I took another trip to France this past June. It was another France ancestral walking trip. It was a lot of fun to be true to my website name “Ancestral Family Footprints” as I made footprints in locations where my French ancestors lived.
The focus of my trip was to visit some ancestral sites in the Loire Valley. I also took a day trip to visit Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where an ancestor (Francois Sirois dit Duplessis) lived during the late 17th century. I was able to visit 5 ancestral locations in total. I flew in and out of Paris, and travelled mostly by train within France. Within the Loire Valley I completed some day walks between Blois and Amboise.
In 2000, the Loire valley was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site: UNESCO Loire Valley Link It covers 280 km along the Loire river and includes historic towns and villages, great architectural monuments (the chateaux), and cultivated lands formed over many centuries. The chateaux are symbols of the French Renaissance (14th to 16th C) and the Age of Enlightenment (late 17thC to late 18th C). It has been very interesting to learn about these two time periods in French history and tie them back to the lives of my French born ancestors.
CHATEAUX VISITED
Five of the 10 chateaux I visited were located in towns that my French ancestors lived in:
The other 5 chateaux that I visited are some of the most famous and well known. A visit to each of these chateaux provided me with a glimpse into history during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. I was introduced to many stories and legends about the royalty, noblemen (and women!), and the architects who sponsored and designed these castles, and their gardens throughout the Loire Valley.
TRIP ROUTE OVERVIEW WITH NAME(S) AND BIRTHDATES FOR EACH ANCESTRAL LOCATION VISITED
I have prepared a map that shows the ancestral towns I visited, my ancestor’s name(s) and their birth year.
21st CENTURY FOOTPRINTS AND 17th CENTURY IMPRESSIONS
For each ancestral location that I visited I have prepared a PowerPoint presentation (see the links below). Each of these presentations highlights the footprints I made during my 21st century visit. I have also compiled some historic information on what the town would have been like during the time period that my ancestor lived there. Hopefully this will help you to imagine the walled towns, with guarded gates along the Loire River and oxen/horse pulled carts, half-timbered houses, large churches and cathedrals, and open markets in the center of the town. Below you will find a map of Chateaudun circa 1607 that enables you to imagine the town during that time period.
Here is the link to the PowerPoint presentations for each location and ancestor(s):
Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Francois Sirois dit Duplessis
Montargis: Nicloas Mongeon and Marie Pelletier
Blois: Jacques Fisseau/Fissiau
Amboise: Francoise Hurteau
Chateaudun: Marie Chevreau
AND NOW FOR A NOD TO MY FATHER WHO WAS A CHEF…
Any trip to France includes the joy of eating great food and enjoying some wonderful wine. I have put together a mosaic picture to commemorate my culinary experiences during my trip:
