Château du Plessis-lès-Tours, dernière demeure de Louis XI

La Riche

At La Riche, at the gates of Tours, the Plessis was Louis XI's favourite residence. In 1468 the king bought the lordship of Montils-lès-Tours in order to build a residence there, which later took the name Plessis. He died there on 30 August 1483. According to English Wikipedia, he had brought to his side Francis of Paola, the Calabrian hermit, until his death. His successors stayed at the Plessis and altered the buildings. In 1589, after the assassination of the duke of Guise, Henry III met the future Henry IV there and sealed the alliance against the League. Neglected in the 17th and 18th centuries, the château was largely demolished, about three quarters around 1796 according to English Wikipedia. One wing remains, restored in the 19th and 20th centuries. The black legend of the place is persistent: a vaulted dungeon known as “de La Ballue” and cages in which prisoners were supposedly confined, among them Cardinal La Balue for eleven years. Techno-science points out that the term “fillètes” in fact designated the prisoners' chains. These cages therefore belong to tradition; to be verified.

Getting there: Rue du Plessis, in La Riche, near Tours; opening to the public has not been verified. Coordinates: OpenStreetMap (Nominatim) and Peakvisor, consistent.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound