Aubigny-sur-Nère: The City of the Stuarts
Centre-Val de Loire, France
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Auld Alliance
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200
XP
+100 France
= 300 total
1 day
Aubigny-sur-Nère: The City of the Stuarts
200 + 100 XP
In 1423 Charles VII gave Aubigny to John Stuart of Darnley, the most prestigious of the leaders of the Scottish army fighting for France in the Hundred Years' War, sealing the Auld Alliance, and his grandson Bérault Stuart and Bérault's son-in-law Robert Stuart, companions in arms of the Chevalier Bayard, built the castles of Aubigny and La Verrerie. A great fire ruined the town in 1512, and Marshal Robert Stuart let the inhabitants cut timber from three of his forests to rebuild, which is why Aubigny has its half-timbered houses. The town still calls itself the cité des Stuarts, and the rue du Prieuré runs from the church of Saint-Martin to the Château des Stuarts past houses such as the Maison de François Ier.
Required Activities
1
of 4
At the Château des Stuarts, find the work of Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth and mistress of Charles II, who was given the duchy of Aubigny by Louis XIV, and walk the gardens in the manner of Le Nôtre that she left to the town
2
of 4
Walk the rue du Prieuré end to end, from the church of Saint-Martin to the Château des Stuarts, the shopping spine of the town, and look in on the Saturday market of up to seventy stalls on the place Adrien-Arnoux
3
of 4
Count off the timber-framed houses rebuilt after the fire of 1512 with wood Marshal Robert Stuart gave from three of his forests: the Maison de François Ier, the Maison de Jeanne d'Arc, the Maison de Saint-Jean, the Maison des Dames and the Maison du Bailli
4
of 4
Find the tour d'enceinte, one of the last pieces left of the 14th-century town wall, among the thirteen protected buildings of Aubigny
At the Château des Stuarts, find the work of Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth and mistress of Charles II, who was given the duchy of Aubigny by Louis XIV, and walk the gardens in the manner of Le Nôtre that she left to the town
Walk the rue du Prieuré end to end, from the church of Saint-Martin to the Château des Stuarts, the shopping spine of the town, and look in on the Saturday market of up to seventy stalls on the place Adrien-Arnoux
Count off the timber-framed houses rebuilt after the fire of 1512 with wood Marshal Robert Stuart gave from three of his forests: the Maison de François Ier, the Maison de Jeanne d'Arc, the Maison de Saint-Jean, the Maison des Dames and the Maison du Bailli
Find the tour d'enceinte, one of the last pieces left of the 14th-century town wall, among the thirteen protected buildings of Aubigny
Before you go
Aubigny has held its fêtes franco-écossaises every year since 1990, around 14 July: a son et lumière, a medieval market, a pipe-band concert and parade, and a procession in Scottish dress.
The Château des Stuarts and its Auld Alliance interpretation centre run from April to November only, and in April, May, October and November they open Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and Friday to Sunday — nothing is published for December to March, so the castle is shut for the winter; the tourist office number is 02 48 58 40 20. The Rue du Prieuré, the Maison de François Ier and the Maison de Jeanne d'Arc are half-timbered houses in the street and can be looked at in any month.
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
200 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
300 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
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