Daily Archives: April 25, 2022

Castles in France – Part 3

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….a visit to Blois to see Chateau Royal de Blois

The interesting part of this castle is that it has four wings from four different eras and in four different styles, arranged around the same courtyard.

From the Outside

On the right side is the original medieval château built by the Counts of Blois beginning in the 9th century

Inside the Courtyard

This is the Louis XII wing built the Flamboyant Gothic style between 1498 and 1508
The Francois 1 wing was built in 1515 to 1519 inspired by the Italian Renaissance
The Gaston of Orléans wing was constructed between 1635 and 1638. This wing was one of the first masterpieces of Classic French architecture

Inside the Château

Decorations over one of the two fireplaces in the King’s room
A throne with a fleur-de-lis canopy is where audiences were ranted by the king
The music room
The Queen’s Chamber dedicated to Queen Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henri II
The Oratory, a private space for prayer
The Estates General Room built in 1214 and used as a courtroom
One of many fireplaces found in almost every room
The vestibule of Gaston of Orléans giant construction project which was brought to a sudden stop

The wing remained an empty shell covered by an impressive oval dome…..the wing now houses temporary exhibition rooms

In the next post I will share the gardens and the views from the château.