# Loches

> French commune in Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire

**Wikidata**: [Q213349](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213349)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loches)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/loches

## Summary
Loches is a French commune in the department of Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is an administrative municipality associated with the arrondissement of Loches and the canton of Loches, and it includes the medieval Château de Loches and the Gare de Loches railway station.

## Key Facts
- Entity type: Commune of France (France territorial subdivision for municipalities).
- Official short description: French commune in Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire.
- Country: France.
- Region: Centre-Val de Loire.
- Department: Indre-et-Loire (inception: 1790-03-04).
- Arrondissement: arrondissement of Loches (related arrondissement of France; sitelink_count: 30).
- Canton: canton of Loches (inception: 2015-03-22; sitelink_count: 14).
- Notable structures within Loches: Château de Loches (castle; inception circa 1100; sitelink_count: 25) and Gare de Loches (railway station; sitelink_count: 7).
- Administrative type: commune of France (inception: 1789; sitelink_count: 83).
- Official website: https://www.ville-loches.fr/
- Coordinates: latitude 47.128611111111, longitude 0.99527777777778.
- Recorded population figures (various recorded values from source): 6,343; 5,191; 6,486; 6,299; 7,031; 6,277; 6,232; 6,359; 6,738; 6,772; 6,544; 6,328; 6,375; 6,455; 6,199; 6,165; 6,180; 6,233; 6,234.
- Wikidata sitelink_count for Loches: 55.
- Wikipedia title: Loches.
- Awards/recognition linked to the commune: French Towns and Lands of Art and History (official French label; inception: 1985) and Concours des villes et villages fleuris (annual French contest; inception: 1959).
- National context references for France (country in which Loches is located): France sitelink_count 409; France historical notes include Treaty of Verdun (843) establishing West Francia and First French Empire inception (1804-05-18) as recorded in source material.

## FAQs
Q: What and where is Loches?
A: Loches is a commune (municipality) in central France located in the Indre-et-Loire department within the Centre-Val de Loire region. Its geographic coordinates are latitude 47.128611111111 and longitude 0.99527777777778.

Q: What administrative divisions does Loches belong to?
A: Loches is a commune in the department of Indre-et-Loire, is part of the arrondissement of Loches, and falls within the canton of Loches.

Q: What are important landmarks in Loches?
A: The commune includes the Château de Loches, a castle with an inception around 1100, and the Gare de Loches, the local railway station.

Q: How many people live in Loches?
A: The source provides a set of recorded population figures for Loches: 6,343; 5,191; 6,486; 6,299; 7,031; 6,277; 6,232; 6,359; 6,738; 6,772; 6,544; 6,328; 6,375; 6,455; 6,199; 6,165; 6,180; 6,233; and 6,234. Specific years for each figure are not provided in the source material.

Q: Where can I find official information from the municipality?
A: The official municipal website is https://www.ville-loches.fr/.

Q: Has Loches received any municipal heritage or quality labels?
A: Yes. Loches is associated with the French Towns and Lands of Art and History label and participates in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris, according to the provided source data.

## Why It Matters
Loches matters as a historically rooted municipal entity within central France that aggregates administrative, cultural and transport roles at the local level. The presence of Château de Loches, a castle with origins around 1100, connects the commune to medieval French history and heritage conservation. Administrative ties—being a named commune within Indre-et-Loire, an arrondissement and canton that carry the town’s name—indicate its local administrative importance. Recognition through national labels such as the French Towns and Lands of Art and History and participation in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris show the commune’s engagement in heritage promotion and local quality-of-life initiatives. The Gare de Loches provides tangible transport infrastructure that links the commune to regional rail networks. Collectively, these elements make Loches relevant for studies of regional governance, heritage management, and local transport and tourism in the Centre-Val de Loire.

## Notable For
- Hosting Château de Loches, a castle with an inception date around 1100.
- Containing the Gare de Loches, the town’s railway station.
- Serving as a named node in local administration: commune of Loches, the arrondissement of Loches, and the canton of Loches.
- Holding municipal recognition: associated with the French Towns and Lands of Art and History label.
- Participating in the national Concours des villes et villages fleuris contest.
- Maintaining an official municipal website at https://www.ville-loches.fr/.
- Being identified on major knowledge platforms (Wikidata/Wikipedia) with a sitelink_count of 55 and the Wikipedia title "Loches."

## Body

### Overview and Location
- Loches is a commune in France, located in the Centre-Val de Loire region.  
- The commune lies within the department of Indre-et-Loire.  
- Geographic coordinates are latitude 47.128611111111 and longitude 0.99527777777778.

### Administrative Status
- Loches is classified as a commune of France, the standard municipal territorial subdivision (the commune type has an inception noted in the source as 1789).  
- Department: Indre-et-Loire (department inception recorded as 1790-03-04).  
- Arrondissement: part of the arrondissement of Loches (related arrondissement entity; sitelink_count: 30).  
- Canton: part of the canton of Loches (inception date for the canton entity given as 2015-03-22).  
- The commune appears in knowledge databases under the Wikipedia title "Loches" and has a Wikidata short description of "French commune in Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire."

### Landmarks and Built Heritage
- Château de Loches: identified in the source as a castle with an inception around the year 1100 and a related sitelink_count of 25. The château is explicitly associated with the commune of Loches in the provided material.  
- Gare de Loches: the railway station serving Loches is explicitly listed and tied to the commune; this facility has a sitelink_count of 7 in the source.

### Transport
- The commune includes the Gare de Loches railway station, which is the local rail facility referenced in the source material.

### Population and Demographics
- The source provides a series of recorded population figures for Loches: 6,343; 5,191; 6,486; 6,299; 7,031; 6,277; 6,232; 6,359; 6,738; 6,772; 6,544; 6,328; 6,375; 6,455; 6,199; 6,165; 6,180; 6,233; 6,234. No year labels are included with these figures in the provided data.

### Recognition and Awards
- French Towns and Lands of Art and History: Loches is linked to this official French label for municipalities committed to promoting their history (label inception in source: 1985).  
- Concours des villes et villages fleuris: the commune is associated with this national contest recognizing floral and environmental quality in French towns and villages (contest inception in source: 1959).

### Related Entities and National Context
- Country context: Loches is located in France. The source includes extensive context on France, including historical reference points such as the Treaty of Verdun (843) establishing West Francia and the First French Empire date (1804-05-18). France’s sitelink_count in the source is 409.  
- Department: Indre-et-Loire (sitellink_count: 101) is the immediate departmental authority for Loches.  
- Administrative divisions linked to Loches include the arrondissement of Loches and the canton of Loches (canton sitelink_count: 14).  
- The wider municipal structure is the commune of France model (inception: 1789; sitelink_count: 83).

### Data, Identifiers and Online Presence
- Official website: https://www.ville-loches.fr/ for municipal information.  
- Wikidata/Wikipedia identifiers: Wikipedia title "Loches"; Wikidata sitelink_count for Loches is 55.  
- The provided population series and coordinates are part of the structured properties attached to the Loches entry in the source material.

### References in Source Material
- Connected items with sitelink counts in the source: France (409), Indre-et-Loire (101), arrondissement of Loches (30), Château de Loches (25), Gare de Loches (7), commune of France (83), canton of Loches (14). These linkages reflect the presence of Loches in knowledge bases and the relationships enumerated in the provided data.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.ville-loches.fr/loches-ville-d-art-et-d-histoire-article-3-11-55.html)
2. [Source](https://www.plusbeauxdetours.com/?s=loches)
3. [Source](https://www.villes-et-villages-fleuris.com/les-communes-labelisees)
4. [Sandre](https://www.sandre.eaufrance.fr/geo/CoursEau/K7--0260)
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. BnF authorities
7. dataset of postal codes in France. 2018
8. INSEE code
9. répertoire géographique des communes
10. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
11. Annuaire de service-public.fr
12. MusicBrainz
13. [National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies](http://www.insee.fr/fr/service/bibliotheque/tableaux_sgf/excel/rec_T12.xls)
14. Recensement de la population 2015. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 2017
15. Populations légales 2016
16. Populations légales 2017
17. Populations légales 2018
18. [Populations légales communales depuis 1968. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2522602)
19. Populations légales 2019
20. Populations légales 2020
21. Populations légales 2021
22. Populations de référence 2022
23. Populations de référence 2023
24. [Code officiel géographique. 2017](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2560698)
25. [Code officiel géographique](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/3363419)
26. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies
27. GeoNames
28. [répertoire géographique des communes. 2015](https://wxs-telechargement.ign.fr/83edtfdyqte031y0ra49d2e3/telechargement/inspire/RGC-2015-01$RGC2015/file/RGC2015.7z)
29. [2016](https://data.geopf.fr/telechargement/download/GEOFLA/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28.7z)
30. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
31. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File