Centre-Val de Loire

Centre is one of the 26 régions of France, located towards the northwest of the country. Its capital is Orléans.

History

The région Centre is made up of the following former provinces of France:

• Orléanais
• Touraine
• Berry
• a part of Perche (the rest of Perche lies in the Lower Normandy région and in the Pays-de-la-Loire région)

Name

The very bland name Centre is criticized by many in France. It was chosen by the French central government and based purely on geography, since the Centre région is made up of too many historical provinces to use an historical name. However, the région Centre is not really at the center of France, and the name is criticized as being dull and nondescript.

It has been proposed to rename the région "Val de Loire" (i.e. "Valley of the Loire"), which would give more character to the name of the région. Val de Loire is a name associated with positive images, such as the châteaux of the Loire Valley, the gentle and refined lifestyle of the Loire Valley, the wines of the Loire Valley, the mild and temperate climate of the Loire Valley, and so on. However, so far the name has not been adopted as the official name of the région. It is only sometimes used next to the name of the région, as in "Centre - Val de Loire".

Features

The main feature of the région Centre is the Loire Valley. It includes the rich, fertile valleys of the Loire River and its tributaries: Cher, Indre, Eure, etc. It is in the Centre région that are located the famous châteaux of the Loire Valley, which attract many tourists to the région.