Saint-Martin-le-Beau is a town in Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, 20 km south-east of Tours.
Its 18 km² territory borders the Cher on the right bank, which constitutes the "southern" limit of the locality, while the Loire, for its part, flows a few kilometers to the north...
Saint-Martin-le-Beau is located to the northeast at the edge of the forest of Amboise. Moreover, forest landscapes represent 30% of the municipal area, agricultural areas (mainly vineyards) constituting 50% of the territory...
The village appeared at the beginning of the 10th century, when the people of Touraine repelled the Vikings who were attacking the city by exhibiting the remains of Saint-Martin (bishop of the city in 370). They chased the Normans to the current town and erected a chapel in his honor, dedicated to "Sanctus martinus de bello" ("Saint-Martin of the war")... But the name "le Beau" turned out to be more seductive. A few decades later, in 1054, the battle of Nouy took place in the locality, which allowed Anjou to annex Touraine. Finally, during the Second World War, the village being on the demarcation line, dozens of people crossed the Cher to reach the free zone with the complicity of a resistance fighter from the village.
With nearly 3,200 inhabitants today, Saint-Martin-le-Beau highlights its bucolic and wine-growing landscapes, its heritage and a quality leisure offer. Enough to justify a stopover in this otherwise touristy region!
The heritage of the town partly reflects its history and geography. From the 12th century, a Romanesque church replaced the chapel which celebrated the rout of the Normans at the sight of the relics of Saint Martin... Remodeled and enlarged in the 15th century, it nevertheless retained its original portal (12th century), in semicircular arch, the one of the finest examples of Romanesque art in Touraine. Restored in the 19th century, it is surmounted by an oculus whose stained glass window retraces episodes from the life of Saint Martin (19th century). Listed in the Inventory, the church was damaged in 2015 by a fire. After work, it has been reopened to worship and the public since 2019.
The other major heritage site is located in the town. This is Thomas Boyer's mansion. The latter was in the 16th century lord and builder of the Château de Chenonceau. Moreover, Superintendent of Finances of François I, he would have had this house built for the priest Michel Estève, who fitted out a chapel in the village church and where his burial was the subject of pilgrimages... The facade has remained a fine example of Renaissance decor, with mullioned windows and carved masks, pilasters with capitals with volutes or small finely carved figures, and a statue of Saint-Michel placed at the top of the gable. Acquired by the Syndicat d'Initiative in 1969, the mansion, which was very degraded at the time, was carefully renovated. The association of "Friends of the Manoir Thomas-Bohier" is now in charge of the site. The mansion, listed in the Inventory, houses a tourist information point in summer and hosts exhibitions and cultural events in its renovated rooms which reflect Renaissance architecture. Open to the public in summer and during exhibitions. Information on +33 7 82 78 88 55.
In the surrounding countryside, old winegrowers' houses with cellars or cellars and isolated lodges in the vines (dry stone huts where tools were stored and where people rested) are still visible, testifying with charm to the secular vocation of the town.
Finally, in terms of heritage again, we can observe the needle dam of Nitray, to the south-west of the town. Built in 1841, it improved commercial traffic on the Cher. However, over the decades, the railway and the road have supplanted navigation. The Cher was declared unsuitable for commercial traffic in 1957, and there are now only pleasure boats left to use it in season...
On a cultural level, note that the library regularly hosts events: contact +33 2 47 50 64 53.
Sports enthusiasts can book a tennis court with the local club on +33 6 66 02 83 86.
Hikers (pedestrians or two-wheelers) are particularly pampered. Three thematic marked trails are available in the locality which allow you to discover different aspects: the Battereau, the Cher valley and "Vineyards and Forests". It is advisable to park in the station car park, the common starting point. Other loops of larger scale possible including large castles in the surroundings, such as Chenonceau or Nitray, not to mention the secure cycle route called "Cher à vélo". Maps and information on +33 2 47 50 67 26 or +33 2 47 57 09 28.
