BlogaboutLoiret

Loiret lies at the heart of the Loire valley, an area of woodland, heaths and lakes which is a paradise for nature lovers. The great city of Orleans is the largest city and the most northern point of the Loire river, and is easily reached by L’Aquitaine autoroute from Paris . It is a big busy city, much bombarded by the Germans in World War II but with an old quarter that has been painstakingly restored. Place du Matroi is at the centre dominated by a statue of Jeanne d’Arc, heroine of the city. On Place de Gaulle is the Maison de Jeanne d’Arc, where she stayed in 1429, now a museum devoted to her life and military achievements. The Cathedrale Ste Croix has been ravaged and restored several times since it was first built in the 13th century, but still has a lovely rose window, a window depicting Jeanne d’Arc and a rich treasury. Also worth visiting is the Musée des Beaux Arts, on Place St Croix, with a fine collection which includes works by Chardin and Velasquez, and the Musée Historique et Archeologique, where you can see remarkable Celtic statues. Orleans is famous for its gardens, in particular the huge Parc Floral de la Source, a 100 acre nature park on the outskirts. It is particularly splendid seen in May and June when over 900 varieities of irises come into bloom!

Economy
Of the 1,669,332 acres (675,555 ha) of land in the department, 975,000 acres (395,000 ha) are arable, 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) are vines, 60,000 acres (24,000 ha) are pasture, 280,000 acres (110,000 ha) are forested, 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) are plantations and orchards and 140,000 acres (57,000 ha) are unproductive moorland and heathland. The soil is in general fertile and productive; the Beauce is the main wheat-growing region, oats are widely cultivated and rye is also grown. Other crops include fruit, asparagus, saffron and herbs. Vines are cultivated and wine produced, and the area is noted for its fruit preservation. Bee-keeping also takes place and honey is produced.[7] Loiret has little industrial development, and commerce is centred about the sale of corn, timber, cattle, chestnuts, cider, honey, flour, fruits, fish, salt, saffron and wool. The only minerals extracted are stone, limestone, marl and clay.[7]

Loiret is one of the original 83 departments that was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790 by order of the National Constituent Assembly. The new departments were to be uniformly administered and approximately equal to one another in size and population.

It was created from the former province of Orléanais which was too large to continue in its previous form.[3]

The Loire Valley was occupied in Palaeolithic times as attested by numerous archaeological sites in the department. The Celts were here, bringing crafts and trades, and the Romans occupied the area after the Gallic Wars. They built roads and founded cities such as Cenabum, on the site of present-day Orléans, and Sceaux-du-Gâtinais. Around 451, the Huns invaded the region but were repelled before reaching Cenabum. The Franks reached the Loire and Clovis I reigned in the area. A time of peace and prosperity ensued during the reign of Charlemagne.[4

Loiret (/lwɑːˈreɪ/;[1] French: [lwaʁɛ]) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. It takes its name from the Loiret (a left-bank tributary of the river Loire), which is located wholly within the department. In 2016, Loiret had a population of 674,330.

Its prefecture is Orléans, which is about 110 km (68 mi) southwest of Paris. As well as being the regional prefecture, it is a historic city on the banks of the Loire. It has a large central area with many historic buildings and mansions. Orléans Cathedral, dating back to the 13th century, was rebuilt after Protestant forces destroyed it in 1568. Loiret has two subprefectures, in Montargis and Pithiviers. It is famous for its several châteaux.