Whilst in Orleans, visit the Rue Royale. This great street, lined with arcades, was built in 1755 at the same time as the Pont Royal, now Pont George V. The main street of the medieval town, Rue Sainte-Catherine, was thus suddently demoted.
The House of Joan of Arc is a good reconstruction, after the bombings of 1940, of the house of Jacques Boucher, treasurer to the Duke of Orleans, where Joan of Arc lived in 1429. Models and a diorama retrace the history of «La Pucelle» and the end of the siege of Orleans on 8 May 1429.
The Rue de Bourgogne has a large pedestrian portion and is a big shopping street. During the Gallo-Roman era, it was the main east-west route in the town. Here you will see the façade of a 15C stone house with a half-timbered gable at n° 221, then pass in front of the Préfecture in a former Benedictine monastery, and opposite, you will see the Salle des Thèses on rue Pothier, a 15C library and the only remains of the university where, in 1528, Jean Calvin studied law.
Do not miss the relaxing Parc Floral de la Source, out of town. This 30 hectare park is a window on horticulture in the Orleans region. It contains a large variety of plants and several animal species including deer and emu. Among the other delights for the eyes, the mirror gives a beautiful view of the castle and the delicate «Louis XIII embroidery» that decorates the lawn. The foaming source of the Loiret can be seen from here.
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