- Bas-Vendômois
The Bas-Vendômois is a small district in central- western
France , consisting of the 14 communes of thecanton of Montoire-sur-le-Loir , in thearrondissement of Vendôme , "département" ofLoir-et-Cher , France.History
The area corresponds to the central portion of the east-west flowing
Loir valley. Before theFrench Revolution the area depended administratively onVendôme and was part of theOrléanais province, but ecclesiastically on theDiocese of Le Mans in theTours province. The division thus corresponds to that between the lateRoman province s of "Tertia Lugdunensis " (Tours) and "Quarta Lugdunensis " (Sens ) and the civitates of theCenomani and of theCarnutes respectively.The Bas-Vendômois was part of the Frankish kingdom of
Neustria . The area was fought over during struggles between the Angevin Plantagenêts and the French monarchy. There are fortified castles atMontoire-sur-le-Loir and Lavardin. There are a number of Romanesque churches, e.g.Saint-Jacques-des-Guérets , the chapel of St. Giles at Montoire. The area shared in the general prosperity of the later 15th century and theRenaissance - e.g. Manor of La Possonnière atCouture-sur-Loir .References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.