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King Henri III, driven from Paris during the French Wars of Religion, took up residence at Chateau de Blois
Built in the middle of the town, the castle of Blois comprises several buildings constructed from the 13th to the 17th century around the main courtyard. The medieval castle became a royal residence during the rule of King Louis XII and at the start of the 16th century (1500's), the king initiated a reconstruction of the castle and the creation of a renaissance garden. When François I took power, his wife Queen Claude had him refurbish Blois with the intention of moving to it from the Château d'Amboise. Under François I guidance, a new wing was added which was used to house one of the period’s most important libraries. After the death of his wife in 1524, Francois I spent very little time at Blois and the library was moved to the Royal Château de Fontainebleau where it was used to form the National Library. King Henri III, driven from Paris during the French Wars of Religion, took up residence at Chateau Blois where he held two general State conventions - 1576 and 1588 and it was during this convention that the king had his arch-enemy, the Duke of Guise, executed. King Henri IV, the first Bourbon monarch succeeded Henri III as owner and upon Henri’ IV’s death, it became the place of exile for his widow, Marie de Medici. In 1626, King Louis XIII gave the Château to his brother Gaston d'Orléans as a wedding gift and during 1635 attempts were started to refurbish the castle but were abandoned on the death of Gaston in 1660. At the time of the French Revolution the Chateau de Blois had fallen into near disrepair due to more than one hundred and thirty years of neglect. The revolutionaries, determined to wipe out any symbol of the old nobility, ransacked the castle and stole many of its statues, royal emblems and coats of arms. In 1841, under the direction of King Louis-Philippe, the Château de Blois was classified as a historic monument. It was restored and turned into a museum. Tourist InformationOpening Times: Oct 4-Apr 4 daily 9am-12:30pm and 2-5pm; Apr 5-Oct 3 daily 9am-6pm Phone 02-54-90-33-33 Admission Prices: 6.50€ ($8.45) adults, 4.50€ ($5.85) students 12-20, 2€ ($2.60) children 6-11, free for children under 6
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Chateau de Blois is located in the Loire Valley, in France. It has been the residence of several French kings and also where Joan of Arc received a blessing from the Archbishop of Reims in 1429 before departing with her army to drive the English from Orléans.
