Orléanais definition of Orléanais in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Orléanais (ôrlāänā`), region and former province, N central France, on both sides of the Loire River. Orléans Orléans, city (1990 pop. 107,965), capital of Loiret dept., N central France, on the Loire River. A commercial and transportation center, it has food-processing, tobacco, machine-building, electrical, pharmaceutical, chemical, and textile industries.
..... Click the link for more information. , the historic capital, Chartres Chartres (shär`trə), city (1990 pop. 41,850), capital of Eure-et-Loir dept., NW France, in Orléanais, on the Eure River.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Blois Blois (blwä), town (1990 pop. 51,549), capital of Loir-et-Cher dept., central France, in Orléanais, on the Loire River.
..... Click the link for more information. are the chief cities. The region includes Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, and parts of Eure-et-Loir and Yonne depts. Beauce Beauce (bōs), region, in Orléanais, N France, in the Paris Basin, between the Seine and Loir rivers.
..... Click the link for more information. in the north, Little Beauce in the west, and Gâtinais in the east are rich agricultural districts; the large ancient forest of Orléans (northeast of the city) occupies the center of the region. The fertile Loire valley yields fruits, vegetables, and grapes and is dotted by many fine châteaux, notably Blois and Chambord Chambord, château, park, and village (1993 est. pop. 200), all owned by the state, in Loir-et-Cher dept., N central France. The huge Renaissance château, built by Francis I and set in an immense park and forest (c.
..... Click the link for more information. . South of the Loire bend is the swampy Sologne Plain, which has been considerably improved by drainage. The nucleus of the Orléanais has been part of the royal domain since the time of Hugh Capet (10th cent.); see Capetians Capetians (kəpē`shənz), royal house of France that ruled continuously from 987 to 1328; it takes its name from Hugh Capet .
..... Click the link for more information. . Although Orléanais is one of the areas of France least affected by Roman civilization, there are abundant ruins of fortresses and churches from the Carolingian period (c.7th cent.).