The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France. The residence of several French kings, it is also the place where Joan of Arc came in 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her army to drive the English from Orléans. A château ( French for castle; plural châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of gentry, usually French, with or without fortifications. ... Blois is a city in France, the préfecture (capital) city of the Loir_et_Cher département, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours. ... Loir-et-Cher is a département in north-central France named after its two principal rivers. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ... Loire Valley (French Vallée de la Loire) is known as the Garden of France and the Cradle of the French Language. ... Kings ruled in France from the Middle Ages to 1848. ... Image of Joan of Arc, painted between 1450 and 1500 (Centre Historique des Archives Nationales, Paris, AE II 2490). ... Events January 10 - Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, founds the European Order of the Golden Fleece February 12 - Battle of Rouvray (or of the Herrings). English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the Earl of Suffolks army at Orleans from attack by... The Archdiocese of Reims was founded (as a diocese) around 250 by St. ... This article is about Orléans, France; for other meanings see Orleans (disambiguation). ...

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.) (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Louis XII Louis XII the Father of the People (French: Louis XII le Père du Peuple) (June 27, 1462 - January 1, 1515) was King of France from 1498-January 1, 1515. ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

When François I took power, his wife Queen Claude had him refurbish Blois with the intention of moving to it from the Château d'Amboise. 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 1524, he spent very little time at Blois and the massive library was moved to the Royal Château de Fontainebleau where it was used to form the “Bibliothèque Nationale” (National Library). Francis I (French: François Ier) (September 12, 1494 – July 31, 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (French: le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres), was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547. ... The Royal Château at Amboise is a château located in Amboise, in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley in France. ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... The central range of Fontainebleau The Royal Château of Fontainebleau (in the Seine-et-Marne département), the largest of the French royal châteaux, introduced to France the Italian Mannerist style in interior decoration and in gardens, and transformed them in the translation. ...

King Henri III, driven from Paris during the French Wars of Religion, lived at Blois and held the general State convention there in 1576 and 1588. 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. Henry III (French: Henri III; Polish: Henryk III Walezy; September 19, 1551 – August 2, 1589) was King of Poland (1573-1574) and subsequently King of France (1574-1589). ... The 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. ... Events May 5 - Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc dAnjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). ... Events May 12 - Day of the Barricades in Paris. ... Henry, 3rd Duke of Guise (January 31, 1550 - December 23, 1588) was the son of Francis, Duke of Guise. ... Henry IV (French: Henri IV) (December 13, 1553 – May 14, 1610), called the Great (French: le Grand), was the first of the Bourbon kings of France, reigning from 1589 until 1610. ... This article or section should include material from France: Wars of Religion _ Bourbon Dynasty The House of Bourbon dates from at least the beginning of the 13th century, when the estate of Bourbon was ruled by a Lord, vassal of France. ... Marie de Medici (April 26, 1573 - July 3, 1642), born in Italy as Maria de Medici, was queen consort of France under the French name Marie de Médicis. ...

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. Events September 30 - Nurhaci, chieftain of the Jurchens and founder of the Qing Dynasty dies and is succeeded by his son Hong Taiji. ... Louis XIII (September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643), called the Just (French: le Juste), was King of France from 1610 to 1643. ... Gaston Jean-Baptiste, duc dOrléans (April 25, 1608 - February 2, 1660), third son of the French king Henry IV, and his wife Marie de Medici, was born at Fontainebleau. ... Events February 10 - The Académie française in Paris is expanded to become a national academy for the artistic elite. ... Events Expulsion of the Carib indigenous people from Martinique by French occupying forces. ... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ...

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. 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Louis-Philippe of France (October 6, 1773–August 26, 1850), served as the Orleanist king of the French from 1830 to 1848. ... Catherine de Medici (April 13, 1519–January 5, 1589), born in Italy as Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici, and later queen of France under the French name Catherine de M dicis, was the wife of King Henry II of France, of the Valois branch of the kings of...