The great history of the Loire Through engravings and clichés

Living with the Loire hasn’t always been easy. Inhabitants who fell victim to flooding, makeshift boat crossings and the fragility of bridges in the face of weather hazards such as ice break-up, gave the people of the Loire the image of a robust population. Yet the Loire has also given a lot, and it’s for these reasons that life along the river has taken off: food, transport, fertile land, crafts… Life was good once you understood the rules of the river, and the kings of France made no mistake when they built their chateaux nearby.

The engravings show just how important the river was. Navigation was intense, with peripheral trades occupying the docks and neighboring districts: loading/unloading goods, boat maintenance and crew life (sleeping, eating…).

Find out more in the following books

Batellerie de Loire, françoise de Person
Histoire de la Marine de Loire, Patrick Villiers and Annick Senotier
Un drôle de voyage: une remontée de la Loire avec les mariniers au 17ème siècle, Bruno Guignard

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Frac41018 5fi 0178 1920x1257 Blois Before 1724 Archives Municipales De Blois
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Archives Municipales De Blois

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Gravure De Bloisarchives Municipales De Blois
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archives Municipales De Blois

Life on the Loire

Daily life revolved around the Loire, as barrels were made on the quays, tanners had their hides rinsed and, in the 19th century, wash boats facilitated the work of the washerwomen.

Boats became more and more efficient, and Denis Papin, a native of Blois, was no stranger to this. The steam engine launched a new generation of boats, such as the Inexplosible or the Fram, the last of which was built to transport Poulain chocolate (from the historic Blois factory). By 1898, the railroads had already supplanted the river.

The Loire today

Leisure facilities

Since the 1960s and the development of vacations for all, the banks of the Loire have taken on a seaside feel. Leisure facilities flourished, and sailing clubs and campsites sprang up, giving rise to guinguettes restaurants and even a swimming pool in Blois.

Development projects were sometimes ambitious and harmful to the Loire ecosystem: dams, imposing buildings requiring solid foundations to withstand flooding…

In 1992, associations for the protection of the river were formed to restore the threatened flora and fauna to their rightful place. The Observatoire Loire in Blois, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, is focusing on education: teaching and raising public awareness. This approach has led to the creation of boat trips, the construction of wooden boats, educational workshops for schools and a scenography based on the major themes of the Loire.

1964The prodigious city of weekends

At the same time as negotiations on the construction of the Blois-Vineuil dam were taking place, studies were being carried out to develop the new area taking shape around the two banks of the Loire. The idea was to create a vast sports, tourist and residential complex, stretching from the current third bridge of Blois to Saint-Denis-sur-Loire. The development plans call for the construction of a casino, a racecourse, a zoo, a residential complex and various leisure buildings, as shown on a plan published in Le Journal du Dimanche on January 12, 1964. However, this “prodigious weekend city” did not meet with unanimous approval and divided society.

In the same vein

The little city of character

History through the bridges of Blois-Chambord

Base de loisirs du Domino

La Loire