France is a country rich in attractions. Not the last place in this necklace of precious monuments of history and architecture is occupied by the castles of the Loire. Blois is the largest of them. Over his 700-year history, he has seen everything: ups, downs, destruction, oblivion, popularity … We’ll tell you about what is known and interesting castle de Blois (Château de Blois), what secrets and legends are associated with it and what you need see if it’s possible to get there.
Appearance story
A powerful fortress on the site of the modern castle of Blois existed in the 9th century, the corner tower of this fortification remained and was included in a later building. Then the clan de Blois owned this place, and even then many important events of history took place here. From those times only the General States Hall, the largest in the castle, has survived. In the 16th century, it held a meeting of the General States twice. True, the later owners significantly transformed it. In the Middle Ages, this hall was used for court hearings. Since then, the castle was constantly being completed, strengthened. From the first owners he had only a name left - Blois. Today, the entire city, stretching at the foot of this historic building, bears his name.
Architecture
Blois Castle is a true guide to architectural styles. Since the building was built over the centuries, it reflected various architectural styles and trends. The corner tower, preserved from the 10th century, is the oldest part of the complex, it shows the features of the outgoing Romanesque style and the nascent Gothic. The castle is a huge complex of several wings erected at different periods of history. After the construction departed to the Dukes of Orleans, two new wings were erected here.
In the period from 1498 to 1503, the wing of Louis the Twelfth appears. His style is flaming gothic. In the period from 1515 to 1524, the wing of Francis the First appears. This is the renaissance part of Chateau Blois. The staircase, according to legend, built according to the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, is an adornment of this part of the castle. It is an octahedron in cross section and protrudes from the general facade of the building. Its three balconies offer magnificent views of the city and its surroundings. In the period from 1635 to 1638, the wing of Gaston of Orleans grows to the castle. It is made in the style of classicism. Despite such a stylistic kaleidoscope, the complex looks very harmonious. It can be considered for a very long time, studying the details and revealing signs of different eras. At the end of the 19th century, the castle was seriously restored and then acquired its modern look. Today, this architectural masterpiece is protected by UNESCO.
Castle of Blois at the Dukes of Orleans
The real history of the castle begins in the 14th century, when it passes into the possession of the family of the Dukes of Orleans. By order of the duke in 1391, the main part of the castle was erected. Later this clan substantially completed and changed the structure. Numerous important events from the history of not only the castle, but also all of France are associated with them. The first owner of a castle from the Orleans family was the brother of the French king Charles the Sixth Louis. This representative of the youngest branch of the French kings was a famous heartthrob, and Blois witnessed his violent ties with high-ranking ladies. However, Louis did not live long in his possession, was killed, and the castle passed to his son Charles. This duke was known as a poet and an English prisoner. He spent 25 years in prison with the British. After his release, Charles settled in Blois and gathered around himself an exquisite secular society. He was destined to live in the castle for 25 happy years. He married the German princess Maria de Cleves and led a quiet life surrounded by people, just like he, who loves art.
Louis Orleans period
The son of Charles Louis, who ascended to the French throne at number 12, became the most famous owner of the castle. He loved Blois so much that he decided to move the French capital here and attached a huge Gothic wing to the estate. During the reign of Louis the Twelfth royal castle of Blois has gained momentum and has become a luxurious place worthy of a crowned person. Louis’s wing was built in record time - in just 3 years. This airy, light room with balconies, beautiful galleries, large windows was a delight for contemporaries. And today it’s hard not to admire this masterpiece. In addition to the residential building, a chapel of St. Calais is being built under Louis, but later its nave, unfortunately, was lost. The wing of Louis is richly decorated; heraldic symbols and elegant Gothic "lace" were used in the design. During this period, Blois becomes the center of royal conspiracies, love affairs and secrets.
The period of Francis the First
The second king, who lived in Blois, was Francis I. But the castle for him is no longer the main residence, he is here only on short visits. But this does not prevent him from engaged in the restructuring of ownership. Francis I had several places of residence: Chambord, Fontainebleau and including the castle of Blois (France). The photo shows the contribution made by Francis to the development of the estate. He begins to build a new wing in the progressive for that time Renaissance style. 9 years is work on the new masterpiece of Blois. The facade is traditionally decorated with heraldic signs and symbols of the king, his motto is reproduced on the building 11 times. When the beloved wife of Francis dies in 1524, he becomes depressed and leaves Blois forever.
Times of decline
After the death of Francis I, Henry III ascended the throne, he inherited the castle of Blois. The history of his reign was short-lived. But he managed to gather the General States twice in Blois. Just during one of these gatherings in the castle, the Duke Heinrich de Guise and his brother Cardinal de Guise were killed. But the owner did not carry out any restructuring on the estate. After the death of Henry III, the next king, Henry IV, settled in the castle. He, too, did not long enjoy the coziness and magnificence of Blois. In 1610, he dies, and his wife, the infamous Catherine de Medici, is exiled to the castle. In 1626, the son of Henry IV Louis the Thirteenth gives Blois as a wedding gift to his brother Gaston of Orleans, so he removes this schemer from the capital. He enthusiastically set about building a new wing, which now bears his name. But in 1660, Gaston dies, and the castle remains in oblivion. But the construction of a new wing is completed by the architect F. Mansard. A distinctive architectural feature of this wing were baroque elements and classical columns with different orders. Later, the castle is in ruins, only a few vassals of the king live here. The building is decaying and crumbling. At the end of the 18th century, Louis XVI even decided to sell Blois, but there were no buyers, and then the king ordered the estate to be leveled. Fortunately, the construction found a new application: soldiers’ barracks were placed in the castle.
Revolutionary change
During the French Revolution, royal estates were plundered and destroyed, and Blois did not escape this fate. The insurgents damaged the heraldic symbols on the facades, and part of the situation was destroyed. Only in 1845 in France a fateful decision was made - to carry out a complete restoration in the castle of Blois. Photos taken at the end of the 19th century showed the depressing state of the building in those days. Restoration in the spirit of those times was more like a complete alteration, the architect Duban added many elements that were not in the original appearance of the castle. Since then, Blois is a museum. Already in the 20th century, a large-scale restoration was carried out, which was preceded by a large research work.
Interiors
Castle in the 17-18 centuries. survived serious damage, most of the authentic interiors were lost, although carvings and fireplaces were preserved. Everything else was restored bit by bit in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Today, tourists can see the most beautiful hall of the General States with elegant ceiling paintings, luxurious fireplaces, carved furniture, magnificent decoration of stairs, floors and walls of residential quarters, magnificent tapestries. In the wing of Francis preserved the original layout of the premises and part of the design of the premises in the form of paintings, carvings, sculptures. The decoration of the castle as a whole amazes with luxury and style. Today, the castle houses several museums, a library, and there is an exposition of ancient decor taken from the facades. You can walk around the complex all day, there are a lot of interesting things here. The castle has 564 rooms, although, of course, not all halls and rooms offer a visit.
Interesting Facts
Blois Castle has become the site of many historical events. So, it is known for certain that it was here in 1429 that Joan of Arc received the blessing from the Archbishop of Reims to the battle with the British.
Blois is known to all lovers of adventure literature for the events of the famous novel by A. Dumas “Twenty Years Later”. Films "Countess de Monsoro" and "Anna and the Cardinal" were shot in the castle; the throne was left from the filming, on which anyone can sit.
