On the road

SIGHTS Sainte-Croix Cathedral

Construction: 1601 to 1829.
Style: Gothic, Neo-Gothic.
Features: one of the five largest Gothic cathedrals in France (140-m long, 53-m wide, with a spire rising to 106 m), Sainte-Croix was begun in 1287 and officially consecrated on 8 May 1829. The magnificently carved woodwork of the choir and the stained-glass windows depicting the story of Joan of Arc are among its ‘treasures’, as are the 11 richly decorated 13th-century chapels that form its apse.
History: Named in honour of the relics of the Holy Cross, upon which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died to open the way to eternal life for us, the Gothic cathedral of Orléans took almost six centuries to build (1287–1829). The presence of these relics has been confirmed since the 7th century and may date back as far as the 4th century. It is a royal cathedral: Charles II ‘the Bald’, Robert ‘the Pious’ (son of Hugh Capet) and Louis VI ‘the Fat’ were crowned kings of France there. Its long construction was consistently supported by the kings of France, notably Henry IV and Louis XIV. Joan of Arc came to pray at the cathedral on 8 May 1429. Ever since, every 8 May, a solemn Mass in her honour is celebrated there during the bicentennial celebrations marking the liberation of Orléans by the Maid. She was canonised on 16 May 1920 in recognition of the deeds she performed during her short life (aged 19). The cathedral was elevated to the status of a basilica in 1855. This honorary title is bestowed by the Pope upon a church to which many faithful make a special pilgrimage to pray.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1862.

Construction: 1635 to 1541.
Style: Classical.
History: the palace was built between 1635 and 1641. Its architect is not known for certain; the names of Jacques Lemercier and Pierre Le Muet have been suggested. The main building was constructed first, followed by the wings, but the rest of the original, more ambitious project was never completed. The monumental gateway enclosing the main courtyard was not built until the end of the 17th century. In the 18th century, the private apartments of the Bishop of Orléans occupied the ground floor. During the Revolution, the palace was divided into several flats. It then housed the city museum from 1799 to 1804. From 1805 onwards, it once again became the official residence of the bishops of Orléans for a century.

In 1919, the episcopal palace was purchased by the city of Orléans and the municipal library was established there. In 1994, the library was moved to a new media centre. The city council then decided to renovate the building to house the University of Orléans’ International University Research Centre, which includes, in particular, a thesis defence hall; it was inaugurated in 2014.
Trivia: Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolphe Thiers are among the famous figures who spent at least one night in the palace. Writer Georges Bataille served as curator of the library in 1951. He wrote a significant portion of his works there.
Current use: this building, which served as the residence of the bishops of Orléans until 1905, has housed the International University Centre for Research since 2014.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1912, 1928 and 1942

Construction: 12th century.
Style: Romanesque.
Features: the Campo Santo is a large, grass-covered cloister surrounded by galleries, situated near the Cathedral of Sainte-Croix in Orléans. It is currently used to host major events in the city of Orléans.
History: From the 12th to the end of the 18th century, it served as a cemetery as the one at Saint-Aignan had become insufficient. It was desecrated in the 16th century during the Wars of Religion: the chapels were set alight, the side galleries demolished and the large central cross destroyed. In 1776, a royal decree banned cemeteries within town walls, and the remains were moved outside the city walls. The Campo Santo then served as a grain market until 1884, and several buildings were erected beneath the arcades.

In 1970, the Institute of Visual Arts was built on the site of the south gallery, and an underground car park was excavated without any archaeological excavations having been carried out in the former cemetery.

Since then, one of the chapels has been used for Orthodox worship, and the entire cloister has been used for various cultural events in Orléans, such as the medieval market held during the annual Fêtes Johanniques. It also hosted the closing nights of the Orléans Jazz Festival until 2014.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1913.

Construction: 1552.
History: the pavilion was built around 1552, at the rear of the plot of land comprising the house purchased in 1546 by François Colas, Lord of Les Francs, and consisting of buildings arranged around a courtyard and adjoining the Porte Renard (the western entrance to the city). It was situated at the end of a courtyard wing that has since been demolished. This building was likely intended to house the archives and treasury of Colas des Francs. It is one of the few buildings in the neighbourhood to have survived the bombing of 1940. Its construction is traditionally attributed to Jacques Ier Androuet-Ducerceau, who was in the Loiret at that time. The pavilion was restored in 1965, when Place de Gaulle was created.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1889.

Established: 1432
Characteristics: established to celebrate the victorious siege of the city of Orléans led by Joan of Arc in 1429. They are presided over each year by a prominent figure and, by tradition, by the President of the Republic in the year following his election. The festivities follow a ritual established in 1855 and consist mainly of a procession through the city’s key landmarks where Joan of Arc once walked. A young woman is chosen each year to portray her.
Classification: listed in the inventory of France’s intangible cultural heritage.

Construction: 1498–1518
Style: Gothic and Renaissance.
History and features: situated in the heart of the medieval town, Hôtel des Créneaux was Orléans’ first town hall. From the time of the French Revolution, it became the seat of the Court; then, from 1825 to 1981, it housed the Museum of Fine Arts. Today, it is home to part of the Orléans Conservatoire. The building was constructed in several phases, mainly between 1445 and 1513, first on the inner side, against the original ramparts, and then on the outer side, on newly acquired land.

The façade on Rue Sainte-Catherine dates from the 16th century. Architecturally, it is notable for its alternation of Gothic styles – exemplified by the dormer windows crowned with fleurons and the watchtowers – and Renaissance styles – such as the cornice adorned with shells. The Passage du Saloir takes its name from the salt store that runs alongside it. Salt was stored there; its trade was a municipal monopoly.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.

Built: 1552
Style: Renaissance.
History: this mansion, also known as Grande-Maison de l’Étape, Maison du Gouverneur or Intendance, served as Orléans Town Hall and is now used for wedding ceremonies. Built at the instigation of the Groslot family, it hosted, amongst others, French kings Francis II and Charles IX, as well as the regent Catherine de’ Medici.
Features: it has a distinctive façade of red bricks laid in a diamond pattern. It comprises a central building flanked by two Renaissance-style wings and a double flight of stairs. In the 16th century, the mansion consisted solely of its central section. Its two wings were built after it was purchased by the municipality. Hôtel Groslot comprises four main rooms: the reception room, the former town council chamber, the former mayor’s office and the wedding hall.

The interior decoration, in the Gothic troubadour style, was carried out between 1850 and 1854 under the direction of architect André Delton. It features numerous mementoes of Joan of Arc, including paintings, Aubusson tapestries, wooden chests and other period furniture.
Distinguishing features: the statue of Joan of Arc, created by Princess Marie d’Orléans and situated in front of the town hall’s steps, dates from the mid-19th century. It still bears the marks of bullets it received during the liberation of Orléans in August 1944.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1846 and 1862.

The Inter-regional Information Processing Centre (SITI), built between 1966 and 1969 by Atelier de Montrouge, is one of the very first buildings in France designed for large-scale computerised information processing. EDF was one of the pioneering companies in France to adopt this new technology for billing its customers. The first SITI was installed in 1965 in Issy-les-Moulineaux, also designed by Atelier de Montrouge. To cover the whole of France, two further branches were planned: one in Lyon and the other in Orléans, where SITI No. 3 was ultimately installed.

The programme involved the installation of IBM 370-155 computers, 13, -printers and 18 magnetic tape drives, enabling the billing of around 9 million subscribers, which amounted to the printing of 100,000 bills per day. Due to the weight of the machinery and the need to store paper, the building’s structure had to be capable of withstanding considerable loads whilst also being able to adapt to the constant evolution of office systems.

Abandoned by EDF in 2008, the building was vandalised and subsequently purchased by investors to create 63 luxury flats.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 2016. 20th-century heritage.

SIGHTS Printemps de Bourges

Combining mainstream headliners with up-and-coming acts, the festival has been offering an annual week of concerts since 1977, featuring a wide variety of musical genres across several venues in Bourges: 150 artists and bands across the festival’s seven venues, as well as numerous artists performing on the four free stages stretching from the banks of the Auron to Place Seraucourt, and just as many in the twenty or so bars in Bourges taking part in the Printemps dans la ville programme. For the 50th edition in 2026, the headliners were Patti Smith, Vanessa Paradis, Gims, Josman, Oxmo Puccino and Philippe Katerine.

The 2027 edition will take place from 20 to 25 April.

Founded: construction began in 1195
Style: Gothic
Features: when it was built, it was the largest cathedral south of the Loire, 120 metres long and 41 metres wide, with a tower rising to a height of 65 metres. It is also a rare example of a cathedral without a transept.
A bit of history: the cathedral serves as the setting for the film about the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, Notre-Dame is burning by Jean-Jacques Annaud, released in 2022. It was chosen for its resemblance to Notre-Dame de Paris.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1862 / inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.

Created: 18th century.
History: created in 1730 on the site of Philippe Auguste’s ramparts. Legend has it that they were designed by a pupil of Le Nôtre. Comprising two distinct sections: a French garden extending from the former Archbishop’s Palace, featuring flowering plants, topiary hedges and lawns, and a heavily wooded area.
A distinctive feature is the bandstand, which dates from 1908 and is adorned with four monumental bronze vases representing the four seasons.

Founded: between 1443 and 1451 by Jacques Cœur, merchant, trader and Grand Treasurer to the King of France.
Style: a private mansion, a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic civil architecture.
History: The building, constructed between 1443 and 1451 by Jacques Cœur, is one of the very earliest examples of a Gothic civil residence, a symbol of the success of the wealthy merchant who became Treasurer to King Charles VII. He wanted it to be ‘beautiful, grand and magnificent’: it comprised 43 rooms and 8 staircases, covering an area of 4,000 m². He built it on the Gallo-Roman wall of Bourges, on the border between the upper and lower towns, with two distinct street-facing façades: one austere, with a fortified appearance, and the other in the flamboyant style, richly decorated. Its layout followed that of medieval castles, with a courtyard, towers and a keep, but it was also a building of a new kind: the townhouse. Jacques Cœur kept a close eye on the progress of its construction whenever his visits to Bourges allowed, but he entrusted the day-to-day supervision to his builders from Bourges: Pierre Jobert and Guillot Trépant. Whilst his wife, Macée de Léodepart, took up residence there from 1447, Jacques Cœur scarcely had the chance to enjoy his grand house. Even before construction was complete, following complaints and rumours, the king had him arrested, tried and his property confiscated. A succession of owners followed, including the famous Colbert, who sold it to the city of Bourges in 1682. Initially used as a town hall, Jacques Cœur’s house subsequently served as the seat of various courts and courthouses in the 19th century (hence its name, the Palais Jacques Cœur). It then underwent extensive alterations before being included on the first list of historic monuments in 1840. In 1923, the State became its owner and undertook its restoration.
Characteristics: ahead of its time, the palace foreshadowed the Renaissance-style mansions that would later come into vogue. Its interior layout is based on a clever design that separates the private and public areas. The rooms – private apartments, state rooms, a chapel, a kitchen, a drying room and attic accommodation for the servants – follow one another whilst remaining self-contained, as each room opens onto a staircase, a corridor or both. The comfort of the residence lends this architecture the hallmark of true modernism for its time. This magnificent residence is replete with sculptures, mottos, bas-reliefs, ridge ornaments and gargoyles, all of which help to establish the owner’s status. On both sides of the building, the owner’s signature – a heart for his surname and a shell for his first name – is inscribed on the doors, locks and sculpted decorations… Jacques Cœur’s grand motto offers a glimpse into the fabulous destiny of this extraordinary figure: ‘To a valiant heart, nothing is impossible’ (‘A vaillans cuers riens impossible’). The bas-reliefs above each entrance door depict a scene indicating the room’s function. For example, before the staircase leading to the chapel, three tympanums mark the beginning and end of Mass.
Current use: A town hall in the 17th century, a courthouse and, finally, a court of justice from 1820 onwards, it is now managed by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1840.

Construction: 15th century.
Style: Renaissance.
History: Hôtel Lallemant retains the name of its builders, Jean Lallemant – three members of a wealthy merchant family of German origin who arrived in Bourges in the 13th century, all bearing the same first name. The earlier buildings were destroyed by the great fire of Bourges in July 1487. Construction of the mansion took place between 1495 and 1518. The complex is a remarkable example of the late Louis XII style and the early French Renaissance.
Features: it is built on the city’s Gallo-Roman ramparts, hence the presence of two courtyards: the upper courtyard and the lower courtyard (the current visitors’ entrance), separated by a few steps. The Renaissance exterior decoration is particularly elaborate around the windows and on the turrets of the upper courtyard. The finesse of this ornamentation has led to speculation that a team of Italian artists was involved. The palace is adorned with an impressive array of decorative sculptures, in the form of pilasters, cornices, capitals, lamp bases, columns, pediments, fireplaces, medallions, undersides of steps and mouldings. The decorations depict objects such as cornucopias, shells, foliage, ovals, arrows, tridents and flaming cups, or figures: a phoenix, a jester, an eagle, birds, or more clearly identifiable figures such as Saint Christopher and Paris, son of Priam. On the vaulted landing, one monk with a blank speech bubble, another in prayer, a third with an open book, and another keeping watch.
Trivia: the interpretation of the figure sculptures in an esoteric and alchemical sense has been extensively developed since the works of Fulcanelli, Jacques van Lennep and Michel Bulteau.
Current location: Museum of Decorative Arts.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.

Construction: late 15th century.
History: in the 15th century, the town was administered by four magistrates, who met in the outbuildings of the Priory of La Comtale, which was destroyed during the Great Fire of Bourges. In 1489, the mayor and the aldermen decided to build a town hall, which was erected in 1490 by sculptors Jacquet de Persigny and Jacquet Gendre. A building with arcades was constructed between 1619 and 1623 on the site of the pavilion linking the corner turret to the 15th-century residence, designed by architects Jehan Le Juge and Gargault. Sold as national property during the Revolution, it housed the teacher-training college in 1833 and became the ‘Petit Lycée’, which would later come under the authority of the secondary school named after one of its former pupils, Alain-Fournier.
Features: Hôtel des Échevins consists of a main building, flanked by a stair tower reminiscent of that at the Jacques-Cœur Palace. Like many of the city’s mansions, the building was constructed straddling the Gallo-Roman ramparts. The perpendicular gallery, built in the Renaissance style in 1623, is the work of architect Jehan Lejuge.
Current use: art museum.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1886.