Les Fours Banaux

Bread has been a staple in France for centuries, and central France is the biggest producer of wheat in Western Europe.

 

Street sign.

If you lived in or near a village in feudal times then you were obliged to use the four banal, the communal oven, which was owned by the local lord, who charged a fee for access to the oven. The lord was responsible for the maintenance of the oven, and he had to make sure that bread was baked perfectly, otherwise he was fined. But on top of taking one sixteenth of his peasants’ grain production as a general tax, he took another one sixeenth as a fee for the use of the four banal. In addition, the lord would have owned the mill where everyone had to get their wheat ground into flour. Those who lived close to the oven were disturbed by the endless comings and goings as well as the noise and heat of the oven or ovens. Those who lived further away were annoyed that they could make the most perfect dough, but by the time they had brought it to the oven in summer it had over proved and by the time it arrived to be baked in inter it was too cold. The baker put in charge of the communal oven had to be available day and night in case someone turned up to bake their bread.

Four banal below the chateau in Le Grand Pressigny.

The first four banal appeared in the Middle Ages in Paris near the Tour Saint Jacques [link], and they quickly spread throughout France, in populous communities becoming huge complexes with enormous and multiple ovens. These fours banaux are similar to the smaller private ones in construction and use in the 19th century. Not just bread could be cooked in these ovens, but gratinée style side dishes of vegetables would commonly be placed in the oven to brown and cook in the cooling bread oven after the loaves had been extracted. If you ever see a dish on a modern menu that is something a la boulangere, it will be one of these homely comforting old meals. Old favourite traditional desserts such as clafoutis were also cooked this way.

The oven and wood store in the four banal in Le Grand Pressigny.

After feudalism ended in France commercial bakeries started springing up everywhere and the boulangerie, named after the traditional round boule loaf, was born. At first they had big brick ovens and baked all the same breads that everyone had always baked at the fours banaux. They would also take housewives’ gratin dishes and cook them at the end of the baking day, for a small fee, as at this time many village houses did not have ovens at all and were cooking on stoves. 

 

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Saw Banksia

 

Coastal heath with Saw Banksia.

Saw Banksia Banksia serrata is a low growing tree, often contorted and rugged looking. It grows at the coast in the east of Australia, where it can be exposed to some violent weather charging in from the Pacific Ocean. Its thick knobbly bark is fire resistant and underground it has a deep specialised root called a lignotuber, which allows it to access water and regenerate after fires. The cream flowers are large and attractive, the leaves are serrated.

 

Saw Banksia prefers deep fairly fertile sandy soil and will resist frost, salt and drought as well as fire. It is a long lived tree and often cultivated in Australian gardens as well as occuring naturally on the coastal heath, where these ones were photographed.

 

It is one of the plants collected by Joseph Banks when the Endeavour landed in Botany Bay in 1770 under Captain Cook. Carl Linnaeus the Younger later took care of the species description and named the genus after Banks.

New growth.

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

Sweat Bee

Globally, with 1700 species, there are more species of sweat bees Lasioglossum sp than in any other bee genus. They are mainly solitary bees, although many species gather together in colonies and nest close to one another. This one that I photographed in a garden in Charente-Maritime in June is a fairly typical looking example of the genus, but they can vary considerably in appearance, just as they do in behaviour.

They are valuable pollinators of cultivated and wild plants. This one is on fennel.

 

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

Les Roches Tranchelion

Up on a hill near the village of Avons les Rochers sit the ruins of Les Roches Tranchelion -- an imposing church and a medieval castle. The church dates from the 1520s and was consecrated as a funerary chapel and parish church, replacing the castle's private chapel. Despite its ruinous state it retains some very fine carvings and the vaulting is more than 12 metres above the ground. The castle is older, 15th century, and all that remain are the lower parts of a square tower and the southern wall, equipped with murder holes and a network of underground casemates, all of which is being taken over by vegetation.

Seraphim surmounted by scallop shells on the entrance to the ruined church.

It was in this castle that Charles VII gathered his Great Council in the summer of 1449 before heading out on the last campaign to kick the English out of France and end the Hundred Years War.

The ruined castle.

At one time it was the property of the Montgomery family. In 1559 the castle became a temporary refuge for Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery, Captain of the Scots Guard (the King's bodyguards) after he had inadvertently mortally wounded King Henri II in a joust at the end of June of that year. He spent the July here then fled to England in August.

A high-relief sculpture of God the Father, delivering a benediction with his right hand and holding a globe in his left.

Even though it is so damaged, the highly carved western end of the church remains one of the best examples of 16th century religious art in the Touraine, along with the church at Montrésor, the chapel at the Chateau of Ussé, and the chapel at Champigny sur Veude. The church itself is a double aisled nave, with a vaulted transept, vaulted crypt under the choir and semi-octagonal apse. It was more or less abandoned in 1600, only being used sporadically until the Revolution, when it was totally abandoned.

Les Roches Tranchelion.

A number of legends are associated with the site, and amazingly, the one about buried treasure turned out to be true. One day in 1966 some young men were working on improving the access to the chapel and they saw right in front of them a large hole opening up. Six or seven metres down they found 214 French and Spanish coins dating from between 1563 and 1618.

Les Roches Tranchelion.

The castle was already destroyed by the 17th century, but the church survived until after the Revolution, when it became the victim of ignorance and vandalism.

The western front of the church.

The inside of the church is covered in graffiti from several centuries.

Looking up at the ruined church.

Decorative medallions on the western front of the church, depicting, by the look of it, acanthus foliage, a mercenary soldier and a Greek scolar.

Vaulting in the transept of the church.

 

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

Crissay sur Manse

Until recently we had never been to Crissay sur Manse. I don't know why. It's only an hour away from home and it's one of the officially 'most beautiful villages in France'. It is also somewhere I was recommended to visit soon after we bought our house in Preuilly. At the time I bought new hiking boots at a sports shop near Tower Hill underground station in London, which was convenient to my workplace. The sales assistant was French, so we got chatting. He said I must visit Crissay, and his winemaking mate there. Well finally, on the most beautiful day in October we made it to Crissay, but not to the winemaker, who would have been closed anyway (and to be honest, I've forgotten his name now, after 14 years).

The chateau.

Crissay was an absolute delight, and we were by no means the only people there. Everyone was so happy to be out and about between lockdowns, and even though the restaurant was closed, the village is so picturesque we were all just enjoying a Sunday afternoon stroll in the sun.

The official hiking/cycling/horseriding trail goes up the stairs and through the doorway in the village's defensive perimeter wall.

The chateau here was an important stronghold during the Hundred Years Wars, during which it was partially destroyed. There had been a keep here, with underground galleries, since the 13th century. Later, in the 15th century it was rebuilt. A deceptively massive structure, depending on which direction you are looking from, it dominates the valley of the Manse, but not the village.

Entering the village from the direction of Sainte Catherine de Fierbois.

There is a remarkable collection of wonderful 15th and 16th century private houses in the village, testimony to the village's grand past. The narrow streets make taking photos quite difficult, and I feel like none of our dozens of photos really do the place justice. Even though clearly popular with flaneurs it was not crowded. It's the sort of place that locals will visit for a day out, like the other 'most beautiful villages' in our area, such as Angles sur l'Anglin, Montrésor and Candes Saint Martin. But these villages are rarely over run by hordes of tourists from further afield.

The Logis de la Poterne, once the gatehouse to the chateau, now a private residence. When we passed the owner was proudly giving some friends a tour.

There are very few modern structures in Crissay sur Manse, which gives it immense charm and authenticity. The lovely white tuffeau limestone houses feature carved stone mullioned windows, slate roofs and dormers.

Should a gun port above the letterbox be standard everywhere? This is of course at the chateau gate.

Our visit was just a few days after the assassination of teacher Samuel Paty, and the former school, now a private home, had this tribute to his memory hanging from a window.

The main street. The square staircase tower in the middle belongs to a house from 1523 called the Maison Gaby.

 

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

Chateau de Montgoger

There has probably been a chateau at Montgoger, near Saint Epain, since about 1150, originally a fortress with a keep. Towards the end of the 15th century a U-shaped building around a courtyard was constructed, with round towers at each corner, one of which contained a chapel. The lateral wings of this chateau were demolished during the Revolution, and the towers reduced.

Restorations and improvements were made during the second half of the 19th century but in March 1883 fire ripped through the building, destroying three-quarters of the structure. The remaining part was also destroyed by fire during the German occupation in 1943. 

Gatehouse.

The chateau proper being uninhabitable, the 18th century Orangerie was extended and turned into residental accommodation. You can rent virtually the whole place, which can sleep 30 people and seat 100 people for a reception [link]. There is a 7 hectare park, with lots of centenarian trees and access to the extensive Forest of Montgoger [link]. The 17th century stables also survive, and a restored postern gate to the north. This small tower must have been part of a Renaissance gatehouse and been paired with a second tower with the main entrance to the chateau complex between them. The tower is two storey with decorative machiolations and a staircase turret.

The burnt out ruins of the remaining Renaissance wing.

Louis XIII considered Montgoger one of the most beautiful chateaux in his realm. It faces the road between Saint Epain and Crissay sur Manse. It's on the route most likely taken by Joan of Arc when she travelled from Sainte Catherine de Fierbois and Chinon.

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

Joan of Arc and the Church at Sainte Catherine de Fierbois

The church in Sainte Catherine de Fierbois is a 15th century replacement for the original early medieval chapel which burnt down. According to legend Charles Martel left his sword behind the altar as a devotional gift after he defeated the Sarrasins in the Battle of Poitiers in the 8th century. This story is unlikely to be true, because although Saint Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of soldiers, she was not a recognised saint in France until after the Crusades, long after Charles Martel's time. Saint Catherine de Fierbois is several days journey away from Poitiers too, which makes it seem an even more unlikely story. Be that as it may, seven centuries later, Joan of Arc's voices, one of whom was Saint Catherine, told her to come and fetch the sword. Charles VII had arranged a suit of armour for her, but she refused his offer of a sword because she knew she would be shortly in possession of Charles Martel's rusty but legendary old sword. Joan had in fact been to the church before, and attended mass there when she was travelling to Chinon to see the young King. Some people find this significant...

Ceiling boss in the church, with what I think are Anne of Brittany's arms.

Whilst waiting in Tours for her armour to be made, she sent one of the armourers to Sainte Catherine de Fierbois. Her voices told her the sword was buried but would be recognisable by five crosses on the hilt. She told how the man she sent to dig behind the altar refused to hand over the sword and she had to write to the ecclesiastical authorities to get it sent to her. The priests gave her a red velvet scabbard, the citizens of Tours gave her one made of cloth of gold, and she herself had a robust leather one made. The priests had cleaned the sword and found that the rust fell away with just a light brushing.

The front of the church.

The chapel that Joan knew, which in reality was probably built in 1280 for pilgrims, was burnt down by the English in 1440 and was replaced with the current church in 1450. Charles VII had always intended to agrandise the chapel after Joan's death and plans and funds existed from 1431, but the building wasn't completed until his grandson's generation. For much of its life the association with Joan was played down, but interest grew in the mid-19th century, and became quite a strong movement after the Prussian War of 1870-71.

An internal door in the church.

 

Saint Catherine was a popular saint, especially in the 16th century, and the church is on the pilgrim route to Saint Iago de Compostella in Spain, so the church has always received pilgrims, but not necessarily connected to Joan.

Internal doorway in the church.

 

The church was restored in 1859, under the careful eye of the Amboise based architect Sylvain-Philippe Chateigner. It is pure Flamboyant Gothique in style, built in the form of a Latin cross, on the footprint of the former chapel. The place where Joan found the sword is indicated midway down the south wall. Stretching above it all is a 41 metre high bell tower.

View down the aisle of the church.

 

Each side of the transept forms a chapel. On one side it is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, with a 15th century altar that was retrieved in the 19th century from a nearby mill, after it had been sold during the Revolution. There is also a magnificent 19th century Gothic Revival confessional made by a local cabinetmaker, who also made the main altar. The church has about a dozen 19th century stained glass windows made by the Lobin workshop in Tours. The originals were destroyed in the Revolution. The other chapel is dedicated to the Madonna.

19th century bronze statue of Joan of Arc in front of the church.

 

Joan's sword mysteriously disappeared before she was captured and she appears unable to explain why she was armed with another completely different sword when she was captured. It was not the sword she offered up at Saint Denis, which she said was another one again. She said she lost the sword from Sainte Catherine de Fierbois.

A wonderful small 15th century sculpture depicting Christ being interred by his closest followers.

 

In a niche to the right of the main altar are some reliquaries, including a handsome silver one with some gilding, containing one of Saint Catherine's finger bones. On a small wall plinth is a sculpture depicting the dead Christ being laid to rest by his closest followers. Both were commissioned by the Maréchal de France, Jean Boucicaut, in the early 15th century, originally for the chapel in the pilgrim hostelry he had built across the road. There is no indication of where these pieces were made.

Reliquaries in the church.

 

In front of the church is a bronze statue of Joan, put there in 1895.

15th century silver reliquary containing a finger bone of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

Banner and replica sword for Joan of Arc.

The place where Joan's sword was found.

 

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

What Was at the Market in Autumn?

These photos were taken at Loches and Preuilly markets in October (before the current lockdown began).

Bulk (packaging free) grocery truck.

Cheese specials.

The wonderful cheese truck.

Creams, desserts and yoghurts on the cheese truck.

Dairy desserts on the cheese truck.

Prawns and langoustines on a fish truck.

Goats cheeses on the cheese truck.

Loches market.

Greengrocers stall.

Locally grown organic vegetables, including unusual varieties such as salsify.

Preuilly sur Claise market.

 

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos.