Tours

Tours is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. As of 2022, the city had 138,668 people living there, with over 500,000 in the surrounding area.

Tours is located along the Loire River, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. It has a rich history dating back to Roman times, with one of the largest Roman amphitheaters, the Tours Amphitheatre. The city is famous for the Battle of Tours in 732 AD, which helped shape European history.

Known as "Le Petit Paris", Tours has a beautiful historic center that is a UNESCO site. It is also a university city with many students and is famous for its food, including special cheeses and wines from the Touraine vineyards. Each year, Tours hosts the end of the Paris–Tours cycle race, attracting cyclists from around the world.

Etymology

A popular story says that the name "Tours" comes from a person named Turonus. He was the nephew of Brutus. Turonus died in a war between Corineus and the king of Aquitaine, Goffarius Pictus. The war started because Corineus hunted in the king’s forests without permission. People say that Turonus was buried in Tours, and the city grew around his grave.

History

See also: Timeline of Tours and Tours Amphitheatre in the ancient city

In Gallic times, Tours was an important crossing point over the Loire River. It became part of the Roman Empire during the 1st century AD and was named Caesarodunum. The name changed in the 4th century to Tours. At this time, the Tours Amphitheatre was built.

Tours grew in importance during the Middle Ages, especially because of Saint Martin of Tours, a bishop who shared his coat with a beggar in Amiens. The city became a major center for Christian pilgrimages on the route to Santiago de Compostela.

In the 6th century, a cathedral was rebuilt after a fire. In the 9th century, Tours was a center of learning during the Carolingian Renaissance. In 732, the city stopped an army moving through France at the Battle of Tours. During the Middle Ages, Tours had two main parts: one around the cathedral and another around the Abbey of Saint Martin.

The city became the capital of the area known as Touraine. In the 15th century, it was sometimes the home of the French king. The 19th century brought railways, which helped Tours grow again. The city played roles in both World Wars, including hosting American soldiers during the First World War and suffering damage from bombing in the Second World War. After the war, the city was rebuilt and grew, becoming a center for education and culture.

Climate

Tours has an oceanic climate that stays mild even though it is far north. In summer, temperatures often reach 25 °C (77 °F) or more because the city is inland. In winter, the climate stays gentle thanks to air coming from the Atlantic Ocean. The area between Orlans and Angers is well-known for its bright skies and many beautiful châteaux, most of which were built during the Renaissance period. There are over 600 of these châteaux in the valley.

Sights

Cathedral

The Cathedral of Tours is a special and important building. It was started around the year 1170 to replace an older church that was burned down during a disagreement between two kings. The lower parts of the tall towers are from the 1100s, but the rest of the building has lots of detailed work from the 1400s. Artists and writers were inspired by this beautiful cathedral in their stories and paintings.

Other points of interest

Here are some other nice places to visit in Tours:

• Hôtel de Ville
• Jardin botanique de Tours, the city's garden
• botanical garden
• Medieval enclosure at Tours
• Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours
• Hôtel Goüin
• Château de Tours
• Basilique St-Martin
• Place Plumereau, the old part of town
• Grand Théâtre, home of the Opéra de Tours
• Tour Charlemagne

Language

Before the French Revolution, people in Tours were known for speaking French very clearly. The way they said words was thought to be the most standard way to speak French until around the 1800s.

Important meetings helped change how people spoke. A meeting in Tours in 813 decided that priests should speak in languages people could understand, not just Latin. This helped French become its own language. Laws were also written in the local language, making sure everyone knew what they meant.

City

The city of Tours has about 140,000 people and is called "Le Jardin de la France," meaning "The Garden of France." It is known for its beautiful parks and is located between two rivers, the Loire to the north and the Cher to the south. The buildings in Tours are white with blue slate roofs, a style common in northern France.

Tours is famous for its old medieval district called le Vieux Tours, which has preserved half-timbered buildings. There is a lively square named la Place Plumereau with many pubs and restaurants. The city is also well-known for its many bridges over the Loire River. One bridge, Wilson Bridge, fell down in 1978 but was built again. Tours is home to the University of Tours, which hosts an important international choir competition called the Florilège Vocal de Tours.

Population

The population numbers shown here are for the city of Tours itself, not the larger area around it. Over time, Tours has grown by including nearby smaller towns. In 1845, it added Saint-Étienne, and later in 1964, it added Sainte-Radegonde-en-Touraine and Saint-Symphorien. As of 2022, the city of Tours had 138,668 people living in it.

Transportation

Tours has many ways to travel, making it easy to visit the beautiful Loire Valley and its famous châteaux. The city is connected by fast trains called TGV, which can take you to places like Bordeaux, Avignon, Barcelona, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Lille. You can reach Paris in less than an hour, and it’s just an hour and a half to Charles de Gaulle Airport. Tours has two main train stations: Gare de Tours and Gare de Saint-Pierre-des-Corps.

The city also has Tours Loire Valley Airport for flights to European cities. In the past, Tours had trams and trolleybuses, and trams came back in 2013 with a new system. There are bus services too, and more trams are coming in 2025.

Sport

Tours has an important place in sports. The city was the finish line for the Paris–Tours race, a big cycling event that happens almost every October. This race has been going on since 1896.

The city also has teams for other sports. There is a volleyball club called Tours VB, and another football team named CCSP Tours that plays in a regional league.

Catholics from Tours

Tours is an important city for many Catholics, especially those who honor the Holy Face of Jesus and the Blessed Sacrament. In 1843, Sister Marie of St Peter shared a special vision that began this devotion. She also shared a prayer called The Golden Arrow prayer with others.

Another person, the Venerable Leo Dupont, lived in Tours and started nightly prayers before a picture of the Holy Face of Jesus. This practice spread across France. Later, a leader of the Catholic Church approved this devotion, and many people visit Tours each year to pray at the Oratory of the Holy Face.

Tours also has a rich history with St. Martin of Tours and a famous battle in 732 called the Battle of Tours. This battle was important because it stopped an army from taking over and helped shape Europe’s history.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Tours, France

Tours, France, has been home to many important people throughout history. These individuals have made their marks in areas such as public service, the arts, science, business, and sports.

In public service, Tours has seen figures like Berengarius of Tours, a theologian, and Jean Royer, a former mayor of the city. The arts have flourished here too, with contributions from painters like Jean Fouquet and writers such as Honoré de Balzac. In the fields of science and business, notable personalities include Gabriel Lamé, a mathematician, and Émile Delahaye, an automobile pioneer.

The city has also produced talented athletes. For example, Catherine Poirot won a bronze medal in swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and Xavier Gravelaine was a well-known footballer. These individuals reflect the rich and varied legacy of Tours.

Twin towns — sister cities

Tours has friendly partnerships with cities in many countries. These partnerships began in different years, starting with Mülheim in Germany in 1962 and ending with Minneapolis in the United States in 1991. The cities include:

• Mülheim, Germany, since 1962
• Segovia, Spain, since 1972
• Parma, Italy, since 1976
• Luoyang, China, since 1982
• Trois-Rivières, Canada, since 1987
• Takamatsu, Japan, since 1988
• Brașov, Romania, since 1990
• Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, since 1991