Paris1972-Versailles2003

You know I love my road warrior trails in my belle France, this one was a memorable trip even if can find me one picture in my cd rom vault to share with you and me. There is so much here will take several days really and not counting the surrounding areas, Therefore, here is my take on this is Châteaudun !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

The City of Châteaudun is located in the Eure-et-Loir department 28 ,in the Centre-Val de Loire region of my belle France. The town is crossed by the Loir river, a tributary of the Loire, as well as by the Sarthe and Maine rivers. Châteaudun is accessible by six roads: one major road, the N10, which connects it to Chartres, and from there to Paris, and south to Tours; and five secondary roads: the D31 (towards Meung-sur-Loire), D924 (towards Blois), D925 (towards Beaugency), D927 (towards Pithiviers and Le Mans), and D955 (towards Orléans and Alençon). The town is not located in the immediate vicinity of autoroute/highways networks, but is not excessively far from them either. Thus, access to the A11 is either 32 km away (Exit 04 Brou), or 36 km away (Exit 03 Chartres), while access to the A10 is either 46 km away (Exit 12 Allaines), or 44 km away (Exit 14 Orléans-Nord). The City is 48 km from Chartres, 103 km from Tours, 52 km from Orléans, 113 km from Le Mans, 125 km from Versailles, and 376 km from my current home, I came here from Versailles along the N10 road to D910 to connect with the N10 again,by Chartres, took a bit on the rocade beltway on the N123 road, to connect with the D910 again, crossing under the A11 highway continue into the N10 continue to City center Châteaudun but bear right onto Rue de Chartres to Rue de Luynes to Place Jehan de Dunois, and the castle.

The Château de Châteaudun overlooks the Loir river. Perched on a limestone outcrop, it was originally a 12C fortress. Remodeled during the Renaissance to create a comfortable residence, the substantial main building is topped with an attic converted in the Gothic style. It notably retains an ornate staircase from that period. Proudly dominating the rocky spur, the donjon (keep) is one of the few remaining examples of 12C military architecture still standing. Standing 31 meters tall, with walls 4 meters thick and three vaulted levels, this imposing tower served both as a refuge during sieges and as a striking symbol of lordly power. In 1439, to reward his bravery, Charles VII appointed him Grand Chamberlain ,and Lord of Dunois,. Jehan de Dunois, thus became one of the most important dignitaries in the kingdom! he received the Château de Châteaudun, Jehan de Dunois, the new Count of Dunois, began to transform in 1452, adding a Gothic residence and a chapel. He had the old fortified castle demolished to build a Sainte-Chapelle with a wing that bears his name. The Dunois wing, built in the 1460s, is a veritable palace-castle that encloses huge kitchens with ribbed vaults, old bath chambers later refurbished into dungeons, an Old Regime courtroom dating from the 17C ,He remained its owner until his death, leaving a lasting mark on the history of both the castle and the town.

Other things to see here with more time me think are the 16C house at the corner of Rue de la Cuirasserie and Rue des Huileries; the 16C Maison Louis-Esnault at 2 Rue Saint-Lubin; the Renaissance house known as the Architects of the Castle at 11 Rue Saint-Médard; the Maison de la Vierge (House of the Virgin) and the remains of the Porte d’Abas (Abas Gate). The Place du 18-Octobre (October 18th Square) is located in the town center. This rectangular square measures approximately 120 meters long, with a secondary axis of about 80 meters. It bears the date of the Battle of Châteaudun, which took place on October 18, 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War. The town had seven parishes: Saint-Aignan, Saint-Jean-de-la-Chaîne, Saint-Lubin, La Madeleine, Saint-Médard, Saint-Pierre, and Saint-Valérien. Also of note are the Sainte-Chapelle, located within the walls of Châteaudun Castle, dating from the 15C; the Notre-Dame de la Boissière Chapel, on Rue des Fouleries, dating from the 13C, which previously belonged to the Knights Templar, who maintained a hospital there for Crusader pilgrims; the Museum of Fine Arts and Natural History; and the Italian-style theater, built in 1886. It is 32 meters long and 14 meters high. The theater is one of the few theaters to have retained its original wooden structure. Promenade du Mail, where the Monument dedicated to the defenders of Châteaudun was erected in 1870 and inaugurated on October 18, 1897.

A bit of history tell us that the presence of a Gallic oppidum is attested from Antiquity. It was on the promontory overlooking the Loir river that the oppidum was built, probably occupied by the Carnutes tribe. From the 10C onwards, viticulture developed in the Beauce region. The Dunois area was no exception, and the winegrower class became one of the most prominent in Châteaudun. A companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc, Jehan de Dunois, nicknamed the “Bastard of Orléans,” was one of the great military leaders of the Hundred Years’ War. A key figure in the liberation of Orléans in 1429, he faithfully served the crown and held several high-ranking positions. From 1721, the County of Châteaudun belonged to Marie-Charles-Louis d’Albert de Luynes, fifth Duke of Luynes, following the death of his mother, Louise-Léontine de Bourbon-Soissons-Neuchâtel. The fire of Sunday, June 20, 1723, played a significant role in the history of Châteaudun, as it destroyed a large part of the town. Reconstruction work began the following spring and was officially completed in 1733. In reality, many buildings were still under construction in 1773, such as the City/town hall, which was not finished until 1779. The Battle of Châteaudun was a significant event of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, pitting a Prussian army against a French army on October 18, 1870. In 1877, The city of Châteaudun became the fifth city in France to be awarded the Legion of Honour (Croix) for this feat of arms and this formidable resistance, which garnered international attention. In 1934, the airfield was established; it became Air Base 279 Châteaudun, one of the French Air Force’s air bases, for seventy years. The air base was closed in 2014. In 1938, Châteaudun contributed to welcoming Spanish refugees, and again in 1944 during the liberation. It was only on August 17, 1944, that Châteaudun regained its freedom. Châteaudun became a USAAF Ninth Air Force combat airfield, designated as “A-39” about 26 August, only a week after its capture from Nazis forces, Initially, the US 422d Night Fighter Squadron moved in and provided an air defense with P-61 Black Widows The Black Widows were replaced by the B-26 Marauders of the 387th Bombardment Group on 18 September, remaining until 30 October 1944. The last American combat unit to use the airfield was the 10th Reconnaissance Group, which flew a variety of photo-reconnaissance aircraft from the field during November 1944, With the combat units moving east with the front lines, Châteaudun became a transport airfield, with the US 439th Troop Carrier Group flying C-47 Skytrains from the field from 4 November 1944 until 7 September 1945. The Americans returned control of the field to the French Air Force then.

The Châteaudun tourist office on its heritage (see discover) : https://www.chateaudun-tourisme.fr/en

The official Château de Châteaudun : https://www.chateau-chateaudun.fr/

The City of Châteaudun on its heritage : https://www.ville-chateaudun.fr/transitions/patrimoine-naturel-culturel-historique-et-religieux/#

There you go folks, a wonderful visit to a nice city, Châteaudun! There is more to take you a couple days here me think, we will be back eventually, Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Châteaudun !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health , and many cheers to all !!!