The best MTB trails around Cheillé

History in brief Antiquity: the site is strategically located on a promontory and has been inhabited for 3,000 years. It was not fortified until the end of the Roman Empire. Middle Ages: in 1154, the new King of England, Henry II Plantagenet, became ruler of an empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees and made Chinon his continental capital. He had a large palace built next to the fortress, which has now disappeared. In 1189, abandoned by his sons, Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland, and fleeing from the King of France, he eventually died there. Philippe Auguste had the defensive Tour du Coudray built there after the siege of 1205. Renaissance: in 1454, the fortress became the main residence of Queen Marie d'Anjou, who lived there without her husband. She spent lavishly on decorating the house to her taste. From the 16th century onwards, the fortress was gradually abandoned and fell into disrepair. Despite the dangerous nature of the terrain, it became a public promenade in 1824 and was listed as a monument in 1840. The restoration of the estate began in 1854 thanks to the efforts of the writer Prosper Mérimée. Source: https://loirelovers.fr/en/visit-royal-fort-chinon/

Bréhémont, a former annex of the parish church of Rivarennes, only became a parish in 1789. The church was built in 1843 in the neo-Gothic style. Three years later, five stained glass windows for the choir and the side chapels (bays 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) were ordered by the Parisian Émile Laurent, who had ties with Auguste Galimard and who had designed the plans. Source: https://patrimoine.centre-valdeloire.fr/gertrude-diffusion/dossier/IM37003094

Come and discover the Touraine in d'Azay-le-rideau. A pleasant centre has nice terraces to stay for a while. Discover the Château d'Azay-le-rideau and the park in English style and relax on the banks of the Indre on the island by the waterfall.

The origins of the castle Do you know the story of this castle that stands on a small island in the Indre? Built during the reign of Francis I by Gilles Berthelot, the king's financier, the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau is a subtle combination of French traditions and innovative Italian decorations. It became an icon of the new architecture in the Loire Valley in the 16th century and is today considered one of the jewels of the architecture of the first French Renaissance. More information on https://www.azay-le-rideau.fr/decouvrir/histoire-du-chateau

The parish church of Saint-Maurice and the covered passage connecting it to the residence known as the Deanery and the garden of the former presbytery, located on the site known as Le Bourg. Historical description A 12th-century building whose nave was restored in the 19th century and an aisle was added. The west façade is distinguished by the fact that it is connected by a 16th-century covered gallery, which spans the street, to a former manor house opposite, known as the Doyenné. The bell tower consists of a powerful square tower, flanked on the north side by a staircase turret, which is pierced in the floor of the bell tower by two pointed arch bays with double archivolts. This tower rises above the bay forming the choir and is supported by pointed arch arcades, formed by concentric arches of rectangular cross-section, which frame a square bay with ribbed vaults. The capitals are decorated with foliage, hooks, signs or fantastic animals. Source: https://pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00097778

The parish church of Saint-Maurice and the covered passage connecting it to the residence known as the Deanery and the garden of the former presbytery, located on the site known as Le Bourg. Historical description A 12th-century building whose nave was restored in the 19th century and an aisle was added. The west façade is distinguished by the fact that it is connected by a 16th-century covered gallery, which spans the street, to a former manor house opposite, known as the Doyenné. The bell tower consists of a powerful square tower, flanked on the north side by a staircase turret, which is pierced in the floor of the bell tower by two pointed arch bays with double archivolts. This tower rises above the bay forming the choir and is supported by pointed arch arcades, formed by concentric arches of rectangular cross-section, which frame a square bay with ribbed vaults. The capitals are decorated with foliage, hooks, signs or fantastic animals. Source: https://pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00097778

The circuit itself is certainly nice to cycle. Perhaps better to park a few kilometres further on at Château de l'Islette if you drive here. Parking is free there.

Nice to visit if you don't have much time to visit other castles in the Loire region. There are certainly some that are more beautiful to see, have nicer gardens and also show more history on the inside. You can better go to Château de Villandry. There you really get more value for your money.