A first citadel – known as a “castrum” – is attested as early as the 6th century, on the site of the present-day château, on a rocky spur overlooking the Loire and its valley. The Château Royal de Blois is a veritable panorama of the history of the Châteaux de la Loire, with four facades evoking four different eras. It is the only château to have welcomed no fewer than 10 queens and 7 kings of France.
The courtyard offers an architectural panorama
The Salle des États Généraux
As early as the 9th century, the Counts of Blois built a fortress that would be modified over the centuries. Remains of the ramparts, the “foix” tower and the Salle des États Généraux still survive from this period.
This hall is the oldest seigneurial hall in France. It features a large hall divided into two naves by a series of columns.
It owes its name to King Henri III, who convened France’s Estates General here twice, in 1576 and 1588, in an attempt to stem the Wars of Religion ravaging the kingdom.
The François I wing
Upon his accession in 1515, King François I undertook the redevelopment of the north wing of the château, which opened onto the gardens, for which the Italian landscape gardener Pacello Da Mercoliano is credited. Four construction campaigns followed until 1524, when his wife Claude de France (daughter of Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne) died.
The Renaissance architecture bears witness to Italian influences, with the spiral staircase adorned with pilasters, salamanders (emblems of the king) and other antique motifs on the courtyard side. But also, the famous loggias that adorn the facade today on the city side, inspired by those created in the Vatican in Rome by the architect Bramante.
It was on the second floor of this building that Queen Catherine de Médicis lived in the second half of the 16th century. Her sons successively occupied the second floor: François II, Charles IX and Henri III.
The Louis XII wing
In 1498, Louis, Count of Blois and Duke of Orléans, became King of France under the name of Louis XII. He decided to carry out major restoration and development work on the château and gardens, in order to establish the French Court in Blois.
The Louis XII wing is typical of the French Renaissance, with alternating brick and stone facades, window and dormer decorations, and an equestrian statue of the king in a niche above the main portal.
The Saint-Calais chapel in the courtyard, completed by his successor King François I, is also representative of this period.
The Gaston d’Orléans wing
In the 17th century, Queen Marie de Médicis and her son Gaston d’Orléans sought refuge here. With the help of the architect Mansart, he began rebuilding the château in 1635. His plans came to an end three years later with the birth of the heir to the French throne, his nephew, the future Louis XIV.
The Gaston d’Orléans wing reflects the classical architecture of the time, with its large cupola crowning the main staircase, its pediment bearing the coat of arms of France, and the rhythm and symmetry of its windows. At the same time, he commissioned the creation of a botanical garden boasting an exceptional diversity of plants – almost 2,300 species. When Gaston d’Orléans died in 1660, the Château de Blois fell into oblivion, and the gardens were abandoned.
Finally, the château was saved from revolutionary demolition by being assigned to the army. It housed various military regiments until 1840, when it was listed as a French historic monument, on the initiative of Prosper Mérimée. From 1843 onwards, the architect Félix Duban carried out major restorations.
In 1992, landscape architect Gilles Clément created new gardens on the site of the Renaissance gardens of Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne: the Jardin des Simples and the Jardin des Fleurs Royales.