Tours - Paris Study Tour | College Study Abroad

SPRING BLOCK I - TOURS

Once a Roman city, then a city of trade and merchants in the Middle Ages and the capital of the kingdom of France during the Renaissance, Tours regained some of its past prominence in the second half of the twentieth century. After bombing during World War II destroyed the historic city center and the area around the train station, the city government took the opportunity to develop Tours across the Loire river. The city renovated and reimagined a treasured urban heritage. This modern reawakening was further consolidated with the establishment of a major public university in the 1970s and the opening of a high-speed train connection with Paris in the 1990s. Tours is a major and central city in the Loire valley, a region known for its mild climate, its lifestyle—with gastronomy and wines featuring prominently—and its cream-colored limestone, the tuffeau, which gives buildings and châteaux a distinct luminous appearance.

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A masterpiece of gothic art, the Saint-Gatien cathedral is a mix of different styles. Built between the 12th and the 16th centuries (1170 – 1547, or almost 400 years!) on the remains of a Gallo-Roman city, it has a very ornate flamboyant façade, beautifully lit at night. In addition to its remarkable windows, it contains the tomb of the children of Anne de Bretagne and Charles VIII, carved around 1.500. Free entry.