Blois

Our final chateau of the trip was the Royal Château of Blois. This was the residence of several French kings, and it is also the place where Joan of Arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her army to drive the English from Orléans. This is a statue of King Louis Xii above the entryway.

There are four architectural styles represented at the Château of Blois which include: 13th-century Medieval fortress, The Louis XII Gothic wing, The Francois I Renaissance wing, and the Gaston of Orleans Classical wing. It has 564 rooms and 75 staircases although only 23 were used frequently. There are 100 bedrooms, with a fireplace in each.

In 854 the Castle of Blois was attacked by Vikings (!). In the 10th and 11th centuries, the Counts of Blois and landowners from Chartres and Champagne joined together to rebuild the fortress. It took until the end of the 12th century to complete construction.

Inside the château there are about 30 furnished rooms to visit. These include the the opulent bedroom of Henry IV and grandiose 13th century ‘salle des etats‘ with its ornately decorated ceiling (down below)

The chateau passed the the hands of several royals including Francis I (the da Vinci guy), Henry III, Henry IV, and the Duke of Orléans. By the time of the French Revolution the immense castle had been neglected for more than a hundred and thirty 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.

In 1840, an initiative placed the Château de Blois on the list of historical monuments.This allowed state funds to be used in the preservation. It was restored under the direction of the architect Félix Duban and the chateau is now used as a public museum.

This is the Eglise Saint-Nicolas, a monastery built in the 12th century down below the château in the middle of Blois.

No reservations are required to visit the Chàteau de Blois, but you must buy tickets for €12 at the entrance. As with all other chateaux, Pass Sanitaire is required and masks are compulsory indoors.