Montrichard Old Town, Montrichard Val de Cher

Montrichard's old town is a compact medieval quarter that stretches along Rue Nationale between the Cher River and the hilltop fortress ruins. Founded around 1005-1010 when Count Foulques Nerra of Anjou built a wooden fortification on the promontory, the settlement grew into a walled town with three defensive circuits and four fortified gates by the 13th century. Today visitors can walk cobbled lanes lined with 15th-century half-timbered houses, Renaissance mansions like La Chancellerie, and the Maison de l'Ave Maria with its carved Annunciation scene.