View source for Tours

{{Short description|City in Centre-Val de Loire, France}}
{{about|the city in France|other uses|Tour (disambiguation){{!}}Tour}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Tours
|commune status     = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image              = {{multiple image
|perrow = 1/1/3/2
|border = infobox
|total_width = 250
|image1 = Tram et hôtel de ville de Tours.JPG
|caption1 = [[Hôtel de Ville, Tours|Hôtel de Ville]]
|image2 = Tours Place Plumereau 1.jpg
|caption2 = Medieval buildings on Place Plumereau
|image3 = Tours Cathédrale Saint-Gatien Fassade 5.jpg
|caption3 = [[Tours Cathedral]]
|image4 = Vieux tours, hôtel Gouin 15 et 16ém , rue du commerce.jpg
|caption4 = [[Hôtel Goüin]]
|image5 = Tours Basilique Saint-Martin Chor 2.jpg
|caption5 = [[Basilica of Saint Martin, Tours|Basilica of Saint Martin]]
|image6 = Pont Wilson a Tours DSC 0461.jpg
|caption6 = Pont Wilson over the [[Loire]]
|image7 = Jardin des Prébendes - Vue.jpg
|caption7 = Prébendes d'Oé garden
}}
|image flag         = Flag of Tours.gif
|image coat of arms = Blason tours 37.svg
|image coat of arms size = 80px
|arrondissement     = Tours
|canton             = [[Cantons of Tours|Tours-1 <br /> Tours-2 <br /> Tours-3 <br /> Tours-4]]
|mayor              = [[Emmanuel Denis]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|party              = [[Europe Ecology – The Greens|The Greens]]
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = [[Tours Métropole Val de Loire]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|47.393611|0.689167|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        =
|elevation min m    = 44
|elevation max m    = 119
|area km2           = 34.7
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|INSEE              = 37261
|postal code        = 37000, 37100, 37200
|urban pop=359992
|metro area pop=516973
|metro area pop date=2018
|urban pop date=2018
|urban area date=2018
|urban area km2=684.9
|metro area date=2018
|metro area km2=3631.6
|population ranking=[[List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants|26th in France]]
|demonym=''Tourangeau'' (masculine)<br>''Tourangelle'' (feminine)
}}

'''Tours''' ({{IPAc-en|t|ʊər}} {{respell|TOOR}}; {{IPA|fr|tuʁ|lang|Fr-Paris--Tours.ogg}}) is the largest city in the region of [[Centre-Val de Loire]], France. It is the [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] of the [[Departments of France|department]] of [[Indre-et-Loire]]. The [[Communes of France|commune]] of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole [[functional area (France)|metropolitan area]] was 516,973.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=AAV2020-019+UU2020-37701+COM-37261 |title=Comparateur de territoire|publisher=[[INSEE]]|access-date=16 June 2022}}</ref>

Tours sits on the lower reaches of the [[Loire]], between [[Orléans]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coast. Formerly named Caesarodunum by its founder, Roman [[Augustus|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 [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingians]] and the [[Carolingian dynasty|Carolingians]], with the [[Capetian dynasty|Capetians]] making the kingdom's currency the [[Livre tournois]]. [[Martin of Tours|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 of France|Louis XI]], as the royal capital under the [[House of Valois|Valois Kings]] with its [[Loire Valley|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 [[World War II|Second World War]] in June 1940.

The White and Blue city keeps a historical centre registered in the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|UNESCO]], and is home to the Vieux-Tours, a [[Patrimonialism|patrimonial]] site. The garden city has a green heritage and its urban landscape has been strongly influenced by its natural space. The historic city is nicknamed "''Le Petit Paris''". The city is a [[University of Tours|university city]] with more than 30,000 students in 2019. Tours is a popular culinary city with specialties such as: [[rillettes]], rillons, [[Loire Valley (wine)|Touraine vineyards]], AOC [[Sainte-Maure de Touraine|Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine]] cheeses and [[nougat]]s. The city is also the end-point of the annual [[Paris–Tours]] [[Road bicycle racing|cycle race]]. The region, due to its history and culture, has always been a land of birth or host to many personalities and international sporting events.

== Etymology ==
A popular folk etymology of the word "Tours" is that it comes from ''Turonus'', the nephew of [[Brutus of Troy|Brutus]]. Turonus died in a war between [[Corineus]] and the king of [[Aquitaine]], [[Goffar the Pict|Goffarius Pictus]], provoked by Corineus hunting in the king's forests without permission. It is said that Turonus was buried in Tours and the city is founded around his grave.<ref>''Historia Brittonum'' [[wikisource:History of the Britons#2.7|7]], [[wikisource:History of the Britons#2.10|10–11]]</ref>

==History==

{{see also|Timeline of Tours|Tours_Amphitheatre#In_the_ancient_city|label 2 = Tours Amphitheatre in the ancient city}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2021}}
In [[Gaul|Gallic]] times, Tours was an important crossing point over the [[Loire]]. It became part of the [[Roman Empire]] during the 1st century AD, and the city was named ''{{lang|la|Caesarodunum}}'' ("hill of Caesar"). The name evolved in the 4th century when the original [[Gaulish language|Gallic]] name, [[Turones]], became ''Civitas Turonum'' and then ''Tours''. It was at this time that the [[Tours Amphitheatre]] was built.

Tours became a metropolis in the Roman province of [[Lugdunum]] towards 380–388 AD, dominating [[Maine (province)|Maine]], Brittany, and the [[Loire Valley]]. One important figure in the city was Saint [[Martin of Tours]], a bishop who shared his coat with a naked beggar in [[Amiens]]. The importance of Martin in the medieval Christian West made Tours, and its position on the route of pilgrimage to [[Santiago de Compostela]], a major centre during the Middle Ages.

===Middle Ages===
In the 6th century, [[Gregory of Tours]], author of the ''Ten Books of History'', restored a cathedral destroyed by a fire in 561. Saint Martin's monastery benefited from its inception, at the very start of the 6th century from patronage and support from the Frankish king, [[Clovis I]], which increased considerably the influence of the saint, the abbey and the city in Gaul. In the 9th century, Tours was at the heart of the [[Carolingian Renaissance]], in particular because of [[Alcuin]], of York in Northumbria, a renowned book collector and an abbot of [[Marmoutier Abbey (Tours)|Marmoutier Abbey]].

In 732, [[Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi]] and an army of Muslim horsemen from [[Al-Andalus]] advanced {{convert|500|km|-2|abbr=off}} deep into France, and were stopped at the [[Battle of Tours]] at [[Vouneuil-sur-Vienne|Moussais-la-Bataille]]<ref>The Andalusian History, from the Islamic conquest till the fall of Granada 92–897 A.H. (711–1492 C.E.), by Professor [[:ar:عبد الرحمن علي الحجي|AbdurRahman Ali El-Hajji]], a professor of the Islamic history at Baghdad University, published in Dar Al-Qalam, in Damascus, and in Beirut. "Second Edition". p. 194</ref> (between [[Châtellerault]] and [[Poitiers]]) by [[Charles Martel]] and his infantry. The Muslim army was defeated, preventing an Islamic conquest of France.

In 845, Tours repelled the first attack of the [[Viking]] chief [[Haesten]]. In 850, the Vikings settled at the mouths of the [[Seine]] and the Loire. Still led by Haesten, they went up the Loire again in 852 and sacked [[Angers]], Tours and Marmoutier Abbey.

During the Middle Ages, Tours consisted of two juxtaposed and competing centres. The "City" in the east, successor of the late Roman '[[Gallo-Roman enclosure of Tours|castrum]]', was composed of the cathedral and palace of the archbishops as well as the castle of Tours. The castle of Tours acted as a seat of the authority of the Counts of Tours (later Counts of Anjou) and the King of France. In the west, the "new city" structured around the Abbey of Saint Martin was freed from the control of the city during the 10th century (an enclosure was built towards 918) and became "Châteauneuf". This space, organized between Saint Martin and the Loire, became the economic centre of Tours. Between these two centres were Varennes, vineyards and fields, little occupied except for the Abbaye Saint-Julien established on the banks of the Loire. The two centres were linked during the 14th century.
[[File:Tudor buildings in Tours, France.jpg|thumb|''Place Plumereau'', Medieval buildings]]

Tours became the capital of the county of Tours or [[Touraine]], a territory bitterly disputed between [[Blois|the counts of Blois]] and [[County of Anjou|Anjou]] – the latter were victorious in the 11th century. It was the capital of France at the time of Louis XI, who had settled in the castle of Montils (today the castle of Plessis-les-Tours, at the junction of the Loire and the Indre rivers). Tours and Touraine remained a permanent residence of the kings and court until the 16th century. The Renaissance gave Tours and Touraine many private mansions and castles, joined to some extent under the generic name of the Châteaux of the Loire. It is also at the time of Louis XI that the silk industry was introduced – despite difficulties, the industry still survives to this day.

===16th–18th centuries===
Charles IX passed through the city at the time of his royal tour of France between 1564 and 1566, accompanied by the Court and various noblemen: his brother the [[Duke of Anjou]], [[Henri de Navarre]], the cardinals of Bourbon and [[Lorraine (province)|Lorraine]]. At this time, the Catholics returned to power in Angers: the attendant assumed the right to nominate the aldermen. The [[Massacre of Saint-Barthelemy]] was not repeated at Tours. The Protestants were imprisoned by the aldermen – a measure which prevented their extermination. The permanent return of the Court to Paris and then Versailles marked the beginning of a slow but permanent decline. Guillaume the Metayer (1763–1798), known as [[Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau|Rochambeau]], the well-known counter-revolutionary chief of Mayenne, was shot in Tours.

===19th to 20th centuries===
The arrival of the railway in the 19th century saved the city by making it an important nodal point. The main railway station is known as Tours-Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. At that time, Tours was expanding towards the south into a district known as the Prébendes. The importance of the city as a centre of communications contributed to its revival and, as the 20th century progressed, Tours became a dynamic conurbation, economically oriented towards the service sector. The city was briefly the ''de facto'' capital of France during the [[Franco-Prussian War]] playing host to [[Léon Gambetta]] and representatives of the [[Government of National Defence]] who escaped the then ongoing [[Siege of Paris (1870-1871)|Siege of Paris]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.herodote.net/almanach-ID-1873.php|website=herodote.net|access-date=7 July 2022|title=7 octobre 1870: Gambetta quitte Paris en ballon|language=fr|archive-date=28 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528203000/https://www.herodote.net/almanach-ID-1873.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

====First World War====
[[File:Tours Cathedral Saint-Gatian.jpg|thumb|[[Tours Cathedral]]: 15th-century [[Flamboyant]] Gothic west front with Renaissance pinnacles, completed 1547]]
The city was greatly affected by the [[First World War]]. A force of 25,000 American soldiers arrived in 1917, setting up textile factories for the manufacture of uniforms, repair shops for military equipment, munitions dumps, an army post office and an American military hospital at Augustins. Because of this, Tours became a garrison town with a resident general staff. The American presence is remembered today by the [[Wilson Bridge (Tours)|Wilson Bridge]] over the Loire, which was officially opened in July 1918 and bears the name of the President of the [[United States]] from 1913 to 1921. Three American air force squadrons, including the 492nd, were based at the [[Parçay-Meslay]] airfield, their personnel playing an active part in the life of the city. Americans paraded at funerals and award ceremonies for the Croix de Guerre. They also took part in festivals and their [[YMCA]] organised shows for the troops. Some men married women from Tours.

====Inter-war years====
In 1920, the city hosted the Congress of Tours, which saw the creation of the [[French Communist Party]]. One future consequence of that congress was the presence of [[Ho Chi Minh]], the [[Vietnam|Vietnamese]] nationalist, who became one of the first members of the party.

====Second World War====
Tours was also marked by the [[Second World War]], as the city suffered massive destruction in 1940. For four years it was a city of military camps and fortifications. From 10 to 13 June 1940, Tours was the temporary seat of the French government before its move to [[Bordeaux]].

German [[incendiary bombs]] caused a huge fire, which blazed out of control from 20 to 22 June and destroyed part of the city centre. Some architectural masterpieces of the 16th and 17th centuries were lost, as was the monumental entry to the city. The Wilson Bridge, which carried a water main that supplied the city, was dynamited to slow the progress of the German advance. With the water main severed, nobody could extinguish the inferno. That made inhabitants have no option but to flee to safety. More heavy air raids by Allied forces devastated the area around the railway station in 1944, causing several hundred deaths.

====Post-war developments====
A plan for the rebuilding of the central area drawn up by the local architect [[Camille Lefèvre]] had been adopted even before the end of the war. The plan was for 20 small quadrangular blocks of housing to be arranged around the main road (la [[rue Nationale]]), which was widened. This regular layout attempted to echo but simplify the 18th-century architecture. [[Pierre Patout]] succeeded Lefèvre as the architect in charge of rebuilding in 1945. At one time, there was talk of demolishing the southern side of the [[rue Nationale]] to make it in keeping with the new development.

The recent history of Tours is marked by the personality of [[Jean Royer]], who was mayor for 36 years and helped save the old town from demolition by establishing one of the first [[Conservation Areas]]. This example of conservation policy would later inspire the Malraux Law for the safeguarding of historic city centres. In the 1970s, Jean Royer also extended the city to the south by diverting the course of the [[Cher (river)|Cher River]] to create the districts of Rives du Cher and des Fontaines. At the time, it was one of the largest urban developments in Europe. In 1970, the [[François Rabelais University]] was founded and centred on the bank of the Loire in the downtown area, not, as was the current practice, in a campus in the suburbs. The latter solution was also chosen by the twin university of Orleans. Royer's long term as mayor was, however, not without controversy, as is exemplified by the construction of the practical but aesthetically unattractive motorway, which runs along the bed of a former canal just {{convert|1500|m|ft|abbr=off}} from the cathedral. Another bone of contention was the original Vinci Congress Centre by [[Jean Nouvel]]. The project incurred debts although it  at least made Tours one of France's principal conference centres.

[[Jean Germain (politician)|Jean Germain]], a member of the Socialist Party, became mayor in 1995 and made debt reduction his priority. Ten years later, his economic management was regarded as much wiser than that of his predecessor because of the financial stability of the city returning. However, his achievements were criticised by the municipal opposition for a lack of ambition. There were no large building projects instituted under his two terms. That position is disputed by those in power, who affirm their policy of concentrating on the quality of life, as evidenced by urban restoration, the development of public transport and cultural activities.

==Climate==
Tours has an [[oceanic climate]] that is very mild for such a northern latitude. Summers are influenced by its inland position, resulting in frequent days of {{convert|25|C|F}} or warmer, whereas winters are kept mild by Atlantic air masses. The entire valley between Orlans and Angers is famous for the luminosity of its air and for its fabulous châteaux, most of them Renaissance (over 600 between Orlans and Angers).

{{Weather box
|location = Tours (1991–2020 averages)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 16.9
|Feb record high C = 22.1
|Mar record high C = 25.3
|Apr record high C = 29.2
|May record high C = 32.2
|Jun record high C = 39.1
|Jul record high C = 40.8
|Aug record high C = 39.8
|Sep record high C = 35.5
|Oct record high C = 31.1
|Nov record high C = 22.3
|Dec record high C = 18.5
|year record high C = 40.8
|Jan high C = 7.7
|Feb high C = 9.0
|Mar high C = 12.9
|Apr high C = 16.0
|May high C = 19.6
|Jun high C = 23.4
|Jul high C = 25.9
|Aug high C = 26.0
|Sep high C = 22.1
|Oct high C = 17.0
|Nov high C = 11.4
|Dec high C = 8.1
|year high C = 16.6
|Jan mean C = 5.1
|Feb mean C = 5.6
|Mar mean C = 8.6
|Apr mean C = 11.0
|May mean C = 14.5
|Jun mean C = 18.0
|Jul mean C = 20.2
|Aug mean C = 20.2
|Sep mean C = 16.8
|Oct mean C = 13.0
|Nov mean C = 8.3
|Dec mean C = 5.5
|year mean C = 12.2
|Jan low C = 2.5
|Feb low C = 2.3
|Mar low C = 4.3
|Apr low C = 6.0
|May low C = 9.4
|Jun low C = 12.6
|Jul low C = 14.4
|Aug low C = 14.3
|Sep low C = 11.4
|Oct low C = 9.0
|Nov low C = 5.3
|Dec low C = 2.9
|year low C = 7.9
|Jan record low C = -17.4
|Feb record low C = -14.2
|Mar record low C = -10.3
|Apr record low C = -3.4
|May record low C = -0.6
|Jun record low C = 2.6
|Jul record low C = 4.3
|Aug record low C = 4.8
|Sep record low C = 0.9
|Oct record low C = -2.3
|Nov record low C = -7.1
|Dec record low C = -18.5
|year record low C = -18.5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 63.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 52.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 48.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 53.0
|May precipitation mm = 57.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 53.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 46.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 44.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 51.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 66.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 69.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 72.1
|year precipitation mm = 677.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 11.0
|Feb precipitation days = 9.8
|Mar precipitation days = 9.3
|Apr precipitation days = 8.9
|May precipitation days = 9.0
|Jun precipitation days = 7.6
|Jul precipitation days = 6.7
|Aug precipitation days = 6.6
|Sep precipitation days = 7.5
|Oct precipitation days = 9.8
|Nov precipitation days = 11.4
|Dec precipitation days = 11.5
|year precipitation days = 109.0
|Jan snow days = 2.4
|Feb snow days = 2.9
|Mar snow days = 1.8
|Apr snow days = 0.7
|May snow days = 0.1
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 1.0
|Dec snow days = 1.7
|year snow days = 10.6
|Jan humidity = 87
|Feb humidity = 84
|Mar humidity = 79
|Apr humidity = 74
|May humidity = 77
|Jun humidity = 75
|Jul humidity = 72
|Aug humidity = 73
|Sep humidity = 77
|Oct humidity = 84
|Nov humidity = 87
|Dec humidity = 89
|year humidity = 79.8
|Jan sun = 68.4
|Feb sun = 95.2
|Mar sun = 148.8
|Apr sun = 187.3
|May sun = 214.2
|Jun sun = 228.5
|Jul sun = 247.1
|Aug sun = 237.7
|Sep sun = 191.3
|Oct sun = 122.9
|Nov sun = 78.9
|Dec sun = 64.6
|year sun = 1884.8
|source 1= Météo France<ref name="Météo">{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/tours/37179001/normales
| title = Données climatiques de la station de Tours
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 31 December 2015}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_37179001.pdf
| title = TOURS (37)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 6 August 2019}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (humidity and snowy days, 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07240-tours-st-symphorien.html
| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: Tours – St Symphorien (37) – altitude 112m
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 31 December 2015}}</ref>
}}

==Sights==
[[File:Hotel de Ville Tours.jpg|thumb|{{Lang|fr|[[Hôtel de Ville, Tours|Hôtel de Ville]]|italic=no}}, Place Jean Jaurès]]
[[File:Tours Cathedral from Rue Lavoisier.jpg|thumb|St Gatien Cathedral, from Rue Lavoisier, just north of the Rue Colbert intersection]]
[[File:Loire Indre Tours2 tango7174.jpg|thumb|Pont Wilson]]

===Cathedral===
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2021}}
{{Main|Tours Cathedral}}
The Cathedral of Tours, dedicated to [[Gatianus of Tours|Saint Gatien]], its [[canonized]] first [[Bishop of Tours|bishop]], was begun about 1170 to replace the cathedral that was burnt out in 1166 during the dispute between [[Louis VII of France]] and [[Henry II of England]]. The lowermost stages of the western towers belong to the 12th century, but the rest of the west end is in the profusely detailed  15th-century [[Flamboyant Gothic]], which were completed just as the [[Renaissance]] was affecting the patrons who planned the [[châteaux]] of Touraine. The towers were being constructed at the same time as, for example, the [[Château de Chenonceau]].

When the 15th-century illuminator [[Jean Fouquet]] was set the task of illuminating [[Josephus]]'s ''Jewish Antiquities'', his depiction of [[Solomon's Temple]] was modelled on the nearly complete cathedral of Tours. The atmosphere of the Gothic cathedral close permeates [[Honoré de Balzac]]'s dark short novel of jealousy and provincial intrigues, ''[[Le Curé de Tours]]'' (''The Curate of Tours'') and his medieval story ''[[Maître Cornélius]]'' opens in the cathedral itself.

===Other points of interest===
* {{Lang|fr|[[Hôtel de Ville, Tours|Hôtel de Ville]]|italic=no}}
* [[Jardin botanique de Tours]], the municipal [[botanical garden]]
* [[Medieval enclosure at Tours]]
* [[Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours]]
* [[Hôtel Goüin]]
* [[Château de Tours]]
* [[Basilica of Saint Martin, Tours|Basilique St-Martin]]
*Place Plumereau, the old town
*Grand Théâtre, housing the [[Tours Opera|Opéra de Tours]]
*Tour Charlemagne

==Language==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2021}}
Before the [[French Revolution]], the inhabitants of Tours (''Les Tourangeaux'') were known for speaking the "purest" form of French in the entire country.<ref>
{{cite web |url= http://www.minneapolis.org/partners-amp-community/sister-cities/tours-france |access-date=3 August 2012 |title=Tours, France |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120722100310/http://www.minneapolis.org/partners-amp-community/sister-cities/tours-france |archive-date=22 July 2012 |url-status=dead |website=Meet Minneapolis |year=2012}}
</ref> The pronunciation of Touraine was traditionally regarded as the most standard pronunciation of the French language, until the 19th century when the standard pronunciation of French shifted to that of the Parisian bourgeoisie.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Philippe Boula de Mareüil : « Les accents participent à la richesse de notre langue  |url= http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2014/12/24/les-accents-participent-a-la-richesse-de-notre-langue_4545939_3246.html |newspaper=Le Monde |location= Paris |access-date=19 July 2015 |language=fr |first=Jean-Baptiste |last=de Montvalon}}</ref> That is explained by the fact that the court of France lived in [[Touraine]] between 1430 and 1530. French, the language of the court, had become the official language of the entire kingdom.

A [[Third Council of Tours|Council of Tours in 813]] decided that priests should preach sermons in different languages because the common people could no longer understand [[classical Latin]]. This was the first official recognition of an early French language distinct from Latin, and can be considered as the birth of French.

The Ordinance of [[Château de Plessis-lez-Tours|Montils-lès-Tours]], promulgated by [[Charles VII of France|Charles VII]] in 1454, made it mandatory to write laws and oral customs in the native language of the area.

An ordinance of [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] (born in [[Château d'Amboise|Amboise]], near Tours) in 1490 and one of [[Louis XII of France|Louis XII]] (born in [[Château de Blois|Blois]], near Tours) in 1510 broaden the scope of the ordinance of Charles VII.

Finally, the [[Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts]], signed into law by [[Francis I of France|Francis I]] in 1539, called for the use of French in all legal acts, notarized contracts and official legislation to avoid any linguistic confusion.

[[Gregory of Tours]] wrote in the 6th century that some people in the area could still speak [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]].

==City==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2021}}
[[File:Tourswilson.jpg|thumb| Pont Wilson crosses the river [[Loire]] at the old civic core.]]
The city has a population of 140,000 and is called "Le Jardin de la France" ("The Garden of France"). There are several parks located within the city. Tours is located between two rivers, the Loire to the north and the Cher to the south. The buildings of Tours are white with blue [[slate]] (called ''Ardoise'') roofs; this style is common in the north of France, while most buildings in the south of France have [[terracotta]] roofs.

Tours is famous for its original medieval district, called ''le Vieux Tours''. Unique to the Old City are its preserved [[half-timbered]] buildings and ''la Place Plumereau'', a square with busy pubs and restaurants, whose open-air tables fill the centre of the square. The Boulevard Beranger crosses the [[Rue Nationale]] at the Place Jean-Jaures and is the location of weekly markets and fairs.

Tours is famous for its many bridges crossing the river Loire. One of them, [[Wilson Bridge (Tours)|Wilson Bridge]], collapsed in 1978 but was rebuilt.

[[File:Giant Lebanon Cedar in Tours, France.jpg|thumb|Giant Cedar tree]]
In the garden of the ancient Palais des Archevêques (now ''Musée des Beaux-Arts'') is a huge [[cedrus|cedar]] tree said to have been planted by [[Napoleon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://us.media.france.fr/en/node/6559|title=City summary: Tours|website=us.media.france.fr}}</ref> The garden also has a stuffed elephant named Fritz. He escaped from the [[Barnum and Bailey]] circus during their stay in Tours in 1902. He went mad and had to be shot down, but the city paid to honor him, and he was taxidermied as a result.

Tours is home to [[University of Tours]] (formerly known as University François Rabelais of Tours), the site of one of the most important choral competitions, called ''Florilège Vocal de Tours'' International Choir Competition, and is a member city of the [[European Grand Prix for Choral Singing]].

==Population==
The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Tours proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Tours absorbed the former commune of Saint-Étienne in 1845 and Sainte-Radegonde-en-Touraine and Saint-Symphorien in 1964.<ref name=ehess/>

{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|37911|Tours}}</ref> and INSEE (1968–2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-37261#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |21000
|1800 |20240
|1806 |21703
|1821 |21928
|1831 |23235
|1836 |26669
|1841 |30072
|1846 |30766
|1851 |33530
|1856 |38055
|1861 |41061
|1866 |42450
|1872 |43368
|1876 |48325
|1881 |52209
|1886 |59585
|1891 |60335
|1896 |63267
|1901 |64695
|1906 |67601
|1911 |73398
|1921 |75096
|1926 |77192
|1931 |78585
|1936 |83753
|1946 |80044
|1954 |83618
|1962 |92944
|1968 |128120
|1975 |140686
|1982 |132209
|1990 |129509
|1999 |132820
|2007 |136578
|2012 |134978
|2017 |135787
}}

==Transportation==
[[File:Tram Tours Maquette-exterieur1.JPG|thumb|Tram model, design by the French agency [[RCP Design Global]]]]
Today, with extensive rail (including [[TGV]]) and ''[[autoroutes of France|autoroute]]'' connections linking to the rest of the country, Tours is a jumping-off point for tourist visits to the [[Loire Valley]] and the royal [[château]]x.

Tours is on one of the main lines of the TGV. It is possible to travel to the west coast of [[Bordeaux]] in an hour and forty minutes. From there, the line follows the [[Mediterranean]] coast via [[Avignon]], and then to Spain and [[Barcelona]]. There are also lines to [[Lyon]], [[Strasbourg]] and [[Lille]]. It takes less than one hour by train to get from Tours to Paris by TGV and one and a half hours to get to [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]]. Tours has two main stations: [[Gare de Tours]], the central station, and [[Gare de Saint-Pierre-des-Corps]], used by trains that do not terminate in Tours.

[[Tours Loire Valley Airport]] connects the Loire Valley to European cities.

Historically, Tours was served by [[tram]]s and [[trolleybus]]es, the [[Trolleybuses in Tours|trolleybus system]] lasting from 1949 to 1968. Tram service returned to the city in 2013, when a new [[Tours tramway|tram system]] began operation. Twenty-one [[Alstom Citadis]] trams were ordered.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/tours-selects-citadis-and-aps.html
|access-date=15 September 2010 |date=14 September 2010 |work=[[Railway Gazette International]] |location =London |title=Tours selects Citadis and APS}}</ref>

There is also a bus service, the main central stop being ''Jean Jaurès'', next to the [[Hôtel de Ville, Tours|Hôtel de Ville]], and ''[[rue Nationale]]'', the [[high street]] of Tours. The tram and bus networks are operated by Fil Bleu and they share a ticketing system. A second tram line is scheduled for 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://letramdetours.net/|title=Tramway de Tours – Le Tram de Tours|website=letramdetours.net}}</ref>

==Sport==
The city's premier [[association football|football]] club, [[Tours FC]], was dissolved in 2025, after 106 years of activity, due to years of financial struggles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tours FC removed from French football map |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/article/tours-fc-removed-french-football-153900727.html |publisher=Yahoo Sports |access-date=15 June 2025}}</ref> They also have a second team, [[CCSP Tours]]. CCSP's home stadium is the Stade des Tourettes and they play in the Division d'Honneur Regionale de Centre, the seventh tier of the [[French football league system]].{{cn|date=November 2022}}

Tours has served as the finish location for [[Paris–Tours]], a one-day [[road bicycle racing|road cycling]] [[Classic cycle races|classic]] race held almost every October since 1896.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.paris-tours.fr/en/heritage/stage-1/town/tours|title=City tourism: Tours|work=[[Paris–Tours]]|publisher=[[Amaury Sport Organisation]]|access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref>

Tours also has a volleyball club named the [[Tours VB]].

==Catholics from Tours==
[[File:LeoDupont.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Leo Dupont|Venerable Leo Dupont]], ''Holy Man of Tours'']]
Tours is a special place for Catholics who follow the [[Catholic devotions|devotion]] to the [[Holy Face of Jesus]] and the adoration of the [[Blessed Sacrament]]. In 1843, Sister [[Marie of St Peter]] of Tours reported a vision which started the devotion to the [[Holy Face of Jesus]], in reparation for the many insults Christ suffered in His Passion. The ''[[The Golden Arrow Holy Face Devotion (Prayer)|Golden Arrow Prayer]]'' was first made public by her.

The [[Venerable]] [[Leo Dupont]] also known as The [[Holy Man of Tours]] lived in Tours at about the same time. In 1849 he started the nightly adoration of the [[Blessed Sacrament]], which spread throughout France. Upon hearing of Sister [[Marie of St Peter]]'s reported visions, he started to burn a vigil lamp continuously before a picture of the [[Holy Face of Jesus]]. The devotion was eventually approved by [[Pope Pius XII]] in 1958 and he formally declared the Feast of the [[Holy Face of Jesus]] as Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) for all Roman Catholics.<ref>Dorothy Scallan. "The Holy Man of Tours." (1990) {{ISBN|0-89555-390-2}}</ref> The [[Oratory of the Holy Face]] on Rue St. Étienne in Tours receives many pilgrims every year.

Tours was the site of the episcopal activity of [[St. Martin of Tours]] and has further Christian connotations in that the pivotal [[Battle of Tours]] in 732 is often considered the first decisive victory over the invading Islamic forces, turning the tide against them. The battle also helped lay the foundations of the [[Carolingian Empire]].<ref>Davis, Paul K. (1999) "100 Decisive Battles From Ancient Times to the Present" {{ISBN|0-19-514366-3}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{See also|Category:People from Tours, France}}
[[File:La Duchesse de la Vallière Pierre Mignard.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Louise de la Vallière]], 17th century]]
[[File:General Régis de Trobriand.jpg|thumb|140px|General [[Régis de Trobriand]], 1865]]

=== Public service ===
*[[Berengar of Tours|Berengarius of Tours]] (999–1088), theologian<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Berengarius | volume= 3 | pages = 768&ndash;769 |short= 1}}</ref>
*[[William Firmatus]] (1026–1103), a Norman hermit, pilgrim, saint
*[[Bernard Silvestris|Bernard of Tours]] ([[floruit|fl.]] 1147, d. before 1178), philosopher and poet
*[[Jeanne-Marie de Maille]] (1331–1414), saint
*[[Charles of Valois, Duke of Berry|Charles of Valois]] (1446–1472), son of [[Charles VII of France]], younger brother of King [[Louis XI]]
*[[Louise de la Vallière]] (1644–1710), noblewoman and courtesan<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= La Vallière, Louise Françoise de | volume= 16 | pages = 290&ndash;291 |short= 1}}</ref>
*[[André-Michel Guerry]] (1802–1866), lawyer and statistician
*[[Marie of St Peter]] (1816–1848), mystic Carmelite nun
*[[Régis de Trobriand]] (1816–1897), American military officer and author
*[[Paul Viollet]] (1840–1914), historian<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Viollet, Paul Marie | volume= 28 | page = 107 |short= 1}}</ref>
*[[Louis Rimbault]] (1877–1949), [[Individualist anarchism|individualist anarchist]], promoted of [[simple living]] and [[veganism]]
*[[Emile B. De Sauzé]] (1878–1964), language educator
* Baron [[Geoffroy Chodron de Courcel]] (1912–1992), nobleman, soldier and diplomat
*[[René Laurentin]] (1917–2017), theologian, student of [[Mariology]]
*[[Jean Royer]] (1920–2011), former Minister and former Mayor of Tours
*[[Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe]] (1940–2007), philosopher, literary critic and translator 
* [[Jean-Louis Bruguière]] (born 1943), top French [[investigating judge (France)|investigating judge]]
*[[Serge Babary]] (born 1946), politician, Mayor of Tours between 2014 and 2017 
*[[Dominique Bussereau]] (born 1952), politician
*[[Catherine Colonna]] (born 1956) a French diplomat and politician

=== Arts ===
[[File:Jean Fouquet.png|thumb|140px|[[Jean Fouquet]] self portrait, {{Circa|1450}}]]
[[File:Nicolas de Largillière, Portrait de Philippe Néricault Destouches (1741).jpg|thumb|140px|[[Philippe Néricault Destouches]], 1741]]
[[File:Père-Lachaise - Division 48 - Balzac 07.jpg|thumb|140px|Statue of [[Honoré de Balzac]]]]
*[[Jean Fouquet]] (1420–1481), painter and miniaturist<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Foucquet, Jean | volume= 10 | page = 737 |short= 1}}</ref>
*[[Juste de Juste]] (ca.1505 – ca.1559), Franco-Italian sculptor and printmaker in etching
*[[François Clouet]] (ca.1510 – 1572), [[French Renaissance]] [[Portrait miniature|miniaturist]] and painter<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Clouet, François|volume=6|pages=559–560|first=George Charles|last=Williamson|author-link=G. C. Williamson|short=1}}</ref>
*[[Abraham Bosse]] (1604–1676), artist as a printmaker in etching, but also in watercolour
*[[François de Paule Bretonneau]] (1660–1741), preacher, librettist and playwright
*[[Philippe Néricault Destouches]] (1680–1754), dramatist and playwright<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Destouches, Philippe | volume= 8 | page = 104 |short= 1}}</ref>
*[[Louis Dutens]] (1730–1812), writer, lived most of his life in Britain<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Dutens, Louis | volume= 8 | page = 736 |short= 1}}</ref>
*[[Jean Baudrais]] (1749–1832), writer and magistrate
*[[Jean-Nicolas Bouilly]] (1763–1842), playwright and librettist<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Bouilly, Jean Nicolas | volume= 4 | page = 318 |short= 1}}</ref>
*[[Philippe Musard]] (1792–1859), conductor and composer
*[[Honoré de Balzac]] (1799–1850), novelist and playwright<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Balzac, Honoré de |volume= 3 |last= Saintsbury |first= George |author-link= George Saintsbury | pages = 298&ndash;301 |short=1 }}</ref>
*[[Jules Moinaux]] (1815–1895), writer, playwright and librettist
*[[Louisa Emily Dobrée]] (ca.1852 – 1917), writer of novels, short stories and juvenile literature
*[[Georges Courteline]] (1858–1929), dramatist and novelist
*[[Daniel Mendaille]] (1885–1963), stage and film actor
*[[Paul Nizan]] (1905–1940), novelist and philosopher
*[[Yves Bonnefoy]] (1923–2016), poet and art historian 
*[[Paul Guers]] (1927–2016), film actor
*[[Jean-Claude Narcy]] (born 1938), journalist and news anchor on [[TF1]]
*[[Jean Chalopin]] (born 1950), TV and movie producer, director and writer
*[[Jacques Villeret]] (1951–2005), actor 
*[[Yves Ker Ambrun]] (born 1954), cartoonist and graphic artist; known as ''YKA'' 
*[[Laurent Petitguillaume]] (born 1960), radio and television host
*[[Luc Delahaye]] (born 1962), photographer of large-scale colour works about social issues
*[[Stéphane Audeguy]] (born 1964), writer, literary critic and teacher
*[[Laurent Mauvignier]] (born 1967), writer of prose and for the theatre
*[[Sinclair (singer)|Mathieu Blanc-Francard]] (born 1970), musician and singer-songwriter, stage name ''Sinclair''
*[[Nâdiya|Nadia Zighem]] (born 1973), a [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] singer, stage name ''[[Nâdiya]]''
*[[Harry Roselmack]] (born 1973), television presenter
*[[Delphine Bardin]] (born 1974), classical pianist
*[[Zaz (singer)|Isabelle Geffroy]] (born 1980), singer who mixes jazzy styles, stage name ''Zaz''
*[[Biga Ranx|Gabriel Piotrowski]] (born 1988), reggae singer, producer and writer, stage name ''[[Biga Ranx]]''
*[[Lexie Agresti]] (born 1995), art historian and transgender rights activist

=== Science and business ===
[[File:Gabriel-Lamé.jpeg|thumb|140px|[[Gabriel Lamé]]]]
*[[Guillaume Rouillé]] ({{circa|1518}} – 1589), prominent humanist bookseller-printer
*[[Julien Le Roy]] (1686–1759), clockmaker and watchmaker
*[[Nicolas Heurteloup]] (1750–1812), a military physician and surgeon
*[[Alexandre Goüin]] (1792–1872), banker and politician; linked with [[Hôtel Goüin]]
*[[Gabriel Lamé]] (1795–1870), mathematician, worked on  [[partial differential equation]]s
*[[Félix Dujardin]] (1801–1860), biologist, researched [[protozoa]]ns
*[[Armand Trousseau]] (1801–1867), internist; found [[Trousseau sign of malignancy]]
*[[Théophile Archambault]] (1806–1863), psychiatrist, also taught mental [[pathology]]
*[[Ernest Goüin]] (1815–1885), [[civil engineer]] and [[industrialist]]
*[[Eugène Goüin]] (1818–1909), banker and politician
*[[Jules Haime]] (1824–1856), [[geologist]], [[paleontologist]] and [[zoologist]]; researched [[coral]]
*[[Émile Delahaye]] (1843–1905), automobile pioneer, founded [[Delahaye]] an automobile manufacturer
*[[Maurice Couette]] (1858–1943), physicist, studied of fluidity & [[rheology]]

=== Sport ===
[[File:Pascal.HERVE.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Pascal Hervé]], 2000]]
*[[Mervin Glennie]] (1918–1986), English first-class cricketer
*[[Catherine Poirot]] (born 1963), former breaststroke swimmer, bronze medallist in the [[1984 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Pascal Hervé]] (born 1964), a road racing cyclist
*[[Xavier Gravelaine]] (born 1968), former footballer with 405 club caps and 4 for [[France national football team|France]]
*[[Maamar Mamouni]] (born 1976), a former footballer with over 290 club caps and 29 for [[Algeria national football team|Algeria]]
*[[Laurent Mekies]] (born 1977), assistant team principal and race director for [[Scuderia Ferrari]]
*[[Ludovic Roy]] (born 1977), footballer with 234 club caps (all in Scotland)
*[[Frédéric Dambier]] (born 1977), figure skater, landed a quadruple [[Salchow jump|salchow]] in competition
*[[Luc Ducalcon]] (born 1984), rugby union player with over 250 club caps and 17 for [[France national rugby union team|France]]
*[[Josselin Ouanna]] (born 1986), a retired French tennis player
*[[Abdou Diallo]] (born 1996), footballer with over 150 club caps and 22 for [[Senegal national football team|Senegal]]
*[[Mathieu Inthasane]] (born 1986), football goalkeeper

==Twin towns — sister cities==
Tours is twinned with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Jumelages et partenariats|url=https://www.tours.fr/action-municipale/364-jumelages-et-partenariats.htm|website=tours.fr|publisher=Tours|language=fr|access-date=16 November 2019}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Mülheim]], Germany, since 1962
*{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Segovia]], Spain, since 1972
*{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Parma]], Italy, since 1976
*{{flagicon|China}} [[Luoyang]], China, since 1982
*{{flagicon|Canada}} [[Trois-Rivières]], Canada, since 1987
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Takamatsu, Kagawa|Takamatsu]], Japan, since 1988
*{{flagicon|Romania}} [[Brașov]], Romania, since 1990
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota USA, since 1991
{{div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Public garden in Tours, France.jpg|{{center|''Jardin de la Préfecture'' (central park)}}|alt=Jardin de la Préfecture (central park).
File:Hotel Gouin.JPG|{{center|[[Hôtel Goüin]]}}|alt=Hôtel Goüin.
File:Loire Indre Tours3 tango7174.jpg|{{center|''Place Plumereau''}}|alt=Place Plumereau.
File:Rooftops of Tours, France.jpg|{{center|Slate roofs of Tours}}|alt=Slate roofs of Tours.
File:Pont Mirabeau Tours from the rivers north bank.jpg|{{center|Looking towards central Tours from the north bank of the [[Loire]], adjacent to the Pont Mirabeau}}|alt=Looking towards central Tours from the north bank of the Loire, adjacent to the Pont Mirabeau.
File:Guinguette de Tours, été 2011.jpg|{{center|''Guinguette'' on the south bank of the Loire}}|alt=Guinguette on the south bank of the Loire.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|France}}
* [[Bishop of Tours]]
* The [[Turonian]] epoch, named for the city of Tours
* [[Listing of the work of Jean Antoine Injalbert-French sculptor|Listing of the work of Jean Antoine Injalbert]], sculptor of Tours railway station
* [[Marcel Gaumont]], sculptor of war memorial
* [[Arcis enclosure]]
* [[List of possessions of the abbey of Marmoutier de Tours]]
* [[Gallo-Roman enclosure of Tours]]
* [[Medieval enclosure at Tours]]
* [[2023 Tours bombing]]
* [[Ancient bridges over the Loire in the Touraine area]]
* [[Beaujardin]]
* [[Quartier Montjoyeux]]
* [[Gallo-Roman Baths of Tours]]
* [[Gallo-Roman Temple of Tours]]
* [[Saint-Julien Abbey, Tours]]
* [[Tours municipal library]]
* [[Châteauneuf Enclosure]]
* [[Bastioned Wall of Tours]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{See also|Timeline of Tours#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Tours}}
*{{Citation |publisher = Stéphanie Ouvrard |publication-place = Tours |url = http://www.practical-tours.fr |title = Practical Tours, the comprehensive guide to living in Tours |publication-date = 2013 |access-date = 24 May 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150219043855/http://www.practical-tours.fr/ |archive-date = 19 February 2015 |url-status = dead }}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.tours.fr/}} {{in lang|fr}}
* [https://www.touraineloirevalley.co.uk/discover/the-finest-cities/visit-tours-loire-valley-france/ Official tourism information about Tours, on the Departemental Tourism Board website]

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Loire Valley communes}}
{{Cities in France}}
{{Prefectures of departments of France}}
{{Indre-et-Loire communes}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tours, France| ]]
[[Category:Communes of Indre-et-Loire]]
[[Category:Prefectures in France]]
[[Category:Gallia Lugdunensis]]
[[Category:Touraine]]
[[Category:Turonian| ]]
[[Category:Cities in France]]