Turones

Turones coinage, 5th-1st century BCE.

A map of Gaul in the 1st century BCE, showing the relative positions of the Celtic tribes.

The Turones were a Celtic tribe of pre-Roman Gaul. The Touraine is named after them, as is the capital of said ancient province, Tours.

Their territory spanned the actual departement of Indre-et-Loire, and parts of the Indre and Vienne departments. The principal city of the Turones' territory was Caesarodunum, the modern city of Tours. Before the Roman conquest, the main oppidum of the tribe was probably the oppidum of Fondettes, or maybe the one which was found behind the Amboise Castle, called Oppidum des Châtelliers.

The ancient records of Britain, cited by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Nennius, and the anonymous author of Jesus College MS LXI, attribute the name to Turnus, a nephew of Brutus of Troy who was buried there after dying in battle protecting the Britons from King Goffar of Aquitaine and the Poitevins.