Spiral staircase
Renaissance showpiece.
Pymouss — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pymouss — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pymouss — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pymouss — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Royal Château of Blois stands in the centre of Blois, on a rise above the Loire in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France, about 53 km in a straight line north-east of Tours and 160 km south-west of Paris. It was home to the Counts of Blois, and from 1498 to 1544 it was a residence of the kings of France; seven kings lived here. Joan of Arc came here in 1429 before setting out for Orléans. Building went on from the 13th to the 17th century, and four styles stand around one courtyard: the medieval hall of the Estates General, the Gothic wing of Louis XII in red brick and white stone, the Renaissance wing of Francis I and the Classical wing of Gaston of Orléans. Its best-known feature is the open spiral staircase on the Francis I wing, carved with the king's salamander emblem. Inside are royal apartments with painted walls and ceilings, and the Museum of Fine Arts fills the Louis XII wing. On summer evenings a sound-and-light show is projected onto the courtyard walls. The old town below the château is easy to explore on foot, and Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont are each within about 20 km.
Renaissance showpiece.
Painted walls and ceilings.
Summer evenings.
Place du Château, Blois, Loir-et-Cher, France
About one and a half to two and a half hours.
Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont.