Jaulnay brings together architectural history and botanical highlights. The Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais stands in the Le Bourg district; the Château du Chillou is associated with a change of ownership in 1506 and a later listing as a historic monument. Remarkable plants grow in the Lande du bois de la Couarde, and the Étang de la Mousselière circular walk offers a clearly defined walking route. This lets you choose between architecture, local history and nature without trying to cover every theme in the same outing.
Church and Château du Chillou
The Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais is a uniformly designed building, constructed in its entirety in the 15th or early 16th century. Northeast of the nave stands a tower reinforced with buttresses and topped by an octagonal, or eight-sided, spire. The dating refers to the building, while the location and form refer to the tower. This makes it possible to distinguish the building phase from individual architectural features.
The historical significance of the Château du Chillou lies in its ownership and heritage status. In 1506, it passed into the ownership of François du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu’s great-grandfather. A decree dated 14 November 1951 listed the château and its moat, preserved as ruins, as a historic monument. The dates refer to different events: 1506 marks the change of ownership, while 1951 marks the listing. The moat is explicitly included in the listing as a ruin. Alongside the church’s construction period, the focus here is therefore on a historical connection and a dated heritage status.
Nature and landscape in a regional context
The Lande du bois de la Couarde biodiversity reserve extends across the municipalities of Jaulnay and Marigny-Marmande. The regionally protected wandering heath (Erica vagans) and slender centaury (Cicendia filiformis) grow in the Lande du bois de la Couarde and along its tracks.
Jaulnay is also part of the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park. Founded in 1996, the park brings together 129 municipalities committed to protecting heritage and enhancing local resources. This mandate places local cultural and natural features within a broader regional context: heritage protection and local resources are explicitly linked.
Circular walk and dated events
The Étang de la Mousselière circular walking route lies within the municipality of Jaulnay in Indre-et-Loire. The route is about eight kilometres long, with an average walking time of around two hours. These approximate figures help you plan your time; check the route details before setting out. This lets you plan the walking time as a distinct part of your trip without conflating it with the town’s historical attractions.
The Fête de la Mobylette was held for the tenth time in 2026 and was organised by Les Cyclomobeurs. The 2026 edition included an exhibition of historic two-wheeled vehicles and a moped ride on Sunday.
Dining in Jaulnay
The restaurant A table in Jaulnay serves home-cooked food made with fresh ingredients and regional recipes with a modern twist. It can organise group meals and offers banquet, room-hire, seminar and catering services. If you are planning a group meal or any of these services, confirm the details in advance. This keeps dining as a separate planning item alongside the cultural and natural attractions.
Discover more destinations: Civray-Sur-Esves, Beaumont-En-Véron, Saint-Martin-Le-Beau, Rochecorbon, Saint-Nicolas-Des-Motets, Tours, Benais, Neuvy-Le-Roi.
Back to the regional travel guide: Indre-Et-Loire.
