Loire Valley
Executive summary by Darmansjah
The Loire Valley (French: Vallée de la Loire), spanning 280
kilometres (170 mi), is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in
central France. Its area comprises about 800 square kilometres (310 sq mi). It
is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France
due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards (such as cherries), and
artichoke and asparagus fields, which line the banks of the river. Notable for
its historic towns, architecture and wines, the valley has been inhabited since
the Middle Palaeolithic period.In 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the
Loire River valley to its list of World Heritage Sites.
Culture
On December 2, 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the
river valley, between Maine and Sully-sur-Loire, to its list of World Heritage
Sites. In choosing this area that includes the French départements of Loiret,
Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, and Maine-et-Loire, the committee said that the
Loire Valley is: "an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty,
comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments - the
Châteaux - and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of
interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in
particular the Loire itself."
The Loire Valley chansonniers are a related group of
songbooks attributed to the composers of the Loire Valley and are the earliest
surviving examples of a new genre which offered a combination of words, music,
and illuminations.
Architecture
The architectural heritage in the valley's historic towns is
notable, especially its châteaux, such as the Château d'Amboise, Château de
Chambord, Château de Chinon, Château du Rivau, Château d'Ussé, Château de
Villandry and Chenonceau. The châteaux, numbering more than three hundred,
represent a nation of builders starting with the necessary castle
fortifications in the 10th century to the splendor of those built half a
millennium later. When the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux
here, the nobility, not wanting or even daring to be far from the seat of
power, followed suit. Their presence in the lush, fertile valley began
attracting the very best landscape designers. In addition to its many châteaux,
the cultural monuments illustrate to an exceptional degree the ideals of the
Renaissance and the Age of the Enlightenment on western European thought and
design.
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