Landscaping - Portraits of the Loire in the Renaissance 1/6

The Loire is capricious: it is subject to changeable flow rates, severe drops in water levels and catastrophic floods. Although nowadays it appears to have been brought under control, in the Renaissance period local residents had to contend with its changeable and difficult nature.  

In the 16th century, its levees already had a long history. They facilitated navigation, contained the most frequent floods and protected farmland. The Loire Valley became a managed landscape.  

Nevertheless, both the main course of the river and its shoreline could change at any time: the Loire has not been tamed. A number of devastating floods are fresh in the minds of local residents. 

Documentary file

The documentary file supplements the notions raised in the videos. It provides more detailed data and written and iconographic sources beyond what is shown in the films, for the purposes of finding out more about the subjects touched on. 

This file contains: a summary, written sources and accounts from the time, some literary excerpts about the Loire, a bibliography, iconography and links to the original collections.