With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the department, and the 4th of the region.
Historically, the city was the capital of theCounty of Blois, created in 832 until its integration into the Royal domain in 1498, when Count Louis II of Orléans becameKing Louis XII of France. During theRenaissance, Blois was the official residence of theKing of France.
Since 2013, excavations have been conducted by theNational Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP in French) inVienne where evidence was found of "one or more camps ofPrehistoric hunter-gatherers, who also fished, after fish traps found there. They wereNeolithic farmer-herders, who were present in the area around 6,000BCE (8,000 years ago).[5]
As major urban development begun in 1959, it uncovered the remains of a late Gallic settlement and an urban centre from the Gallo-Roman period. At that time, the town was located on the road linkingChartres toBourges.[6] In the network of cities of theCarnutes people, Blois was a secondary settlement. Excavations carried out on the right bank between 2001 and 2016 and on theleft bank between 2013-2014, it revealed the presence of a large developed town on the right bank and an occupation on the left bank from the Gallic and Gallo-Roman periods. The Loire river has undoubtedly always been a major axis route, although no traces of a port have been discovered. However, there are the remains of formerbridges linking the two banks.[7]
Though of ancient origin, Blois is first distinctly mentioned byGregory of Tours in the 6th century, and the city gained some notability in the 9th century, when it became the seat of apowerful countship known asBlesum castrum by thecounts of Blois.[8]
TheRobertians were at the head of the county of Blois before 900. WhenHugh the Great becameduke of the Franks, he left the title of count to his faithful vassal,Theobald I of Blois (circa 940).[9] His descendants, known as "Thibaldians", remained as Counts up until the county became a royal possession in 1397. TheHouse of Blois also succeeded in raising some of its members or descendants to the highest levels of the European nobility, notably by acceding to the thrones of France, England, Navarre, Spain and Portugal.[10]
In 1171, Blois was the site of ablood libel against its Jewish community that led to 31 Jews (by some accounts 40) being burned to death.[11] Their martyrdom also contributed to a prominent and durable school of poetry inspired by Christian persecution.[12] In 1196,Count Louis I of Blois granted privileges to the townsmen; a commune, which survived throughout theMiddle Ages, probably dates from this time. The counts of the Châtillon dynastic line resided at Blois more often than their predecessors, and the oldest parts of theChâteau of Blois (from the 13th century) were built by them.
By 1498,King Charles VIII died with no heirs in theChâteau of Amboise. Subsequently, Duke Louis II ran 35 km (22 mi) between the Château and Blois, and was crowned King Louis XII of France. He then marriedCharles VIII's widow, QueenAnne of Brittany, in 1499. The birth of their daughter,Claude of France, effected the union ofBrittany with theFrance. Louis XII, as the last hereditaryCount of Blois, naturally established his royal Court in the city. TheTreaty of Blois, which temporarily halted theItalian Wars, was signed there in 1504–1505. During his reign, the city experienced a massive redevelopment, with some architectural elements inspired from the ItalianRenaissance, as seen in the medieval castle immediately turned into achâteau, and the construction of manyhôtels particuliers for the nobility throughout the entire kingdom. One of which,Hôtel d'Alluye, was built as a copy of an Italian palace forFlorimond Robertet, who was an important French minister under King Charles VIII, King Louis XII andKing Francis I.
On 1 January 1515, Louis XII died. His throne would be passed to Francis I, the husband to his daughter,Claude of France. In 1519, King Francis I ordered the construction of theChâteau of Chambord (10 miles away from Blois), but its construction lasted for one year before he died in 1547. In the meantime, he gradually expressed his will to move toFontainebleau, near Paris, and started to abandon Blois. Much of the royal furniture was moved from Blois to Fontainebleau by 1539.
TheFrench Wars of Religion were a significantly destructive conflict for the French people. The city's inhabitants included manyCalvinists, and in 1562 and 1567 it was the scene of struggles with the Catholics. On 4 July 1562, Blois andBeaugency, conquered by Protestants just before, were looted by the Catholics led by Maréchal de St. André. On 7 February 1568, Protestants under Captain Boucard's command, looted and invaded the town, eventually killing many Catholics.Grey friars were also killed and thrown in the well of their own convent. In addition, all the churches were ransacked. In 1576 and 1588,King Henry III convoked theEstates General to Blois where he attained refuge after an uprising called theDay of the Barricades. In response,Duke Henry I of Guise was assassinated on 23 December 1588 for his involvement in the uprising. The following day, his brother,Cardinal Louis II of Guise, who was alsoArchbishop of Reims, suffered the same fate. Their deaths were shortly followed by that of the Queen-Mother,Catherine de' Medici.
In the 16th century, the French Royal court often made Blois their leisure resort.
After the departure of the Royal Court towards Paris, Blois lost the status of a Royal residence, along with the luxury and economic activity that came with it.King Henry IV relocated the Royal library toFontainebleau, which would later be theNational Library of France (Bibliothèque nationale de France).
Then in 1634, Louis XIII exiled his brother,Gaston, Duke of Orléans and Count of Blois, who became attached to the city. The Duke in 1657, found a hospital inBlois-Vienne, now namedRésidence Gaston d'Orléans, and financed the reconstruction of theHôtel-Dieu. He remained in Blois until his death, in 1660.
UnderLouis XIV's reign, Blois became an independentbishopric. David Nicolas de Bertier, first bishop of Blois from 1697, chose as his seat the cathedral church of St. Solenne, that had been destroyed by a storm and was under reconstruction, before being completed three years later in 1700, thanks to the intervention ofColbert's wife, who herself came from Blois. The new edifice becameBlois Cathedral and was dedicated toSt. Louis.
A large episcopal palace was built by King Louis XIV's official architect,Jacques Gabriel, right next to the newly built cathedral, on a site overlooking the Loire Valley. Landscaping of terraced gardens began in 1703 and lasted nearly 50 years. The so-called Bishopric Gardens were first open to the public in 1791 byHenri Grégoire (known as the Abbot Grégoire), the firstconstitutional bishop after theFrench Revolution.
During the night of 6-7 February 1716, themedieval bridge collapsed. Construction of a new one was ordered the following year.Jacques-Gabriel Bridge was inaugurated in 1724. All the levies were consolidated, and the river channel ofLa Bouillie in the prolongation ofLa Creusille Harbour was closed and dried.
WhenDuke Gaston of Orléans died, the château was stripped by King Louis XIV, and completely abandoned, to the point that KingLouis XVI once considered demolishing it in 1788. The building was saved when the Royal-Comtois Regiment established their base within it.
There was new development in Blois in the 19th century. Firstly, the railway arrived in 1846 with the inauguration of theParis–Tours railway, whoseBlois Station is a stop. The competition with river transport gradually forcedLa Creusille Harbour to reinvent its activity. In parallel, the city became more industrialised from 1848 thanks toa successful chocolate brand created by Bloisian,Victor-Auguste Poulain.
As in Paris, urban organization in Blois was redesigned during 1850 and 1870 by MayorEugène Riffault [fr], who was friends with BaronGeorges-Eugène Haussmann. Riffault ordered the construction of aboulevard separating the modern upper town (where the cathedral,Hôtel of Préfecture, andHalle aux Grains are located), from the medieval lower town. He also paved the way to the construction of theboulevard Daniel Depuis, in the West of Blois. Between 1862 and 1865, theDenis-Papin staircase [es;fr] were built underLa Morandière's supervision, in the axis ofJacques-Gabriel Bridge andBlois-Vienne's Wilson Avenue.
In the meantime, the lower town faced three of the most significant floods of the Loire river: in 1846, 1856 (the worst), and 1866. The central districts of St. Jean and Blois-Vienne were under water, as well as La Bouillie spillway.
In 1939, the construction ofBlois Basilica was completed. That same year, between 29 January and 8 February, more than 3,100 Spanish refugees came to theLoir-et-Cher department, fleeing theSpanish Civil War and DictatorFrancisco Franco. In June 1940, the German bombings destroyed a large part of the centre, and the French destroyed the 10th arch ofJacques-Gabriel Bridge to prevent further advance for the enemy. The German army bombed the former Town Hall on 16 June, killing MayorÉmile Laurens in the process, and took over the city two days later, on 18 June, the exact same day ofCharles de Gaulle's Appeal forInternal Resistance.
Between June and August 1944, US-English-allied bombings destroyed other infrastructures, like the railway bridge between Blois andRomorantin. In total duringWorld War II, 230 people were killed, and 1,522 buildings were entirely or partially destroyed. On 16 August 1944, the German troops withdrew toBlois-Vienne to seek refuge and destroyed the three central arches ofthe bridge. On 1 September, they surrendered. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened in December 1948.
In 1959, MayorMarcel Bühler received PresidentCharles de Gaulle and launched the construction of theZUP, at the North of the city, on the same model of so-calledbanlieues of Paris or any other French city.
TheChâteau of Blois, aRenaissance multi-stylechâteau once occupied by KingLouis XII, is located in the centre of the city, and an 18th-century stone bridge spans the Loire. It was also the residence of manyCounts of Blois, who were amongst the most closestvassals to the King of France between the 9th and the 14th century. Many gardens are located around the château, like:
theSt. Sauveur Garden (Parterre Saint-Sauveur in French);
Right in front of the château,La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin (i.e.:Robert-Houdin House of Magic) is amuseum dedicated toillusionism. This is the only public museum in Europe which incorporates in one place collections of magic and a site for permanent performing arts, and directly reflects the personality of Robert-Houdin.[17][18][19][20]
Opened after bombings in 1944, the place stands right below the château, closest to theLoire river, and is actually located at the centre of Blois downtown. There are local shops and restaurants, and a 16th-century fountain stands below theSycamores planted in the place. Known asLouis XII Fountain (Fontaine Louis XII), this is one of the greatest and oldestwater inlets throughout the city, but far from being the only one. Among the other founts, there are:[21]
St. Martin Fountain (Fontaine Saint-Martin), below the staircase between the château and Louis XII Place;
St. Nicholas Fountain (Fontaine Saint-Nicolas), within theSt. Nicholas Church;
Elected Representatives' Fountain (Fontaine des Élus), inrue Foulerie;
Ave Maria Fountain (Fontaine Ave Maria), inplace Ave Maria;
Town hall Fountain (Fontaine de l'Hôtel de Ville), below the Denis Papin staircase (where was the former Town Hall beforeWorld War II);
St. Jack Fountain (Fontaine Saint-Jacques), inrue Denis Papin;
Corbigny Fountain (Fontaine de Corbigny), in Victor Hugo Square;
Simple Fountain (Fontaine des Simples), in the Lily Garden, in remembrance of a monumentalVersailles-style fountain lost after WWII bombings.
Blois is also the location of so-calledMaison de la BD, a museum devoted to the art of comic books.[22] Since the 1980s, this museum hosts an annual comic festival in late November calledBD Boum,[23] described as "the leading free comic book festival in France".[24]
Already by 924, monks from the St. Lomer community were given some acres below the medieval castle, but outside the city walls, on the bank of the Loire river. In the 13th century, a proper church was built, then fortified because of theHundred Years' War.St. Lomer Abbey was completely destroyed during theFrench Wars of Religion. The edifice was rebuilt until the early 18th century. When theFrench Revolution broke out by 1789, the church was turnt into aHôtel-Dieu, namely a charity hospital for the have-nots, because Revolutionners destroyed many clergy- and royal-related monuments. After that, new buildings were added to the original St. Lomer Abbey, which becameSt. Nicholas Church, and the additional edifices remained dedicated to theHôtel-Dieu of the city. Nonetheless, this part was gradually abandoned and taken back by some public services. A reconversion project is currently under study.
As Blois is built on a pair of steep hills, winding and steep pathways run through the city, culminating in long staircases at various points. The most iconic of them is the monumentalDenis-Papin staircase which overlooks the town, provides a panoramic view by overlooking the downtown and the Loire Valley, and regularly enlivens urban space with original decorations.[25] The fountain next to the staircase is a reminder of the location of the first Town Hall, destroyed after bombings on 16 June 1940.
Blois achieved independence from theDiocese of Chartres in 1697, and thecathedral was completed by 1700. As a result, the first bishops engineered wide gardens on several levels, next to the premises. Since the destruction of the former Blois town hall duringWorld War II, local authorities requisitioned the bishop's apartments to establish there the newHôtel de Ville (town hall). Now organised as anurban park, the gardens offer a panoramic view on the downtown, theLoire river, andBlois-Vienne. A statue ofJoan of Arc, given to the city by American patron J. Sanford Saltus, stands in the middle of the park. Bishopric gardens are open to public all the year, and a remarkablerose garden can be visited from 15 May and 30 September, each year.[26]
Since Count Louis II of Orléans became KingLouis XII of France in 1498, the city started to host many noblepersons from all the Kingdom. All would build their own mansion as close from thechâteau as they could. King Louis XII also importedRenaissance style from Italy due to his successful military campaigns there. Among these so-calledhôtels particuliers, there are:
Blois-Vienne (or merelyVienne) is the name given to the southern part of the city, on the left bank of theLoire river. Independent from the city until 1606, there are many traces of the river's past. The main link between both banks is theJacques-Gabriel Bridge, built in the early 18th century. From the levees circling the surroundings to other abandoned bridges, Vienne has also conserved a harbour, namedLa Creusille, which is now an urban park right onLa Loire à Vélo bike route.[27] Beyond the levees,La Bouillie Park is getting rehabilitated, and actually is aspillway in the event of floodings. Further to the south of the city, theForêt de Russy is a reminder of the thick woods that once covered the area.
TheA10 motorway connects Blois with Paris,Orléans andTours.Blois Railway Station offers direct connections from Paris, Orléans, Tours,Nantes, and to several regional destinations.
Regular commuting connections exist between Blois and most cities in the surroundings, including:
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Blois was the hometown of many artisans in thewatchmaking andgoldsmithing industries.[29] Among them:
Julien Coudray, who was one of the first watchmakers in Blois according to Tardy, worked for KingsLouis XII andFrancis I. There is a street in Blois that holds his name.
theCuper family: theLouvre museum, Paris, possesses two watches made by Michel Cuper, and two other ones by P. Cuper. A street also holds their name in the city.
theBellanger family: Martin with a first wife got 2 sons born between 1594 and 1597 (among them, one was called Isaac), then at least 3 other ones with a Suzanne, named Pierre (born in 1603), Jean (married in 1641 and dead in 1678), and Théophile.
Guillaume Couldroit, from whom theBritish Museum, London, has a table clock.[A 1]
theVautier family, among whom theBritish Museum has several Louis' watchcases.[A 7]
theGribelin family, among whom Simon was watchmaker and engraver for the King, and his son Abraham (1589–1671) succeeded to him. Nowadays, theLouvre Museum has a watch made by Abraham.[A 8]
theGirard family, among whom Marc came from the Netherlands and established in Blois, his son Théodore and grandson Marc II were both watchmakers.
Christophe Morlière (born in Orléans in 1604 – 1643), who moved to Blois. By 1632, he was ordered a watch for LadyMarguerite of Lorraine when she marriedGaston, Duke of Orléans and Count of Blois.
^Jewish Poetry And Martyrdom in Medieval France. Susan L. Einbinder. Princeton University Press. 2002.
^Longnon, Auguste (1911)."Champagne" . InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 827–828, see page 828, first para, last sentence.Louis Hutin, became count of Champagne. He was the last independent count of the province, which became attached to the French crown on his accession to the throne of France in 1314
^Smith, John, Holland (1973). "Joan of Arc." New York: Charles Scribner's Sons
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