Once upon a time in Azay-le-Rideau
– Destination –
Azay-le-Rideau is primarily a small town of 3,500 inhabitants, a local life made up of encounters and an intense network of associations. At the crossroads of Cycling Loire and Cycling Indre, on hiking trails, we are in a land of orchards, crafts and know-how.
Today, Azay-le-Rideau is part of the Touraine Vallée de l'Indre Community of Communes, a dynamic territory adjacent to Tours Val de Loire Metropole.
But if you don't live in Touraine, you probably know Azay-le-Rideau for its chateau which is reflected in its water miror. One of the most beautiful castles in the Loire, it marks the beginning of the Renaissance here. You will discover another chateau in Azay-le-Rideau - the Château de l'Islette, which hosted the love affair of Camille Claudel and Rodin - and an exceptional location in the Loire Valley.
Azay… but why le rideau ?
In the 12th century, Azay was a fortress protecting the road from Tours to Chinon. The name of lords of this place was Ridel.
Ridel became Rideau and the small town was called Azay-le-Rideau. Its inhabitants are still called Ridellois and Ridelloises!
The treaty of Azay-le-Rideau: a bit of History
At that time, Touraine is ruled by the county of Anjou. Henri II Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, after having married Eleanor of Aquitaine and having conquered England, of which he had inherited the crown from his mother, is at the head of a real empire extending from Scotland to the Pyrenees. His possessions include the western half of what is now France, at the expense of the king, of whom he is theoretically the vassal.
The Capetians will only begin to regain the ascendancy with Philippe Auguste, during the capitulation of a Henry II sick and betrayed by his sons Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland, on July 4, 1189, in Azay-le-Rideau .
Azay-le-Brulé, an ancient nickname
Much later, at the beginning of the 15th century, the future Charles VII had to leave Paris where he was no longer safe. The Burgundians indeed allied, against him, with the English and with his father Charles VI, frequently seized with madness. The dolphin took refuge in Bourges then in Chinon.
While the young Charles passed by Azay-le-Rideau, the Burgundians, who held the stronghold, stupidly provoked him by throwing jokes at him. Charles ordered the assault, had the 350 Burgundian soldiers massacred, had the town set on fire. Azay kept the nickname of Azay-le-Brulé (Azay-the-Burnt) for a long time.
