Online dictionary of France travel and tourism: human heritage

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Amboise castle

French words: Château d'Amboise
alternative words: Amboise, Château d'Amboise
keywords: castle , human heritage , loire region , tourist resort
related topics: Tours
related web sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Amboise , http://www.chateau-amboise.com , http://www.renaissance-amboise.com , http://www.amboise-valdeloire.com
explanation: Occupying a strategic point on the southern bank of Loire river between Tours and Blois, King Charles VII confiscated the castle from the lord due to his treason. King Charles VIII, born at Amboise , began to enlarge it in 1492. After an expedition to Italy, he brought not only Italian furniture but also artists to make it very Italian. King Francois 1st, raised there, continued to improve the castle before moving his court to Blois. Leonardo Da Vinci spent his last life as a guest of Francois at Amboise.

Amiens Cathedral

French words: Cathédrale d'Amiens , Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens
alternative words: Notre-Dame of Amiens, Cathedral of Amiens
keywords: church , human heritage , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www.learn.columbia.edu/Amiens.html , http://www.amiens.fr , http://www.u-picardie.fr/~patrick/Cathedrale/visite.html
explanation: The old Roman style church burned out by fire in 1218, the bishop of Amiens Richard de Gerberoy, wanted a new gothic style cathedral, to settle a relic of Saint Jean Baptist. Built between 1220 -1264, Notre-Dame of Amiens is the largest cathedral in volume (200,000 m3) in France with the highest nave (42 m). Restored by the architect, Viollet-le-Duc in 1849 and survived WWII, Cathedral of Amiens was classed as a world heritage of Unesco in 1981, thanks to its unified aspect and richly decorated frontage.

Angers

French words: Angers
keywords: human heritage , loire region , tourist resort , town
related web sites: http://www.angers.fr , http://www.angers-tourisme.com
explanation: Located on the bank of Maine river near the confluence with Loire, Angers was founded by the Celtic tribe Andes. After a marriage of the count of Anjou, Geoffrey V with English queen, Matilda, in 1127, their son Henri II founded Plantagenet dynasty. Though Angers was conquered by French king Philippe II in 1204, it continued to be disputed between English and French until 15th century. Angers is the capital of Amine-et-Loire prefecture with population 151,000. Its main activities are electronics and winery.

Arles amphitheater

French words: Arènes d'Arles , Amphithéâtre d'Arles
alternative words: Arles arena, Arles
keywords: human heritage , roman remains , southern france , theater , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www.arenes-arles.com , http://www.memo.fr/LieuAVisiter.asp?ID=VIS_FRA_ARL_003
explanation: Built at the same epoch as the city's foundation as a Roman colony in 46 BC, Arles arena was one of the largest in Roman empire (136x107m). Thanks to an ingenious combination of galleries and stairs, 21000 persons could watch spectacles. During Middle Ages, the arena was squatted by several hundreds of people but cleaned up only in 19th century. Now it is served to organize music concerts and bull fighting (tauromachie). Since 1981, all the antic monuments of Arles belongs to a human heritage of UNESCO.

Avignon

French words: Avignon
keywords: human heritage , southern france , tourist resort , town
related topics: Pope palace , Avignon bridge
related web sites: http://www.ot-avignon.fr , http://www.avignon.fr , http://www.festival-avignon.com , http://www.avignon-tourisme.com
explanation: Located in southern France on the bank of Rhone river, Avignon had been a small town in the shadow of other big Roman cities like Orange, Arles and Nimes nearby. In 737, Charles Martel destroyed Avignon because it had supported Saracens while in 1226 by Louis VIII because of Catharism. Avignon seizes a chance when the pontificate moved there in 1309. Enlisted to human heritage since 1995, Avignon is the capital of Vaucluse prefecture and the population 86000. It organizes "Festival of Avignon" each summer.

Avignon bridge

French words: Pont d'Avignon , Pont Saint-Benézet
alternative words: Pont d'Avignon, Saint Benezet bridge
keywords: human heritage , southern france , tourist resort
related topics: Avignon
related web sites: http://www.avignon.fr/fr/culture/musees/pont.php , http://www.romanes.com/Avignon/SaintBenezet/ , http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/avignon/monuments/stBenezet/
explanation: Though there had existed already a Roman bridge over the Rhone at Avignon, after its disappearance, there was no more bridge between Lyon and Mediterranean Sea In order to remedy this situation, Saint Benezet collected donations to build a new one. This bridge, achieved in 1185 had 22 arches and 4m width, not enough to dance in circle contrary to a popular song. It was destroyed in 1226 during a crusade against Cathars by King Louis VIII, but soon replaced by another with Saint Nicolas Chapel over deck.

Azay-le-rideau castle

French words: Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
alternative words: Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, Azay-le-Rideau
keywords: castle , human heritage , loire region , tourist resort
related topics: Tours
related web sites: http://www.linternaute.com/sortir/chateaux-loire/7.shtml , http://www.loire-france.com/visites/chateaux/azay-le-rideau/ , http://www.casteland.com/pfr/chateau/centre/indreloire/azay/azay_hist.htm
explanation: There had existed already a medieval castle on an islet inside Indre, tributary of Loire, since 11th century, but the crown prince (future Charles VII) being insulted by the garrison of the castle in 1418, he ordered to burn it out. Later, King's treasurer and Tours' mayor, Gilles Berthelot, began to build a new castle in 1518, inspired by Blois castle. Though, Gilles, being accused of a fraud, couldn't add the eastern wing, its stairwell is one of the master pieces among French renaissance style castles.

Beziers

French words: Béziers
keywords: human heritage , southern france , tourist resort , town , wine
related topics: Canal du midi
related web sites: http://www.ville-beziers.fr , http://www.beziers-tourisme.fr
explanation: Located in southern France on the bank of Orb river, Beziers had been inhabited by Greeks in 5th century BC. Romans built a new colony named Baeterrae in 36-35 BC and its wine already exported to Rome. After a chaos of the end of Roman empire, Beziers was invaded by Saracens in 8th century. In 1209, as a stronghold of Cathars, the inhabitants of Beziers were massacred by Albigensian Crusade. The bridge of "Canal du midi" crossing over Orb river nearby belongs to the human heritage. Its population 80,000.

Blois castle

French words: Château de Blois
alternative words: Blois, Château de Blois
keywords: castle , human heritage , loire region , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www-02.ville-blois.fr , http://www.casteland.com/puk/castle/centre/loir_cher/blois/blois_desc.htm
explanation: Located at the hill which commands Blois on the northern bank of Loire river, there had existed already a medieval castle since Carolingian period, but only the Chamber of the Estates General in the north and the tower of Foix in the south remain until today. The real expansion of the castle started when King Louis XII installed his court there in 1498 and added a renaissance flavour to it. The next king, Francois 1st transformed it to a full renaissance style castle with a magnificent spiral stairwell.

Bordeaux

French words: Bordeaux
keywords: human heritage , tourist resort , town , wine
related web sites: http://www.bordeaux-tourisme.com , http://www.bordeaux.fr
explanation: Located in southwest of France on the Garonne river, Bordeaux was founded by a Celtic tribe in 3th century B.C. and a prosperous town, called Burdigala, of Roman empire. After a marriage of Eleonore de Guyenne with the future King Henry II in 1152, Bordeaux had been an English fief until 1453 and its wine got a fame. Saint André cathedral was enlisted in Uesco's human heritage in 1998 as a monument of Santiago de Compostela pilgrim. Bordeaux is the capital of Aquitaine region and its population 224000.

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