and its role in medieval Europe. In the mid-3rd century, Gatien founded the bishopric, and later, St. Martin of Tours became bishop in 371, establishing monasteries and spreading Christianity throughout Gaul. The Battle of Tours in 732, where Charles Martel defeated Moorish invaders, marked a turning point in halting Islamic expansion into Western Europe.
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What famous sites or landmarks can you find in Tours?
Tours, a city in west-central France, offers a blend of historical and modern attractions. The Cathedral of Saint-Gatien showcases French religious architecture spanning four centuries, with its choir dating back to the 13th century and a facade built between 1426 and 1547. In the old section of town, south of the Loire, you can find cobbled streets and ancient houses. The Museum of Fine Arts, housed in the former 17th–18th-century archiepiscopal palace, has a rich collection of paintings. The vast Vinci Conference Centre, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel (1991–93), is also in the city center.
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How has Tours played a role in French culture and the Loire Valley region?
Tours is the capital of the Indre-et-Loire département in the Centre région of west-central France and serves as the primary tourist hub for the Loire Valley and its historic châteaus. In the Middle Ages, Tours maintained its prosperity, and in 1462, Louis XI established a civic council and a silk industry that thrived for over a century. The city presents sharp contrasts in its buildings and architectural styles, such as the cathedral of Saint-Gatien, which represents four centuries of French religious architecture. Tours has expanded since the 1960s and possesses a diverse industrial sector, including electronics, machinery, and pharmaceuticals.
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Tours, city, capital of Indre-et-Loire département, Centre région, west-central France, on the Loire River. It is the chief tourist centre for the Loire valley and its historic châteaus.
History
Early records show that the Turones, a pre-Roman Gallic people, settled on the right bank of the Loire River. The Romans moved the settlement across the river and called it Caesarodunum, but from the 5th century it was known as Civitas Turonorum. The settlement was evangelized in the mid-3rd century by the early Christian ecclesiastic and missionary Gatien, who founded the bishopric. The Christian community remained small, however, until the second half of the 4th century, when St. Martin, the great apostle of the Gauls, was persuaded to become their bishop. A magnificent basilica was raised above his tomb in the late 5th century, and for hundreds of years it attracted pilgrims to Tours.
When the town became part of the Frankish dominion under Clovis I (reigned 481/482–511), Clovis accepted for himself and his successors the title of canon of St. Martin. At the end of the 6th century the bishopric was held by St. Gregory of Tours, who had an abbey built around St. Martin’s basilica. The abbey grew immensely rich. The emperor Charlemagne (reigned 768–814) reestablished discipline in the monastery and developed the intellectual life under the English scholar Alcuin. After pillaging incursions by the Normans, a protective wall was built around the St. Martin’s district, which 400 years later was united to the borough of Tours, when a common wall was built around both Tours and Châteauneuf (originally St. Martin’s district and known as Martinopolis).
At a point somewhere between Tours and Poitiers is the site of the Battle of Tours. There, in 732, Charles Martel, master of the Frankish kingdom, defeated Moorish invaders from Spain in a battle that proved to be the turning point in the advance of Islam into western Europe. The battle is believed by some historians to have been fought at Moussais-la-Bataille, 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Châtellerault.
Tours continued to maintain its prosperity in the Middle Ages in spite of involvement in the strife between the French and English kings in the 12th century and later during the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453). In 1462 Louis XI established a civic council and a silk industry that thrived for more than a century. The emigration of Huguenots (a Protestant group) after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) resulted in industrial decline. During the French Revolution of the late 18th century, the town was a base for operations against the royalist Vendée rebels. During World War II the French government had its headquarters in Tours from June 13 to 15, 1940, and British statesman Winston Churchill met French premier Paul Reynaud there in a vain attempt to dissuade France from negotiating an armistice with Germany. In the 1944 bombardments that preceded the German retreat and the liberation, one-fourth of the city was destroyed.
Contemporary city
The modern-day city of Tours presents sharp contrasts in its buildings and architectural styles. The town hall, finished in 1904, is typical of its time, pompous and slightly overpowering. Outside the central square the cathedral of Saint-Gatien sums up four centuries of French religious architecture: the choir is from the 13th century, the nave marks a transition between Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance styles, and the facade was built from 1426 to 1547. Another contrast is found south of the Loire River and west of the rue Nationale, in the town’s old section where cobbled streets and ancient houses are preserved. The Museum of Fine Arts in the former 17th–18th-century archiepiscopal palace has a rich collection of paintings.
Since the 1960s Tours has expanded rapidly, initially as a result of the decentralization of Parisian industry. This was accompanied by rapid suburban development, notably to the south. Tours now has an important and diversified industrial sector, which includes the manufacture of electronics, machinery, foodstuffs, and pharmaceuticals. The city is an administrative and commercial centre, and much of it has been refurbished with offices and retail outlets. The vast Vinci Conference Centre designed by French architect Jean Nouvel (1991–93) is also in the city centre. In addition to the University of Tours, the city is home to medical and pharmaceutical research institutions. Tours is linked to Paris by high-speed train. Pop. (1999) 132,820; (2014 est.) 136,125.
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