Gallic Period in Lavardin


				Gallic Period (2500-10 BC) The first forge in Lavardin dates from around 800 BC. The Gauls used the forges to make weapons for their fight against the Roman conquest of France by Julius Caesar. The foundations and low walls are the only evidence of the small Gallic fort just beyond the chateau .
	But the druid priests left a more visible impact on the land. Here in the high cliffs above the Loir River, they cut a series of five caves complexes from the living stone. The most famous is called Caves des Vierges (Cave of the Virgins).

	No one knows precisely why they built so many separate groups of cave but, like all worship places of the Druids, each set of caves is near either a spring or a well. Perhaps the reason the Druids chose Lavardin is the abundance of the springs in the area. Indeed, the waters of Lavardin were thought to have healing properties. In the middle ages, the sick would come on pilgrimage to drink its holy waters. Even today, some of these same springs produce clear, cold potable water. >