Sunday June 23, the Vivre Ensemble neighborhood committee organized a day to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the attachment of Sainte-Radegonde to the city of Tours.
In the morning, around fifty hikers met for a cultural acquaintance with the historic places. Cécile Chevillard, departmental vice-president, recalled the history of the church on rue Saint-Gatien, built in the 12e and 16th centuries in the town formerly called Saint-Ouen.
We do not know why the church and town took the name Sainte Radegonde. Inside, we discover the initial troglodyte church representing a major heritage site in Touraine, the first place of Christian worship in Touraine.
The legend of the donkey of Saint-Martin
We then had to climb the Chemin du Puyraton, before a break in front of the vineyards of Marmoutier Abbey. This vine is now owned by the city of Tours, which serves this beverage to its guests. This is an opportunity to recall the legend of the Saint-Martin donkey who greedily ate the first buds of the vine, causing concern among winegrowers of the time.
A few months later, the production was exceptional in its quality and quantity. This is why this method of disbudding is still continued today. The descent towards Chemin des Rochettes led walkers to meet Gabrielle, a student at Marmoutier, who told a story through the ages.
An exhibition on Sainte-Radegonde of yesteryear
The visit ended with the excavations of the abbey of Saint-Martin. It was time to head back to the village hall and discover the Sainte-Radegonde exhibition of yesteryear. A very attentive audience marched all day, sometimes finding the faces of their ancestors or the forgotten faces of their childhood in class photos. The day ended with the La Berdindaine folk group.
