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| Further along the rue du Collège opens out into the place du Marché au Blé. This square houses the fine Hôtel de l'intendant du Comptoir des Indes occidentales, dating back to 1715; also the former Hôtel de Ville (1735). The latter was built to replace the wooden market hall and extended in 1792, it houses a surprising small theatre built in 1839 which is currently being restored. Visits can be made to the theatre by arrangement with the Tourist Office. The rue Lyonnaise is one of the most attractive streets in La Flèche with fine old buildings and hidden gardens. Place Henry IV is in the bustling centre of the town. The square has a pretty fountain, flower beds, and is dominated by a statue of good king Henry IV. It is the ideal place to have a drink on a café terrace. |
| La Flèche |
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| A tour of La Flèche should start from the Château des Carmes, the historic centre of the town. Only the gable of the keep, built in 1450, still stands. On it one can make out the position of the drawbridge. Once the home of the lords of La Flèche, the château became a convent of the Carmes order until the French revolution. It was finally bought by the town at the beginning of the century. The rue du Collège is lined by an impressive set of seventeenth century buildings: the Jesuits' College, created by Henry IV to train young nobles and prepare them for the affairs of state (Descartes studied there), it is now the National Military Academy where future army officers are trained. |
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