Tours
Sign in to saveTours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 138,668 inhabitants as of 2022 while the population of the whole metropolitan area was 526,370.
AI overview
Tours is the largest city in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France and serves as the administrative center of the Indre-et-Loire department. With a city population of about 138,000 people and a metropolitan area of over 526,000, it is a significant population center in central France.
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Place details
- Locality
- Tours
- Region
- Centre-Val de Loire
- Country
- France
- Population
- 141,621
- Timezone
Article
30 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Middle Ages
- 16th–18th centuries
- 19th to 20th centuries
- First World War
- Inter-war years
- Second World War
- Post-war developments
- Climate
- Sights
- Cathedral
- Other points of interest
- Language
- City
- Population
- Transportation
- Sport
- Catholics from Tours
- Notable people
- Public service
- Arts
- Science and business
- Sport
- Twin towns — sister cities
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 138,668 inhabitants as of 2022 while the population of the whole metropolitan area was 526,370.
Tours sits on the lower reaches of the Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Formerly named Caesarodunum by its founder, Roman Emperor Augustus, it possesses one of the largest amphitheaters of the Roman Empire, the Tours Amphitheatre. Known for the Battle of Tours in 732 AD, it is a National Sanctuary with connections to the Merovingians and the Carolingians, with the Capetians making the kingdom's currency the Livre tournois. Saint Martin and Gregory of Tours were from Tours. Tours was once part of Touraine, a former province of France. Tours was the first city of the silk industry. It was taken by Louis XI, as the royal capital under the Valois Kings with its Loire castles and city of art with the School of Tours. The prefecture was partially destroyed during the French Wars of Religion in the late 16th century and again during the Second World War in June 1940.