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Loches-Logis Royal-Agnes Sorel-Anecdotes
 

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Logis royal-Agnes Sorel-Anecdotes

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Just let’s stay a few moments longer in the EGLISE SAINT-OURS. Inside the church notice the two clock towers, one of the 11th, the other from the 12th century, framing the nave, covered by two octagonal pyramids. In popular language they are called “dubes”. Interesting frescos of the 12th and a crypt of Louis XI.

Jeanne d'Arc (old postcard scan)

Room where Jeanne met Charles VII

The chateau de Loches, located north of the church, has a tower on its right side: la Tour Agnčs-Sorel. This part of the chateau, also called Logis Royal, is composed of several edifices built in different periods.  Before you enter be aware that in the places you are going to visit, the sprits of two women haunt these premises: Jeanne d’Arc and Agnes Sorel. The second hall you will enter is the ”Salle Jeanne d’Arc”. It’s here that the virgin Jeanne convinced the “dauphin” that it was more than time to be crowned king in Reims. In the “Chambre de Charles”, that you will see later during the visit, you can see a painting of this meeting, by Millin du Perreux (1764-1843).
Then comes a room where you can see that “favourite mistresses” games were not played in the 14th century as in the 20th. Here is the moving alabaster “gisant” (recumbent effigy) of Charles VII famous maitresse:  Agnes Sorel, her head held by angels.

Agnes Sorel as Holy Virgin

Simplicity, grace and face purity. It is said and proven that Agnes Sorel was not only of an extraordinary beauty but that she had a hole in the palm of her hand and had very very expensive tastes. But the king was mad about her!  In the same room is a portrait realized by Jean Fouquet (the original is in Antwerp, I’m sure of that), that shows the legendary beauty of this king’s favourite depicted as a Virgin with denuded breast. This Jean Fouquet was one of the only painters who actually met Agnes Sorel and didn’t paint her posthumous. But Agnes Sorel didn’t live long enough to take much profit of her special position in king’s house. She died, 28 years old and is buried in Saint-Ours. But religious clergymen, who had it difficult that a woman of sin was buried in a church, asked the Louis XI if she couldn’t be transported back to the Logis Royal. An arrangement was found: the money that Agnes Sorel donated to the monk community would move also to Logis Royal.
During the French revolution, as the people were so ignorant, the gisant of Agnes Sorel, mistaken for that of a saint, was mistreated, but soon restored.
A room further a triptych from the same painters school and master of Touraine is visible on the wall.
Finally, in the back in the castle, visit the flamboyant-gothic oratory of Anne de Bretagne (1500). A terrace gives you the possibility to have nice views of the Indre and the city.

Bibliography

Guide du Patrimoine, Centre, Val de Loire , by Perouse de Montclos (ed.Hachette 1992)—Het dal van de Loire, by A.Sperber (Brussels, ed.Harenberg 1992),-- Guide du Routard 1998 (ed.Hachette)—de kastelen van Frankrijk, by L.P.Boon (1956)-« England , eeuwige vijand van Frankuijk » (Final thesis, university of Louvain 1997)-« La longue histoire de Loches et ses exactions », by Marie François de la Rosičre (ed. Pucet, Tours 1991),« Het tragische lot van Agnes Sorel, een buitengewone schoonheid », by J. Trommelaar (Hiersma, Utrecht 1999)