. Castles and chateaux of old Touraine and the Loire country. ; and that itsname, at first Caynon, became Chinon. Likethe derivation of most ancient place-names, thisclaim involves a wide imagination and as-suredly sounds unreasonable. Caino may, withmore likelihood, have been a Celtic word, mean-ing an excavation, and came to be adopted be-cause of the subterranean quarries from whichthe stone was drawn for the building of thetown. The annalists of the western empiregive it as Castrum-Caino, and whether itsorigin dates from antediluvian times or not, itwas a town in the very earliest days of
. Castles and chateaux of old Touraine and the Loire country. ; and that itsname, at first Caynon, became Chinon. Likethe derivation of most ancient place-names, thisclaim involves a wide imagination and as-suredly sounds unreasonable. Caino may, withmore likelihood, have been a Celtic word, mean-ing an excavation, and came to be adopted be-cause of the subterranean quarries from whichthe stone was drawn for the building of thetown. The annalists of the western empiregive it as Castrum-Caino, and whether itsorigin dates from antediluvian times or not, itwas a town in the very earliest days of theChristian era. The importance of Chinons role in history,and the beauty of its situation have inspiredmany writers to sing its praises. ... ChinonPetite ville, grand renomAssise sill pierre ancienneAu haute le bois, au bas la Vienne. The disposition of the town is most pic-turesque. The winding streets and stairwaysare ** foreign; like Italy, if you will, or someof the steps to be seen in the towns borderingupon the Adriatic. At all events, Chinon is not. The Roof-tops of Chinon Azay-le-Rideau, Usse, and Chinon 253 exactly like any other town in France, eitherwith respect to its layout or its distinct fea-tures, and it is not at all like what one com-monly supposes to be characteristic of theFrench. Dungeons of mediaeval chateaux are hereturned into dwellings and wine-cellars, andhave the advantage, for both uses, of being coolin summer and warm in winter. Already, in the year 371, Chinons popula-tion was so considerable that St. Martin, newlyelected Bishop of Tours, longed to preachChristianity to its people, who were still idola-ters. Some years afterward St. Mesme orMaxime, fleeing from the barbarians of thenorth, came to Chinon, and soon surroundedhimself with many adherents of the faith, andin the year 402 consecrated the original founda-tion of the church which now bears his name. Clovis made Chinon one of the strongest for-tresses of his kingdom, and in the tenth cen-
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherbosto, bookyear1906
