CROSSROADS OF RESISTANCE

Lorris, a major Maquis stronghold, suffered a bloody crackdown on August 14, 1944, on the eve of the Allied landings in the Mediterranean, while the towns of central France were gradually being liberated. The battle of Chicamour, which had taken place two days earlier, was the catalyst. That day, on the RN60, 150 maquisards had ambushed an enemy convoy in order to obtain vehicles. On the morning of August 14, the German army surrounded the Carrefour. Around fifty Resistance fighters - both maquisards and civilians - were arrested and shot on the spot. Forest houses were set on fire. These events prevented the Lorris maquis from taking part in the liberation of Orléans. The surviving maquisards continued their march, helping to liberate Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, before moving on to the liberated city of Orléans and then on to Paris, to fight alongside Colonel Marc O'Neill in the liberation of the capital. In the middle of the forest, at the crossroads of the Resistance - halfway between Lorris and Ouzouer-sur-Loire - a monument pays homage to the victims, while the burnt-down forest houses have remained untouched since these tragic events. A smartphone application is available to help you understand the great and small moments of history through the events that took place in the forest. By playing back pre-recorded and scripted sounds, the idea is to help walkers relive the atmospheres that permeated the sites. The Carrefour de la Résistance, an emblematic site in the Orléans state forest, offers the chance to relive scenes such as old forest life from 1880 to 1936, the day of August 14, 1944, and life at the crossroads after the Second World War from 1946 to 1999. Listening equipment can be borrowed from the tourist office or the Musée Départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation. However, you will need to pay a deposit (a few hundred euros) to use the loaned smartphone.