Ronsard's Residence - Priory of Saint Cosme

From its founding in 1092 until the 18th century, the community of canons at the Priory of Saint-Cosme welcomed pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Its history remains marked by the presence of the Kings of France in Touraine during the 15th and 16th centuries, as well as by the stays of Pierre de Ronsard, who became its prior in 1565. That same year, the "Prince of Poets" received a visit from Catherine de Medici and her son, King Charles IX. In this setting conducive to his inspiration, Ronsard spent his final days and died there on the night of December 27, 1585. Entering through the stone archway into the gardens, visitors discover the Prior's house, built in the 15th century. It houses Ronsard's bedroom and study, furnished with Renaissance pieces. Only vestiges remain of the church: the apse where the tomb of Pierre de Ronsard was discovered, the Romanesque capitals, the Gothic arch, and part of the transept. Of the buildings accessed from the cloister, only the refectory, with its magnificent Romanesque pulpit, and part of the guesthouse escaped the bombings of the Second World War. The nine rose gardens, contemporary creations, are inspired by medieval and Renaissance garden designs.