The hometown of Florian Rousseau (the track cyclist who took 13 Olympic and world titles in sprint disciplines) and Pierre Rolland (best young rider at the 2011 Tour and stage winner at Alpe d’Huez and La Toussuire) frequently hosts the riders during Paris-Nice. The Tour de France has regularly had stage starts here too, although the last finishes in Orléans date back to 1974, when Eddy Merckx and Michel Pollentier shared the two half-stages there on the day before “The Cannibal” secured his fifth overall victory in Paris.
- Prefecture of Loiret (45)
- Population: 117,000; 298,000 within the Orléans Métropole municipality; 692,000 within Loiret
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Orléans and cycling
Orléans hosted the Tour de France on six occasions between 1964 and 2001, when the city was the start of a stage to Évry won by Erik Zabel. For the last finish in the city, in 1974, Eddy Merckx did… what Merckx does best. He broke away 12 km from the finish of the morning’s half-stage to win solo. But the ‘Cannibal’ may have bitten off more than he could chew, as that afternoon he was beaten by ten seconds in a 37.5 km time trial by Michel Pollentier. In 1964, Jean Stablinski had dominated the first city finish whilst wearing the French champions’ jersey. Two years later, it was another Frenchman, Pierre Beuffeuil, who took the win following a 206-km breakaway.
The most famous cyclist born in Orléans has never competed in the Tour de France, and for good reason: he is a track cyclist and one of the finest France has ever produced – Florian Rousseau, a three-time Olympic champion and winner of ten world titles on the track, including three in the individual sprint. He is now National Technical Director for the French Cycling Federation. Other cyclists born in Orléans include Patrice Esnault, winner of a stage of the Vuelta and who competed in the Tour five times between 1986 and 1993, and Frédéric Garnier, who took part in the 1988 Tour de France. Jean Maréchal, winner of Paris–Roubaix and Paris–Tours in 1930, before being disqualified from the ‘Queen of the Classics’, was also born in Orléans, though purely by chance, as his parents were merely passing through!
In 2024, Jasper Philipsen won the 19th stage of the Tour, which started in Orléans, at Saint-Amand-Montrond. Also worth noting is Fabio Jakobsen’s victory in the city during the second stage of Paris–Nice in 2022.
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.
Bishop’s Palace
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.
Campo Santo
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.
Pavillon Colas des Francs
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.
St Joan’s Festivities
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.
Hôtel des Créneaux
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.
Hôtel Groslot
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.
Inter-regional Information Processing Service (SITI)
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.