March Wanderings - Souzay-Champigny and Parnay

Leaving Chateau de Beaulieu freshly invigorated with coffee and cookies I headed south-east, upriver along La Loire, passing through a string of villages that squeeze themselves between the river's edge and the 50' to 100' limestone escarpment that runs parallel to its left bank.

This is the geography that defines La Loire. These limestone cliffs create the soil conditions that make the region's wines so famous. The stone itself is the primary building material. And the caves that riddle these cliffs, natural and man-made, are even lived in. Houses built up against the cliffs often open directly into caves at their backs and even whole houses are contained within caves. Quite a few of these so-called "troglodyte" houses are lived in to this day and are quite comfortable.

This plan shows the caves behind a house.

An oddity inhabits the land between the villages of Souzay-Champigny and Parnay. This oddity goes by the name of the Chateau de Souzay. Built of limestone taken from the cliff, it squeezes itself between the cliff and the river. It feels miniaturized compared to other castles in France, almost as if it was a stage set.

Chateau de Souzay

 On the escarpment above an old manor and the XIth century church of St. Pierre de Parnay bask in the sunlight.

Eglise St. Pierre de Parnay - the steeple was just restored.

Semi-circular Romanesque arches of the XIth century

Delicious simple details of form and material

Leaving Parnay I passed a small architectural salvage yard with a small sample of its wares on display in the open. When I find myself a half ruinous old place to restore and expand I'll certainly be stopping by here again.

Architectural salvage, Loire style

Next stop, Chateau de Montsoreau ...

March Wanderings - Chateau de Beaulieu and other discoveries

Just upriver of Saumur, on the Loire River's left bank, the Chateau de Beaulieu (literally, "beautiful location') graces the gentle slope leading down to the water. It is privately owned and I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to see it. But I rode up on my bike and was pleased to see the sign indicating it functions as a Bed&Breakfast. (Here's their website.) So I got my nerve up, strode in, and was greeted by a great big Irishman, who had at least 6 inches on me in height as well as plenty of pounds, and maybe 2 decades in age. He was the chatelain, the proud owner, and has lived there for the last 13 years with his wife. He is also a retired physicist and his business card had a lot of impressive initials after his name. To top it off, he is a great story teller and all around tremendously friendly guy.

A few guests were leaving as I arrived. Once they were on their way he took me back to the dining room, his wife brought us coffee and cookies and we chatted for an hour. The experience was a great surprise and a real treat. I'm definitely staying there next time I go back to the area.

Scattered around the countryside are all sorts of "lesser" chateaux, some of which don't even show up on maps. This is one reason I wanted to be on a bicycle, to be able to explore and see a little deeper into the shadows.
The first of the pictures below is the Manoir de Launay, NOT one of the "lesser", it is of great historical importance. But it is privately owned and open to the public only at limited times during the summer. So unfortunately I was not able to go in.

Manoir de Launay

Just a few minutes away, this nameless gem peeks over its boundary walls. Again, it being privately owned, I was not able to go in. It was surrounded by working farm buildings and appeared to be lived in as part of the farm.

Last, another nameless gem, hidden behind some hedges.

March Wandering - Saumur, Notre Dame des Ardilliers

On the outskirts of Saumur is a remarkable church built on a circular plan, something that was proposed by Renaissance and Classical architects much more often than it was actually built. The church is right by the side of the river and the dome provides a delightful and unexpected landmark as you approach the town from the East, in other words, flowing downstream.

Two views of La Loire nearby

 

March Wanderings - Saumur

The chateau of Saumur crowns a small plateau adjacent to the Loire. It was recorded in set of exquisite paintings in the early 1400s. These were part of the most famous Medieval French manuscript surviving today, Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Originally it was surrounded by vineyards, some of which still exist. The village at its base has grown into one of the most picturesque towns along the Loire river.

As it was in 1412

And here it is today

 

Playing with my new telephoto lens

A view across La Loire from the chateau

On market day several squares fill with vendors. The Eglise St. Pierre is in the background.

The market at Place de la Bilange

Inside Eglise St. Pierre

 The church grew as the town grew.

12th century stonework at right, 14th century in the middle and 17th century at left

Random details from around the town