Orleans is on the Loire River and is the main city in the Loiret department, and also in the Centre (Loire valley) region. It is located south of Paris and east of Le Mans. It is a large town with more than 300 000 inhabitants.
The city is best known for its association with Joan of Arc (the Maid of Orléans), the peasant girl who heard God telling her to guide the King in his battle against the English - which she duly did. Joan helped defeat the English in the siege of Orleans, and ultimately to enable France to defeat the English. See the story of Joan of Arc for more details.
This story is very important to France and French history, and in Orleans you will see various tributes - for example the statue of Joan of Arc astride a horse in the Place du Martroi, and a chance to see the house where she lived, now carefully rebuilt after destruction in the Second World War, and maintained in its original 15th century condition in the Place du General de Gaulle.

Orleans is on the Loire River and is the main city in the Loiret department, and also in the Centre (Loire valley) region. It is located south of Paris and east of Le Mans. It is a large town with more than 300 000 inhabitants.
The city is best known for its association with Joan of Arc (the Maid of Orléans), the peasant girl who heard God telling her to guide the King in his battle against the English - which she duly did. Joan helped defeat the English in the siege of Orleans, and ultimately to enable France to defeat the English. See the story of Joan of Arc for more details.
This story is very important to France and French history, and in Orleans you will see various tributes - for example the statue of Joan of Arc astride a horse in the Place du Martroi, and a chance to see the house where she lived, now carefully rebuilt after destruction in the Second World War, and maintained in its original 15th century condition in the Place du General de Gaulle.
Nikon D80 |
Original size: 3872x2592 |
Current: 800x536 |