Indre
Indre (); is a department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administrative region of Cent ...
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Geography
Argenton-sur-Creuse lies on the river
Creuse
Creuse (; or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the east, Cor ...
, about 28 km southwest of
Châteauroux
Châteauroux ( ; ; ) is the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French.
Climate
Châteauroux te ...
.
Argenton-sur-Creuse station
Argenton-sur-Creuse station (French language, French: ''Gate d'Argenton-Sur-Creuse'') is a railway station in France on the Orléans–Montauban railway, located within the commune of Argenton-sur-Creuse, in the département of Indre, in the Cent ...
has rail connections to Vierzon, Limoges and Paris. The
A20 autoroute
The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is long.
Regions Crossed
The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts ...
(Vierzon–Limoges–Montauban) passes west of the town. The village of Saint-Benoît-du-Sault is 20 minutes away by road. South of Argenton is the valley of the river
Creuse
Creuse (; or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the east, Cor ...
. The village of Gargilesse is nearby; there the home of the writer
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. Being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balz ...
may be visited.
History
The modern city is built close to the site of the
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...
city of Argentomagus which lies a little to the north. The site has been developed as a museum visitor attraction. The name of the ancient town probably derives from the Latin word for "silver", as the town was a center of silver work.
The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1911) described the city as follows: "The river is crossed by two bridges, and its banks are bordered by picturesque old houses. There are numerous tanneries, and the manufacture of boots, shoes and linen goods is carried on". Since then, one of the riverside mills has been converted into the "Museum of the Shirt and Masculine Elegance".