Le Grand-Pressigny ~ 2 ~

Tomorrow, I'll get back to the neighborhood get-together I've been describing in previous topics. Meanwhile, here's a little travelogue, as planned, showing some scenes around the little town of Le Grand-Pressigny (pop. 1,150) in the Sud Touraine.

When we drove down there last April, we parked up by the château, which is at the top of the town. The hilltop that the château occupies was fortified by the end of the 12th century. It was the scene of confrontations between the king of France and the Plantagenêts of Anjou back then and later, during the 100 Years War, between the French and the English kings.


Today, part of the château is home to a Musée de la Préhistoire. Archeological digs have shown that the area was a important site in prehistoric times, going back as far as the Stone Age, when the locals fabricated tools out of flint on a very large scale. The flint tools were used in agriculture and were exported as far as Belgium and Switzerland.

Old house in Le Grand-Pressigny

The town down the hill from the château is quiet and picturesque. The weather on April 11 was gorgeous, and Sue, Walt and I spent a couple of hours wandering the streets and taking photos.

Sue and Walt reflected in a mirror on the streets of Le Grand-Pressigny