The Coeur Navré passage

The Coeur Navre passage

An unusual stop on the Tours audio-guided tour, this small covered passage in old Tours bears an evocative name: the Coeur Navre passage. Its discreet alley, tucked into the historic district, keeps the memory of a dark past.

A story of the condemned

In the manner of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, the passage evokes the sadness of the condemned who took it to reach the scaffold set up on place Foire-le-Roi. According to another explanation, the name comes from a sign showing a heart pierced by an arrow, which once hung at the entrance.

What to see

Place Foire-le-Roi, the small square leading to the passage, was in the Middle Ages an important place in the city where markets and public executions were held. Walk through this narrow passage to feel the atmosphere of old Tours and imagine its history.

Practical information

The Coeur Navre passage is in old Tours, near rue Colbert. Freely accessible, it can be walked through during a stroll in the historic district.

Where does the name of the Coeur Navre passage come from ?

It recalls the sadness of the condemned led to the scaffold, or an old sign shaped like a heart pierced by an arrow.

Where does the passage lead ?

It opens onto place Foire-le-Roi, a former site of markets and public executions in the Middle Ages.