The forest of Gastines was situéee between the north of the Touraine and the valley of the Loir vendômois.

It was cleared as from the 11th century, in particular starting from the priories established by the monks of the abbeys of Turns and Vendôme. There remains about it in particular the Beaumont-the-Bramble forest (Indre-et-Loire) and it wood of Gâtines (canton of Montoire, Loir-et-Cher). Pierre de Ronsard denounced in its work the last great clearings of the forest, operated by the duke of Vendôme.

Bibliography: Schweitz (Daniel), “a forest spoiled for country: traditional identity of Gâtine tourangelle (XIe-XIXe century)” Bulletin of the archaeological Company of Touraine, XLIII, 1993, p. 931-949; “Of the traditional country to the host country: tourangelle identity of Gâtine since 1850”, Norois, geographical review of the West and the countries of the North Atlantic, 1994,163, p. 399-418.