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Read Part 1 here

 

STORY OF THOUARS :  GUIDED TOUR  PART 2

The famous pilgrimage of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle was essentially developed between 12th and 15^th centuries.  The ideals originated however, in the early 9^th century AD with the discovery of what is said to be the tomb of St James the Great in Compostelle in Spain.   Pilgrims came from all over Europe to visit this holy site, multitudes  travelling down through France to give penance, ask forgiveness for their sins and often to look for healing.  Routes developed along the way beginning originally at Paris, Vezelay, Le Puy and Arles.  A secondary route was prompted by the breton and norman pilgrims who travelled through Deux Sevres from north to south and along the beautiful valley Thouet between Thouars and Parthenay.   The wealth of visitors and pilgrims along these routes resulted in such towns as Thouars becoming important centres of trade and politics in medieval times.

 

Visitors to the city of Thouars today can find an interesting variety of medieval buildings which can attest to economic and political greatness during this period.  Make your way to the old town of Thouars – a singular cobbled street with shops on either side and the Café des Arts where we left off our previous tour – from here you will find signs to the Place Medard – a place extremely interesting and also at the heart of the town.  Beautiful medieval timber framed buildings are dispersed throughout the area.  Of particular interest is the Maison des Artistes and Maison du Pere Jacques as well as many others which have been conserved and are listed as historic monuments. 

 

These houses tend to centre around the beautiful Church St Medard which originates from 12^th century and is a complex mixture of both Roman and Gothic architecture and was originally a dependance of the Benedictine abbey which once stood on the opposite bank of the river Thouet.  In 1158 it is said that Henry II Plantagenet  King of England destroyed the chateau but  gave aid to the construction of Saint Medard.  The sculptures over the doors display evangelical personnages and scenes from the life of Jesus and over the main entrance the Son of God sits in Majesty encircled by angels and the apostles.  It is in this ancient quarter that you will find many of the bars, restaurants, bistros and antique shops and at Christmas a Marche de Noel.

Meander from here down the Rue de la Tremoille toward the chateau and you continue to find medieval timber framed buildings interspersed along the route.  This road said at one time to have been the only road out to the chateau, provides a beautiful view of the Chapelle Notre Dame and houses some of the oldest buildings in Thouars.  The road also contains an extremely unusual house known as the Hotel of the Three Kings, apartments today, it was originally a 15^th century auberge and is said to have provided a bed for Louis XI, Dauphin to the king.  Today it is a historique monument.

From the roundabout you will find the Chapelle Notre Dame du chateau; the Chateau and the Ecuries.   That Chapelle to the Chateau was built at the beginning of the 16^th century and brings together both gothic and renaissance architecture.  The chapel took many years to build and various architects were employed, as a result the chapel is a mixture of styles from gothic to Italian Renaissance.  Underneath there is an underground chapel which was once used as the parish church  and is the Tremoille family vault.  The chapel was confiscated during the Revolution, however it was sold back to the Tremoille family in 1873, who later donated it to a religious order.

 

The building of the castle of the Ducs de la Tremoille began in 1635 on the site of the old medieval fortress and was one of the biggest buildings of its time. Marie de la Tour d’Auvergne who married Henri de La Tremoille in 1619 had the old fortress rased to the ground in order to build the present chateau.  The chateau was desinged by Jacques Lemercier and completed within three years.  The Tremouilles were dispossessed in 1789 during the revolution when the chateau became first a barracks, then a prison, later it was turned into a private school.  Since 1933 it has been a public college.   To the rear of the chateau, along the Rue de la Martyr de la Resistance, is the old orangerie – today this houses exhibitions.  Along the roadside nearby are further plaques and statues to martyrs of the resistance of the second world war.

 

Story written by Anji Weston who runs a B&B Le Grand Saule in Moncontour, Vienne

 

Read Part 3 here

 

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