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Tours-Still walking-Chateau-Museum des Beaux Arts and others

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Introduction ad how to get there

History, part 1

History, part 2

The Jack couple 15 years ago in Tours!

The little alleyways around the cathedral with the PLACE GREGOIRE DE TOURS as base are worth a walk. From the place you have a wonderful view on the cathedral and its triumphal arches. Follow the rue des Ursulines over about 400 meters the Chapelle Saint-Michel and have a stop at the MUSEE DES BEAUX-ARTS. Housed in the former archiepiscopal palace it is preceded by a magnificent, almost 200 years old cedar from Lebanon. The collection of the museum is nothing special and the display old fashioned. One of the highlights is a Rembrandt “La Fuite en Egypte” and a Rubens. Also the Italian painter and sculptor Mantegna is present with a "Christ au jardin des Oliviers" and "the Resurrection". The impressionist Edgard Degas made a study of it in his student years. Also Delacroix trips to Morocco are represented in very small pictures and a few oil paintings. ). In the salons of the museum you can also see beautiful Louis XV and Louis XVI furnishing, a bidet-chair (yes, yes), etc... The musee is open every day except Tuesday 9.00-12.00  14.00-18.00.
Through the rue Lavoisier we arrive at the CHATEAU. It's build on the ancient Gallo-roman wall, perfectly visible from the rue Lavoisier. Today, only the Logis de Mars remains, built by Louis XIV.
Because the visit of the maybe “30th chateau could be boring for children, they two touristy attractions: the wax museum and the Tropical aquarium. You walk in a maze of labyrinth corridors lined with 31 galleries, each one evoking a local historical scene. 165 puppets out of the different episodes of Tours history accompanied by lute music, personages realized by the musee Grevin. A good idea to initiate adults and children to the history of Touraine. Two towers survived on the originally four: la Tour de Guise to the north (13th and 14th century) practically intact, and the Tour du Cachot (missing the head) to the south. It's in the north tower that the prince Charles de Guise was imprisoned, in 1589, after the murder of his father, the duc de Guise, also called Henri le Balafre (Henri the Scar). What a family!!!
Take now the rue Colbert, a quite long walk until the MUSEE DES VINS DE TOURAINE. Open all year except January and February, only with rendezvous tel 0247610793.
Fourteen display-windows expose theme by theme everything related to wine. The attention is drawn to the economic, social and cultural aspects of wine in the “jardin de la France”. Despite the evident purpose to interest the visitor, this museum didn't excite me very much. Not lively enough, or too charged. Next to it is the MUSEE DU COMPAGNONNAGE, 8 rue Nationale, located since 1968 in the ancient dormitory of the monks of the monastery of Saint-Julien, telling about the history of companionship corporations. This quite a unique museum, divided in spaces, each one presenting the life and work of the companionships.  Utensils, but also fabulous master works realized by corporate companions like an Eiffel tower in cut slate, a campanile, a fascinating miniature Dazzling! Ah, when work and art join together……
Continue towards the rue du Commerce and enter the HOTEL GOUIN.  This hotel was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1940 but thanks to very good executed renovation works it looks again as in the old days. Inside you can learn all about the regional history and prehistory until the 18th century. In the basement you can see the results of the excavations in the region: bof! not so thrilling.... Continuing rue du Commerce you arrive at the place PLUMEREAU. But that’s for my next article….

Bibliography

Regions Gourmandes: Les pays de la Loire, by H.Walden (Paris, ed.Hatier 1993)—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)—Tours et ses eglises, visites pour guides, ed.Office Tourisme Tours 1995,---Par les champs et par les greves, by G.Flaubert (1885)—Guide du Routard 1998 (ed.Hachette)—de kastelen van Frankrijk, by L.P.Boon (1956)

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