Wednesday is market day in Loches, one of the small, beautiful towns in the Loire Valley. Located on the River Indre, it is a medieval town with a citadel and a medieval complex within its walls. A citadel is the central, most heavily fortified part of a city, such as a fortress or castle, that serves as a defensive stronghold and command center. In Loches there is a castle tower, a royal residence and a collegiate church. The medieval town lies below.
The keep (or donjon) is the strongest and most secure part of a medieval castle, often a tall, tower-like structure, which served as a refuge for the castle’s inhabitants during an attack, as well as a residence for the lord. The lower levels typically contained storage areas and perhaps a prison, and the upper levels contained the lord’s living quarters, a chapel, and other essential rooms. They could be any shape, but all had thick walls and limited access points, for example a single entrance on the first floor, accessed by a removable staircase.
Below are some of the rooms in the keep, including prison rooms and latrines that drained to the lower floor of the castle (no pipes). However, the view from the top was excellent!
Loches Castle has been home to several historical figures including
English kings such as Henry II and Richard the LionheartFrench kings like Charles VII and Louis XI.
Outside the keep in Loches are the old town, narrow streets with shops and houses and centuries ago there was a city wall around the medieval town, which no longer exists.
The Indre River flows through the city and has walls partially covered with flowers.
On Wednesdays there is a market from about 8am to 1pm selling everything from prepared foods (paella, curries, roast chickens and potatoes) to all kinds of fruit and vegetables, lots of cheeses and sausages, pate and honey, and you can buy bread and wine for your picnic in the shops along the market. The non-food department features stalls selling clothes, mattresses, knives, pots and pans and more.
Shops close around 12:30 or from 1 to 2:30 – 3:30 for lunch, so if you want to shop in the city, keep that in mind. We walked to the castle and toured it during that time, then continued shopping. It was a really nice day.
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