Château of Blois

Coordinates: 47°35′08″N 1°19′51″E / 47.585501°N 1.33095°E / 47.585501; 1.33095
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Interior façades in Classic, Renaissance, and Gothic styles (from left to right)
Château de Blois, lithograph by C. Molle from a drawing by Charles-Caïus Renoux

The Royal Château of Blois (French: Château Royal de Blois, pronounced

Archbishop of Reims before departing with her army to drive against the English, who conquered Orléans the previous year.[1]

The château effectively controlled the County of Blois up to 1397, then the Duchy of Orléans, and the Kingdom of France between 1498 and 1544. It comprises several buildings, whose construction began in the 13th century and ended in the 17th century. Four different architectural styles are represented within the rectangular edifice, including: some remainings of the 13th-century medieval fortress, the Louis XII Gothic-style wing, the Francis I Renaissance-style wing, and the Gaston of Orléans Classical-style wing.[2] In total, there are 564 rooms, including 100 bedrooms with a fireplace in each, and 75 staircases (although only 23 were used frequently).

History

Interior of the Estates General Room

Counts of Blois

In 854, the Blois

Collegiate Church.[3]

The "Estates General Room" (Salle des États Généraux in French), built in the beginning of the 13th century, is one of the oldest seignoral rooms preserved in France, and is also the largest remaining civilian Gothic room of the country.[2] This room was used as a court of justice by the Counts of Blois and again in 1576 and 1588 during so-called Estates General.

Transition to the House of Orléans

The medieval castle was given in 1397 to

King Louis XII of France
in 1498.

King Louis XII

Louis XII
wing, with the chapel to the right

At the beginning of the 16th century, King Louis XII initiated a reconstruction of the entrance of the main block and the creation of an Italian garden in terraced parterres where Victor Hugo Square stands today.

This wing, of red brick and grey stone, forms the main entrance to a proper château onwards, and features a statue of the mounted King above the entrance. Although the style is principally Gothic, as the profiles of mouldings, the lobed arches and the pinnacles attest, there are elements of Renaissance architecture present, such as a small chandelier.

King Francis I

When

Château of Fontainebleau. It is this library that formed the royal library and the backbone of the Bibliothèque nationale de France
.

  • The rear of the Francis I wing, facing over central Blois in the 1890s
    The rear of the Francis I wing, facing over central Blois in the 1890s
  • The rear of the wing in 2007
    The rear of the wing in 2007
  • The Château's most renowned feature, the spiral staircase in the Francis I wing
    The Château's most renowned feature, the spiral staircase in the Francis I wing

Since King Louis XII was very committed in the Italian campaigns, which imported the

château of Chambord
, built a few years later. Behind this wing is the "Lodges Façade" (Façade des Loges in French), characterised by a series of disconnected niches.

King Henry III

Driven from

Louis II, Cardinal of Guise was also murdered within the château.[5]

The "King's Chamber" with King Henry IV's H in the floor tiles
The "Chamber of Secrets", allegedly believed to be Catherine de' Medici's secret hiding place for poisons

King Henry IV

After this, the castle was occupied by King Henry IV, the first Bourbon monarch. On Henry's death in 1610, it became the place of exile for his widow, Marie de' Medici, when she was expelled from the court of her son, King Louis XIII.[4]

Duke Gaston of Orléans

In 1626, King Louis XIII gave the

Louis XIV.[6]
With Louis XIV's birth, Gaston was no longer the heir and no longer eligible for financing.

This wing makes up the rear wall of the court, directly opposite the Louis XII wing. The central section is composed of three horizontal layers where the superposition of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders can be seen.[6]

By the time of the French Revolution, the immense castle had been neglected for more than 130 years. The contents, many of its statues, royal emblems and coats of arms of the palace were removed. In a state of near-total disrepair, the Château of Blois was scheduled to be demolished but was given a reprieve as a military barracks.[5]

Preservation as a monument

In 1840, the initiative of Prosper Mérimée placed the château on the list of historical monuments.[7] This allowed state funds to be used in the preservation.[7] It was restored under the direction of the architect Félix Duban.[3]

The château is maintained and owned by the town of Blois and has been opened to the public as a museum and tourist attraction. On view for visitors are the supposed poison cabinets of Catherine de' Medici. Most likely this room, the "Chamber of Secrets", had a much more banal purpose: exhibiting precious objects for guests.[7]

People linked to the Château

People born in the Château

The following individuals were born inside the Château:

People who died in the Château

The following individuals died within the Château:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Painting of Joan of Arc, Chateau de Blois, Loire Valley, Centre, France | Manuel Cohen". manuelcohen.photoshelter.com. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b [Anglais], Site Château de Blois. "Four architectural styles". en.chateaudeblois.fr. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Kucera, Miroslav (25 July 2013). Chateau de Blois: Simple Guide. pp. 224–236.
  4. ^ a b [Anglais], Site Château de Blois. "Illustrious historical figures". en.chateaudeblois.fr. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  5. ^ a b [Anglais], Site Château de Blois. "The historic periods". en.chateaudeblois.fr. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e [Anglais], Site Château de Blois. "Four architectural styles". en.chateaudeblois.fr. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  7. ^ a b c [Anglais], Site Château de Blois. "Rehabilitation". en.chateaudeblois.fr. Retrieved 20 September 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Château de Blois.

47°35′08″N 1°19′51″E / 47.585501°N 1.33095°E / 47.585501; 1.33095

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