Château of Blois

In addition to having been the residence of the Counts of Blois and some French kings, Joan of Arc also went there by 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her army to drive against the English, who conquered Orléans the previous year.

[3] After 25 years as a hostage in England, Charles d'Orleans returned to his beloved Blois and partly helped rebuild the château as a more commodious dwelling.

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.

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.

[4] After the death of his wife in 1524, he spent very little time at Blois and the massive library was moved to the royal Palace of Fontainebleau.

In the middle, there is the monumental spiral staircase, covered with fine bas-relief sculptures and looking out onto the château's central court.

Driven from Paris during the French Wars of Religion, King Henry III took refuge in Blois, and summoned Estates General meetings there in 1576 and 1588.

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] In 1626, King Louis XIII gave the county and the Château of Blois to his brother and heir, Gaston, Duke of Orléans as a wedding gift.

[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.