Savigné-Sur-Lathan offers two clearly distinct travel interests: a hike lasting several hours with specific planning details, and local history reflected in fortifications, an exhibition, and church architecture. The Falun pour l’autre hiking trail, at 12 km, three hours, and 12 m of ascent, provides a clear basis for planning your day. The historical themes have a different focus: they range from the town’s fortifications to an exhibition and the architectural history of Saint-Pierre Church. Before your trip, you can decide whether outdoor activity or cultural history should play a greater part in your stay.
Falun pour l’autre hiking trail
The Falun pour l’autre hiking trail is an easy route covering 12 km. The hike is listed as taking three hours, with 12 m of ascent. These details answer different planning questions: the distance gives the route length, the duration provides a timeframe, and the ascent indicates the elevation gain. Together, they make it possible to plan the hike as an activity lasting several hours; you can also allow for your own breaks.
The trail starts on Avenue de Touraine and is marked in yellow. The starting street and trail markers provide specific points of reference for finding your way. Check the route and marking details again before setting off if you are including the hike in your day’s itinerary.
Fortifications and local history
The fortifications of Savigné-sur-Lathan form a remarkably well-preserved ensemble. They include massive towers, moats fed by the Lathan, and three main gates. It is this combination that distinguishes the ensemble from a single structure: the towers, moats, and gates show several parts of the fortifications in context.
The coat of arms also offers a glimpse into the history of these fortifications. It combines fleurs-de-lis with the royal support that Francis II granted in 1559 for fortifying the town as a walled settlement. The coat of arms and the fortifications thus offer two ways to explore the same subject: one through symbolism, the other through architectural features.
La Petite France and Saint-Pierre
At La Petite France, the covered exhibition space covers 600 m². Sound and lighting effects and animated miniatures are part of the presentation; the collection spans 1920 to the present day. Here, a collection presented using multimedia offers a different perspective from the historical and architectural themes. This lets you distinguish between the site’s different cultural highlights.
Saint-Pierre Church adds an architectural history with two clearly defined periods: it was built in the 15th century on the site of an older church dating from the 11th century. The choir preserves sculpted polychrome vaults. The two centuries mark different building phases, while the vaults also draw attention to the design of the choir. Polychrome means multicoloured, while sculpted refers to forms worked in relief. Saint-Pierre therefore offers a way to understand both the sequence of building phases and a specific architectural detail.
Discover more destinations
Saint-Benoît-La-Forêt, La Ville-Aux-Dames, Saint-Antoine-Du-Rocher, Lignières-de-Touraine, Véretz, Saint-Laurent-De-Lin, Mosnes, Ciran
For the overarching travel overview: Indre-Et-Loire.
