Valençay
Valençay is a small town in the Indre département in the Loire Valley of France situated on a hillside overlooking the Nahon river. The town, with a population today of approximately 2,900, was formed by the amalgamation of three settlements: the "Bourg-de-l'Eglise" and the "Bas-Bourg" and what is called the "old quarter."
The town is dominated by the magnificent Chateau Valençay, built in 1540 by Robert d'Estampes and most notably acquired in 1747 by the Scottish Banker John Law. Later, in 1803 the castle was purchased by the diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand.
On May 6, 1941, Georges Bégué, the first SOE agent from England was parachuted into a field near Valençay. Fifty years to the day, the Valençay SOE Memorial, titled as the "Spirit of Partnership," was dedicated in honor of the 104 members of SOE's F Section who died for the liberation of France.
The town is also famous for its pyramid shaped Valençay cheese made from raw goat milk.
Referenced By
Andree Borrel | Andrée Borrel | Cecily Lefort | Communes of the Indre département | Communes of the Indre département of France | Denise Bloch | Diana Rowden | Ferdinand VII of Spain | Frank Pickersgill | Gilbert Norman | Gustave Bieler | Gustave Biéler | Jack Agazarian | John Kenneth Macalister | Lilian Rolfe | Robert Benoist | Roméo Sabourin | Special Operations Executive | Valencay SOE Memorial | Valençay SOE Memorial | Violette Szabo | William Grover-Williams
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