Online Encyclopedia

river. The Loire traverses the south of the department by a broad valley which, though frequently devastated by disastrous floods, is famed for its See also:

rich tilled lands, its castles, its towns and its See also:

VINE

vine-clad slopes. To the See also:

north of the Loire are the Gatinais (See also:

capital See also:

MONTARGIS

Montargis) and the See also:

BEAUCE (Lat. Belsia)

Beauce; the former See also:

DISTRICT

district is so named from its geitines or wildernesses, of which See also:

SAFFRON (Arab. za'faran)

saffron is, along with See also:

HONEY (Chin. me ; Sansk. madhu, mead, honey; cf. A.S. medo, medu, mead; Gr. p Xt, in which 0 or b is changed into X; Lat. mel ; Fr. miel ; A.S. hung ; Ger. Honig)

honey, the most noteworthy product; the Beauce (q.v.), a monotonous See also:

TRACT (from Lat. tractare, to treat of a matter, through Provencal tractat and Ital. trattato)

tract of See also:

corn-See also:

FIELDS, JAMES THOMAS (1817-1881)

fields without either See also:

tree or river, has been called the granary of France. Between the Beauce and the Loire is the extensiveforest of Orleans, which is slowly disappearing before the advances of See also:

agriculture. South of the Loire is the See also:

SOLOGNE (Secalaunia from Lat. secale, rye)

Sologne, See also:

long barren and unhealthy from the impermeability of its subsoil, but now much improved in both respects by means of See also:

PINE (Lat. Pinus, Gr. srlrur)

pine See also:

PLANTATION (Lat. plantare, to plant)

plantation and draining and manuring operations. The highest point (on the See also:

BORDERS, THE

borders of Cher) is 900 ft. above See also:

sea-level, and the lowest (on the borders of Seine-et-Marne) is 220 ft. The See also:

WATERSHED

watershed on the See also:

plateau of Orleans between the basins of the Seine and Loire, which See also:

DIVIDE

divide Loiret almost equally between them, is almost imperceptible.

The lateral See also:

canal of the Loire from See also:

ROANNE

Roanne stops at See also:

BRIARE

Briare; from the latter See also:

TOWN

town a canal (canal de Briare) connects with the Seine by the Loing valley, which is joined by the Orleans canal below Montargis. The only important tributary of the Loire within the department is the Loiret; the Loing, a tributary of the Seine, has a course of 4o m. from south to north, and is accompanied first by the Briare canal and afterwards by that of the Loing. The Essonne, another important affluent of the Seine, leaving Loiret below See also:

MALESHERBES, CHRETIEN GUILLAUME DE LAMOIGNON DE (1721-1794)

Malesherbes, takes its rise on the plateau of Orleans, as also does its tributary the Juine. The department has the See also:

CLIMATE

climate of the Sequanian region, the mean temperature being a little above that of See also:

Paris; the rainfall varies from 18.5 to 27.5 in., according to the district, that of the exposed Beauce being See also:

LOWER

lower than that of the well-wooded Sologne. Hailstorms cause much destruction in the Loire valley and the neighbouring regions. The department is essentially agricultural in See also:

CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character. A large number of See also:

sheep, See also:

CATTLE (Norman Fr. catel, from Late Lat. capitale, wealth or property, a word applied in the feudal system to movable property and particularly to live stock, and surviving in its wider meaning as " chattel " or " chattle ")

cattle, horses and pigs are reared; poultry, especially geese, and bees are plentiful. The yield of See also:

wheat and oats is in excess of the See also:

CONSUMPTION (Lat. consumere)

consumption; See also:

rye, See also:

BARLEY (Hordeum sativum)

barley, meslin, potatoes, beetroot, colza and See also:

FORAGE

forage See also:

PLANTS

plants are also cultivated. See also:

WINE (Lat. vinum, Gr. oivos)

Wine in abundance, but of inferior quality, is grown on the hills of the Loire valley. See also:

BUCKWHEAT

Buckwheat supports bees by its See also:

FLOWERS, ARTIFICIAL

flowers, and poultry by its seeds. Saffron is another source of profit. The See also:

woods consist of See also:

OAK (O. Eng., (lc)

oak, See also:

elm, See also:

birch and pine; See also:

FRUIT (through the French from the Lat. fructus; frui, to enjoy)

fruit trees thrive in the department, and Orleans is a See also:

GREAT

great centre of nursery gardens.

The See also:

INDUSTRIES

industries are See also:

BRICK (derived according to some etymologists from the Teutonic bricke, a disk or plate; but more authoritatively, through the French brique, originally a " broken piece," applied especially to bread, and so to clay, from the Teutonic brikan, to break)

brick and See also:

TILE (0. Eng. tigel, Fr. tuile, connected with Lat. tegula)

tile making, and the manufacture of See also:

FAIENCE

faience, for which See also:

GIEN

Gien is one of the most important centres in France. The Briare manufacture of See also:

PORCELAIN

porcelain buttons and pearls employs many See also:

WORK

work-men. See also:

FLOUR

Flour-See also:

mills are very numerous. There are See also:

IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron and See also:

COPPER (symbol Cu, atomic weight 63.1, H=1, or 63.6, O = 16)

copper foundries, which, with agricultural See also:

IMPLEMENT (Lat. implementum, a filling up, from implere, to fill)

implement making, See also:

bell-See also:

FOUNDING (from Lat. fundere, to pour)

founding and the manufacture of pins, nails and files, represent the See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief See also:

metal-working industries. The See also:

PRODUCTION (Lat. productionem, from producere, to pro-duce)

production of See also:

HOSIERY

hosiery, See also:

WOOL, WORSTED AND WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES

wool-See also:

SPINNING (from O. Eng. spinnen, to spin, cf. Ger. spinnen, &c., the Teut. root is seen, to draw out, cf. span, spider)

spinning and various forms of wool manufacture are also engaged in. A large quantity of the wine grown is made into See also:

VINEGAR

vinegar (vinaigre d'Orleans). The tanneries produce excellent See also:

leather; and See also:

paper-making, See also:

SUGAR

sugar-refining, See also:

wax-See also:

BLEACHING

bleaching and the manufacture of caoutchouc See also:

COMPLETE

complete the See also:

list of industries. The four arrondissements are those of Orleans, Gien, Montargis and See also:

PITHIVIERS

Pithiviers, with 31 cantons and 349 communes. The department forms See also:

PART

part of the See also:

ACADEMIC

academic (educational See also:

DIVISION (from Lat. dividere, to break up into parts, separate)

division) of Paris. Besides Orleans, the capital, the more noteworthy places, Gien, Montargis, See also:

BEAUGENCY

Beaugency, Pithiviers, Briare and St Benoitsur-Loire, are separately noticed. Outside these towns notable examples of See also:

ARCHITECTURE (Lat. architectura, from the Gr. ap)(LTEKrwv, a master-builder)

architecture are found in the churches of Clery (15th See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century), of Ferrieres (13th and 14th centuries) of Puiseaux (12th and 13th centuries) and Meung (12th century). At Germigny-See also:

des-Pros there is a See also:

church built originally at the beginning of the 9th century and rebuilt in the 19th century, on the old See also:

plan and to some extent with the old materials.

Yevre-le-Chatel has an interesting See also:

CHATEAU (from Lat. castellum, fortress, through O. Fr. chastel, chasteau)

chateau of the 13th century, and See also:

Sully-sur-Loire the See also:

FINE

fine See also:

MEDIEVAL

medieval chateau rebuilt at the beginning of the 17th century by Maximilien de See also:

Bethune, See also:

DUKE (corresponding to Fr. duc, Ital. duca, Ger. Herzog)

duke of Sully, the famous See also:

MINISTER (Lat. minister, servant)

minister of See also:

Henry IV. There are remains of a Gallo-See also:

ROMAN

Roman town (perhaps the ancient Vellaunodunum) at Trigueres and of a Roman See also:

AMPHITHEATRE (Gr. 441, around, and O&arpov, a place for spectators)

amphitheatre near Montbouy. LOIR-ET-CHER, a department of central France, formed in 1790 from a small portion of See also:

TOURAINE

Touraine, the See also:

PERCHE

Perche, but chiefly from the Dunois, Vend8mois and Blesois, portions of Orleanais. It is bounded N. by Eure-et-Loir, N.E. by Loiret, S.E. by Cher, S. by See also:

INDRE

Indre, S.W. by Indre-et-Loire and N.W. by See also:

SARTHE

Sarthe. Pop. (1906) 276,019. Area, 2479 sq. m. The department takes its name from the Loir and the Cher by which it is traversed in the north and south respectively. The Loir rises on the eastern border of the Perche and joins the See also:

Maine after a course of 295 m.; the Cher rises on the Central Plateau near See also:

Aubusson, and reaches the Loire after a course of 219 m. The Loire flows through the department from north-See also:

east to south-See also:

west, and divides it into two nearly equal portions. To the south-east is the district of the Sologne, to the north-west the rich wheat-growing See also:

COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country of the Beauce (q.v.) which stretches to the Loir. Beyond that river lies the Perche.

The See also:

SURFACE

surface of this region, which contains the highest See also:

ALTITUDE (Lat. altitudo, from altus, high)

altitude in the department (840 ft.), is varied by hills, valleys, hedged fields and orchards. The Sologne was formerly a region of forests, of which those in the neighbourhood of See also:

Chambord are the last remains. Its See also:

SOIL

soil, once barren and marshy, has been considerably improved by draining and afforestation, though pools are still very numerous. The district is much frequented by sportsmen. The Cher and Loir See also:

TRAVERSE

traverse pleasant valleys, occasionally bounded by walls of tufa in which dwellings have been excavated, as at See also:

Les Roches in the Loir valley; the See also:

stone, hardened by exposure to the See also:

air, is also used for See also:

BUILDING

building purposes. The Loire and, with•the help of the Berry canal, the Cher are navigable. The chief remaining See also:

rivers of the department are the Beuvron, which flows into the Loire on the See also:

LEFT

left, and the Sauldre, a right-See also:

hand affluent of the Cher. The climate is temperate and mild, though that of the Beauce tends to dryness and that of the Sologne to dampness. The mean See also:

ANNUAL

annual temperature is between 52° and S30 F. The department is primarily agricultural, yielding abundance of wheat and oats. Besides these the chief products are {ye, wheat and potatoes. Vines thrive on the valley slopes, the vineyards falling into four See also:

groups—those of the Cher, which yield fine red wines, the Sologne, the Blesois and the Vendomois.

In the valleys fruit-trees and nursery gardens are numerous; the See also:

ASPARAGUS

asparagus of See also:

ROMORANTIN

Romorantin and VendSmc is well-known. The Sologne supplies pine and birch for See also:

FUEL (O. Fr. feuaile, popular Lat. focalia, from focus, hearth, fire)

fuel, and there are extensive forests around See also:

BLOIS

Blois and on both sides of the Loir. Pasture is of See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good quality in the valleys. Sheep are the chief stock; the Perche breed of horses is much sought after for its See also:

COMBINATION (Lat. combinare, to combine)

combination of lightness and strength. See also:

BEE (Sanskrit blza, AS. ben, Lat. apis)

Bee-farming is of some importance in the Sologne. Formerly the speciality of Loir-et-Cher was the production of See also:

gun-flints. Stone-quarries are numerous. The chief industries are the See also:

CLOTH

cloth-manufacture of Romorantin, and leather-dressing and See also:

GLOVE (O. Eng. glof, perhaps connected with Gothic lofa, the palm of the hand)

glove-making at See also:

Vendome; and See also:

lime-burning, flour-milling, distilling, saw-milling, paper-making and the manufacture of " sabots " and boots and shoes, hosiery and See also:

LINEN

linen goods, are carried on. The department is served chiefly by the Orleans railway. The arrondissements are those of Blois, Romorantin and Vendome, with 24 cantons and 297 communes. Loir-et-Cher forms part of the educational division (academie) of Paris. Its See also:

court of See also:

APPEAL

appeal and the headquarters of the V. See also:

army See also:

CORPS (pronounced as in French, from which it is taken, being a late spelling of tors, from Lat. corpus, a body; cf. " corpse ")

corps, to the regions of which it belongs, are at Orleans.

Blois, the capital, Vendome, Romorantin and Chambord are noticed separately. In addition to those of Blois and Chambord there are numerous fine chateaux in the department, of which that of Montrichard with its See also:

DONJON (from a Late Lat. accusative form domnionem, connected with domnus or dominus, a lord)

donjon of the lrth century, that of Chaumont dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, and that of Cheverny (17th century) in the See also:

LATE

late See also:

RENAISSANCE, THE

Renaissance See also:

style are the most important. Those at St Aignan, Lassay, Lavardin and Cellettes may also be mentioned. Churches wholly or in part of Romanesque architecture are found at Faverolles, Selles-sur-Cher, St Aignan and Suevres. The See also:

VILLAGE

village of Troo is built See also:

close to ancient tumuli and has an interesting church of the 12th century, and among other remains those of a See also:

LAZAR

lazar-See also:

house of the Romanesque See also:

period. At Pontlevoy are the church, consisting of a fine See also:

CHOIR (0. Fr. cuer from Lat. chorus; pronounced quire, and until the end of the 17th century so spelt, the spelling being altered to agree with the Fr. chceur)

choir in the See also:

GOTHIC

Gothic style, and the buildings of a See also:

BENEDICTINE

Benedictine See also:

abbey. At La Poissonniere (near Montoire) is a small Renaissance See also:

MANOR

manor-house, in which See also:

RONSARD, PIERRE DE (1524-1585)

Ronsard was See also:

BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born in 1524.

End of Article: LOIREP

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.

» Add information or comments to this article.

Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.

Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
LOIRE

[next]
LOISY, ALFRED FIRIIIIN (1857– )