The area around the city of Tours is rich in history. On the western edge, Chinon was home to King Henry II of England (who was also Duke of Anjou) and his wife, Elenor of Aquitaine, whose lands included much of France south of the Loire, making the town one of the most important seats of power in Europe. Richard the Lionhearted died in Chinon's castle. The town holds a place of honor in French history, as it was here, in 1429, that Joan of Arc persuaded the Dauphin (soon to become King Charles VII) to accept the French crown and defy the English, laying the foundations of the modern French nation. Rabelais, the great epicurean writer, was born here and never tired of praising the local wines, which include Bourgueil, St Nicolas de Bourgueil, Vouvray and Chinon.

In the 16th century, the center of royal power moved to the eastern part of the region, where kings and nobles competed to outdo the magnificence of each other's châteaux at places like Chambord, Chennonceau, Azay-le-Rideau and Cheverny.