Tours

Tours, city in west central France, capital of Indre-et-Loire Department, on the Loire River. Tours is a market center for the fertile Loire Valley region and has industries manufacturing printed materials, chemicals, machinery, processed food, and textiles. It also serves as a center for trips to the castles of the historic Loire Valley. Places of interest in Tours include the famous Gothic Cathedral of Saint Gatien, begun in the 12th century and completed in the 16th century, with a richly ornamented facade and magnificent stained-glass windows. Near the center of Tours are two towers, the only remains of the Abbey of Saint Martin, named for St. Martin, who was bishop of Tours in the 4th century, and mentioned in the 6th century by the noted Frankish historian Gregory of Tours. Other famous churches of the city include the 13th-century Notre Dame la Riche (restored 19th century) and the 15th-century Saint Saturnin. The University of Tours (1970) is here.

The name of the city is derived from the Gallic tribe of Turones. After its conquest by Rome, it was named Altinos, and later Caesarodunum. It was Christianized about 250 and became the seat of an important bishopric, later an archbishopric. In the 5th century the name of the city was changed to Civitas Turonorum (City of the Turones), later corrupted to Tours. The city was captured by the Visigoths (see Goths) in 473 and by Clovis I, king of the Franks, in 507. It was at a point between Poitiers and Tours in 732 that forces led by the Frankish ruler Charles Martel repulsed the invading Moors and thus arrested their advance in Europe. Later, the city became the capital of Touraine. Under the Valois kings of France, particularly Louis XI, who established a silk industry here in the 1460s, Tours became an important commercial center. During the Franco-Prussian War, it was the provisional capital of France from October 1870 until it was occupied by German troops in January 1871. It was again the temporary seat of the French government in June 1940, during World War II. It was badly damaged later (1944) in the war. Population (2005 estimate) 136,600.