Cour-Cheverny

Cour-Cheverny is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France. The commune's land extends across the Loire Valley and across the Sologne region. Its inhabitants are known as Courchois.

Toponymy

 * The name Cour-Cheverny has its origins in the vulgar Latin word, curtis, meaning farm. It seems likely, then, that the village of Cour-Cheverny was once a large piece of land belonging to the nearby village of Cheverny.
 * Over the years the village has had other names, such as Cour-en-Sologne, the name by which it was known up until the 19th century.
 * The church was mentioned in 1145 as belonging to the Abbey of Bourgmoyen. It came under the diocese of Chartres at the time.  Cour-Cheverny would have been a curtis, or farm, near to the small town of Cheverny, which began to grow in size and importance in the 6th century.

Sights

 * The Château of Sérigny, la Sistière, Beaumont, Chantreuil, les Murblins, and la Taurie.
 * La Borde is a renowned psychiatric clinic offering institutional psychotherapy treatments
 * The 12th-century church of Saint-Aignan, which was altered in the 16th and 17th centuries, has a nave with two bays, two aisles, a semi-circular apse, arcades of two-centred pointed arches, ribbed vaulting with a keystone dating from 1609, an east-facing great door and a tall framed spire on a central bell tower.
 * The Chapel of Sérigny.
 * The Oratory of la Boide.
 * The Conon Valley.
 * The Beuvron, a 115 km long tributary of the Loire, that runs into the Loire at Candé-sur-Beuvron.

Wine
The Cour Cheverny Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) was recognized in 1997. Geographically it corresponds to the commune of Cour-Cheverny and 10 other communes in the surrounding area. The single grape variety used is Romorantin, from which a dry, white wine is produced.

The Cheverny AOC, which was also recognized in 1997, covers a wider area but also includes the commune of Cour-Cheverny. The wines produced under this appellation are dry, white wines (the main grape variety being Sauvignon blanc), and red and rosé wines (the main grape variety being Gamay).

Events

 * Weekly market day: Tuesday.
 * Town's saint's day: Whit Monday;
 * Town show: Easter and the Sunday following 15 August.
 * Saint Vincent's Day, in honour of the patron saint of wine-growers, celebrated on 22 January.
 * Bread Festival, first weekend in July.
 * Flea Market, first weekend in August.
 * Saint Cecilia's Day, in honour of the patron saint of musicians, celebrated on 22 November.

Sports

 * Football
 * Tennis
 * Table Tennis
 * Basketball
 * Badminton

There is even a combined sports association that oversees and coordinates 10 different sections (Gymnastics, Badminton, Basketball, Dance School, Football, Judo, Petanque, Table tennis, Shooting and Cycling (Moorland to Lakeside, i.e. off-road)). The association is called the E.S.C.C.C. (Étoile sportive de Cour-Cheverny et Cheverny or Sporting Star of Cour-Cheverny and Cheverny.)

A gymnasium, built in the last ten years, is available for indoor activities.

Personalities

 * Paul Renouard, the 19th-century artist, born in Cour-Cheverny
 * Jean-François Deniau, a statesman and writer, 1928–2007.
 * Alain Souchon, the singer, songwriter and actor