As early as the Early Middle Ages, a castle stood on the hill overlooking the Indre River (probably a wooden motte-and-bailey castle). This fortress was destroyed in 742, after which a new wooden castle was built. In 840, King Charles the Bald granted it to the nobleman Adaland. In the 10th century, the castle came into the possession of the powerful Counts of Anjou through the marriage of Fulk I and Roscille of Loches. In the early 11th century, the infamous Count Fulk the Black commissioned the construction of a gigantic stone keep, measuring 25 by 15 meters, 37 meters high, and with walls 3.5 meters thick at the base. The castle was first the scene of the conflict between the Counts of Anjou and Blois, and later the conflict between the Plantagenets and the Capetians. In 1205, King Philip II conquered the castle, and over the next four centuries, it grew into a gigantic military fortress, whose 1.1 km long ramparts eventually completely encircled the hill. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the Logis Royal was built on the north side of the hill. The castle became one of the favourite residences of King Charles VII of France. He gave it to his mistress Agnès Sorel as her residence, and in May 1429, Charles VII met Joan of Arc here and convinced her to be crowned King of France in Reims. His son, King Louis XI, had the castle converted into a state prison, which it remained until 1926. During the French Revolution, the castle was badly damaged, and the first major restoration began as early as 1806. The Cité Royale, the area within the ramparts, can only be entered through the imposing Porte Royal. To the south stands the old castle with its gigantic keep, to the north stands the elegant Logis Royale. In between, on the edge of the town, stands the Église de Saint-Ours. All in all, the Château de Loches is definitely worth a visit!
