Château of Blois facts for kids
The Royal Château of Blois (which means Royal Castle of Blois in French) is a famous castle in the city of Blois, France. It's located in the beautiful Loire Valley. This castle was once home to the Counts of Blois and several French Kings. Even Joan of Arc visited in 1429 to receive a blessing before leading her army against the English.
The château was very important for controlling the area around Blois. It was a key place for the Duchy of Orléans and later for the Kingdom of France. The castle has many different buildings, built between the 13th and 17th centuries. You can see four main building styles here: parts of the old 13th-century medieval fortress, the Gothic-style wing from King Louis XII, the Renaissance-style wing from King Francis I, and the Classical-style wing from Gaston of Orléans. In total, the castle has 564 rooms, including 100 bedrooms, each with its own fireplace. It also has 75 staircases!
Today, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Blois (Museum of Fine Arts of Blois) is located in the Louis XII wing. It displays paintings, sculptures, and decorative items like tapestries from the 16th to the 19th century. This museum first opened in 1850.
History of the Royal Château of Blois
The Early Counts of Blois
The Blois castle, then called Blisum castrum, was attacked by Viking leader Hastein in 854. In the 10th and 11th centuries, the Counts of Blois rebuilt the fortress. Count Theobald I built a large tower. By the end of the 12th century, they also built the St-Sauveur Collegiate Church.
The "Estates General Room" is a very old and large meeting hall in France. It was built in the early 13th century. The Counts of Blois used this room as a court of justice. Later, important meetings called the Estates General were held here in 1576 and 1588.
From Counts to Kings
In 1397, the medieval castle was given to Louis I, Duke of Orléans. He was the brother of King Charles VI. After Louis was murdered, his wife, Valentina Visconti, lived at Blois. Their son, Charles d'Orléans, later inherited the castle. He was a poet who was captured in battle and held prisoner in England for 25 years.
When Charles d'Orléans returned, he helped rebuild the château. It became a more comfortable home. His son, Louis II, became King Louis XII of France in 1498. From then on, Blois became a favorite royal home and an important political center for France.
King Louis XII's Changes
In the early 1500s, King Louis XII started rebuilding the main entrance of the castle. He also created a beautiful Italian garden with terraces where a square stands today.
This part of the castle is made of red brick and grey stone. It forms the main entrance to the château. Above the entrance, there is a statue of King Louis XII on horseback. While this wing is mostly in the Gothic style, it also shows some early Renaissance architecture elements.
King Francis I's Grand Designs
When Francis I became King in 1515, his wife Queen Claude wanted to move from another castle to Blois. So, Francis began building a new wing. He also created one of the most important libraries of that time inside the castle. After his wife died in 1524, he didn't spend much time at Blois. His huge library was moved to the royal Château of Fontainebleau. This library later became the basis of the national library of France.
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The back of the Francis I wing in the 1890s
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The back of the wing in 2007
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The château's most famous feature: the spiral staircase in the Francis I wing
King Louis XII's trips to Italy brought the Renaissance style to Blois. This means the Francis I wing shows a lot of Italian influence in its design. In the middle of this wing is a huge spiral staircase. It's covered with detailed sculptures and looks out onto the castle's main courtyard. This amazing staircase inspired the design for the staircases at the château of Chambord, which was built a few years later. Behind this wing is the "Lodges Façade," which has a series of unique open arches.
King Henry III and Important Events
During the French Wars of Religion, King Henry III came to Blois for safety. He called important meetings of the Estates General here in 1576 and 1588. In December 1588, a powerful enemy of the King, Henry I, Duke of Guise, was killed at the castle. The next day, the Duke's brother, Louis II, Cardinal of Guise, was also murdered inside the château.
King Henry IV and Later Years
After these events, King Henry IV, the first king from the House of Bourbon, lived in the castle. When Henry died in 1610, his wife, Marie de' Medici, was sent to live in Blois by her son, King Louis XIII.
Duke Gaston of Orléans's New Wing
In 1626, King Louis XIII gave the Blois area and the Château of Blois to his brother, Gaston of France, Duke of Orléans, as a wedding gift. In 1634, Gaston started building a completely new wing for the château. The famous architect François Mansart was in charge of this project. Mansart began building a main house at the back of the courtyard. This was meant to be the first part of a much larger rebuilding plan. However, the project stopped in 1638 when Gaston's nephew, the future Louis XIV, was born. With Louis XIV's birth, Gaston was no longer the heir to the throne, so he no longer received money for the building project.
This new wing forms the back wall of the courtyard, directly across from the Louis XII wing. Its central part has three levels, showing different classical architectural styles: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
By the time of the French Revolution, the huge castle had been left uncared for over 130 years. Many of its statues, royal symbols, and family crests were removed. The Château of Blois was in very bad shape and was almost torn down. Luckily, it was saved and used as a military barracks instead.
Saving the Château as a Monument
In 1840, thanks to Prosper Mérimée, the château was added to the list of historical monuments. This meant that government money could be used to save and restore it. The architect Félix Duban led the restoration work.
Today, the town of Blois owns and maintains the château. It is open to the public as a museum and a popular place for tourists to visit. Visitors can see the "Chamber of Secrets." This room was most likely used to show off valuable objects to guests.
People Connected to the Château
People Born in the Château
The following people were born inside the Château of Blois:
- Charles of Blois (in 1319)
- Louis XII (in 1462), who became King of France from 1498 to 1515
- Marguerite Louise d'Orléans (in 1645), daughter of Gaston of Orléans
People Who Died in the Château
The following people died within the Château of Blois:
- Anne of Brittany (in 1514), who was the last Queen of Brittany and married Louis XII in 1499
- Claude of France (in 1524), daughter of King Louis XII and Queen Anne of Brittany, and wife of Francis I
- Henry I of Guise (in 1588), a powerful duke who was murdered after his role in the Day of the Barricades
- Louis II of Guise (in 1588), the Duke of Guise's brother, who was also murdered
- Catherine de' Medici (in 1589), wife of King Henry II, who was sent to Blois by her son, King Henry III
- Gaston of Orléans (in 1660), son of King Henry IV and the last Count of Blois
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Blois para niños
- Châteaux of the Loire Valley
- Gardens of the French Renaissance
- List of castles in France
