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Azay le Rideau-Village and usefull addresses

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Chateau visit

Village and usefull addresses

hotel recommendations

restaurant recommendations

In the tourist fever touched village of Azay-le-Rideau the 11th-12th church SAINT-SYMPHORIEN survived the wrath explosions of the dauphin de France. You can get there when you leave the chateau, take the first street to the left in the rue Balzac and next left turn you discover an enfilade of small squares.
The EGLISE SAINT-SYMPHORIEN is a stunning church composed by fragments of its entire history (from the 5th to the 17th century). The façade of the church has two rows of nice 11th century sculptures in nooks. The decoration of the gable end of the primitive church (Carolingian epoch!) integrated around the window of the 13th century facade (on the right) is worth a pilgrimage for itself! Notice the drape of the clothes that the personages--saints around a Christ in the centre? --nestled in the two rows of blind arcades. Inside, in the middle nave you can see four windows designed by the artist Max Ingrand and in the 17th century chapelle seigneuriale is a window with Maria’s Assumption.

A few useful addresses in Azay-le-Rideau:

BUREAU OF TOURISM is on place de l'Europe tel 0247454440. Open from Monday to Saturday 9-13 and 15-19. Sunday 10-13 and 14-19. In low season open 14-18 and closed Wednesday and Saturday. Competent and smiling reception. Very well documented.
BYCYCLE RENTING at "Cycles Leprovost" 13, rue Carnot tel 0247454094. Open Tuesday to Saturday. For the other days you have to make an appointment.
RENTING OF CANOES AND KAYAKS on the beach of the Indre, on the island. Maison des Jeunes tel 0247454085 or at Michel Verdier tel 0247453759, for reservations. Open every afternoon of July and August from 13-18. 35 FF an hour. You can make a trip on the Loire if you reserve a few days in advance. Take info. It's another way of discovering the meanders of the valley.

A LITTLE WINE YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT SO GOOD

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I don’t deny that the vineyard is small (only 350 hectares), but the Touraine Azay-le-Rideau blanc (cepage chenin) has its "appellation d'origine controlee" since 1946 and the rose (cepage grolleau) since 1976. That quite a reference !! So good a reference that the 50 producers found it a good idea to do as the big shots, that is creating a corporation. And in 1990 the "confrerie des Bannerets du vieux chenin et du grolleau de ridel"" was born . Just in front of the tourist office, don't hesitate to descend in the "caveau" of the winegrowers. Every grower presents its production. You will get all the info you will request and as a bonus, a convivial and free "degustation".
And to finish with this village let me point you out to the market and fair like the FOIRE NATIONALE DU MATERIEL PHOTOGRAPHIQUE ANCIEN: second Sunday of May and the MARCHE GOURMAND: Friday every three weeks from June to September, from 17 hours until midnight. 

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 1997)—Guide du Routard 1998 (ed.Hachette)—de kastelen van Frankrijk, by L.P.Boon (1956)-La Terreur en 1418, Charles VII, by Ch .de la Maurienne (Livtours 1986)-Les Perles de la Vallee du Loire, by P.Paulars (short descriptions in small folders, Tours 1995)