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| Located
in the heart of the Val de Loire area and of the Regional Natural
Park Loire - Anjou - Touraine, the Chinon area lies between two rivers,
the royal Loire and the majestic Vienne. The surrounding, countryside, particularly the lower valley of the Vienne and the area between the Vienne and the Loire, known as the Véron, delight visitors with its lovely scenery and many interesting architectural features. Not to be forgotten Chinon's noble wine, already celebrated in the writings of François Rabelais, one of Chinon's most famous sons. |
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The oldest mention of Chinon is to be found in Gregoire de Tours, who tells of the siege of 446 by Aegidius, Roman governor of Gaul. History recalls it in the tenth century, Chinon belonged to the Counts of Blois who were fighting against the Counts of Anjou. | |||
| After the battle of Saint-Martin-le-Beau, Thibault III of Blois gave up Chinon, Tours and Langeais to Geoffroy Martel, Count of Anjou, known as Plantagenet and husband of Matilda, heiress to the crown of England.Her son Henry, enclosed it. He made Chinon the heart of his French possession. This led to conflict between the King of France and his vassal, the King of England. |  |
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Henry II Plantaganet completed the general layout of the fortifications by large buildings, including St-Georges fort. Towers and curtain walls were reinforced and modernised. He died at Chinon after the treaty of Azay in 1189. |
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His son Richard the Lionheart, wounded at chalus came back and died at Chinon. His brother John Lackland succeeded him. In 1202 Philip Augustus began the reconquest, he attacked Chinon on 1204 and captured the castle in 1205. Touraine was again French. From 1425 the dauphin, the future Charles VII, made Chinon his capital in the heart of the martyred kingdom. |
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In early 1429 Joan of Arc arrived at the castle and in the evening of 9th March she entered the great hall of the Royal apartments and marched confidently towards the dauphin, even though he deliberately mingled with his gentlemen, officers an advisors and was less richly dressed than them. Joan convinced Charles that she was God sent and so began the reconquest of France. |  |
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