Centre

Centre is made up of the former provinces of Orléanais, Touraine, and Berry. The Carnutes, a Gallic (Celtic) tribe, inhabited Orléanais during the Roman occupation of Gaul and Chartres was established as their capital. Much of the region was conquered and occupied by the English during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). The city of Orléans was besieged by forces led by John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford in 1428 and was famously liberated by French heroine Joan of Arc the following year. The city later served as a headquarters for the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion of the 16th century. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, much of the region was occupied by the Germans, and during World War II many towns and cities, including Orléans, Tours, and Blois, were badly bombed.