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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 and the political capital of the kingdom under King Louis XII. At the beginning of the 1500’s, the king initiated a reconstruction of the castle and the creation of a renaissance garden. (In 1890 the construction of the Avenue Victor Hugo destroyed the gardens.)
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When François IFrancis I Francois I in French) ( September 12 1494 July 31 1547) was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547. Francis I, a member of the Valois Dynasty, was born at Cognac, Charente, the son of Charles d'Angouleme took power, his wife Queen Claude had him refurbish Blois with the intention of moving to it from the Château d'AmboiseThe Royal Chateau at Amboise is a chateau located in Amboise, in the Indre-et-Loire departement of the Loire Valley in France. Built for defence purposes on a promontory overlooking the Loire River, the chateau began its life in the 12th century. Expanded. King François I initiated the construction of a new wing and created one of the period’s most important libraries in the castle. But, after the death of his wife in 1524Events March 1, 1524/ 5 Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. April 30 Battle of the Sesia Spanish forces under Charles de Lannoy defeat the French army in Italy under William de Bonnivet. The French, now commanded by Francois de St. Pol, wi, he spent very little time at Blois and the massive library was moved to the Royal Château de FontainebleauThe Royal Chateau of Fontainebleau (in the Seine-et-Marne departement , the largest of the French royal chateaux, introduced to France the Italian Mannerist style in interior decoration and in gardens, and transformed them in the translation. The French M where it was used to form the “Bibliothèque Nationale” (National Library).
King Henri IIIHenry III ( French Henri III Polish Henryk Walezy ( September 19 1551 August 2, 1589) was King of Poland and King of France from 1574 to 1589. Henri was born Edouard-Alexandre at the Royal Chateau of Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, the son of King Henri II, driven from Paris during the French Wars of ReligionThe French Wars of Religion were a series of conflicts fought between the Catholic League and the Huguenots from the middle of the sixteenth century to the Edict of Nantes in 1598. In 1560, Catherine de Medici became regent for her young son Charles IX., lived at Blois and held the general State convention there in 1576Events May 5 Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc d'Anjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). End of the Fifth War of Religion Once again, the Protestants are granted freedom of worship. October 3 The " Spanish Terror". and 1588Events May 12 Day of the Barricades in Paris. Duke Henry of Guise seizes the city, forcing King Henry III to flee. May 28 The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, begins to set sail from Lisbon heading for the English Channel (it will take until. It was during this convention that the king had his arch-enemy, the Duke of Guise, executed. After this, the castle was occupied by King Henri IV, the first Bourbon monarch. On Henri’s death, it became the place of exile for his widow, Marie de Medici.In 1626, King Louis XIII gave the Château of Blois to his brother Gaston d'Orléans as a wedding gift. In 1635 there was another attempt to develop the castle but on the death of Gaston in 1660, it was abandoned. By the time of the French Revolution the immense castle had been neglected for more than one hundred and thirty years, and the revolutionaries, determined to wipe out any symbol of the old nobility while enriching themselves, ransacked the castle and stole many of its statues, royal emblems and coats of arms. In a state of near total disrepair it was scheduled to be demolished but was given a reprieve as the residence of the military.
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. On view for visitors to the castle, are the poison cabinets of Catherine de Medici. Owned by the town of Blois, today it is a major tourist attraction.