Blois tourist information
The remote origins of the city remain obscure. Archaeological excavations carried out for several decades have testified to l’existence d’une small Gallo-Roman agglomeration on right bank of the Loire, head place d’une modest district with L ‘époque mérovingienne, equipped d’un strengthened place and d’un monetary workshop. The city takes its rise with l’époque carolingienne while becoming the capital d’un county extended to Blésois and Dunois, and a vast time under-seems possessions of the counts de Blois - Champagne. This time the city acquires its functions of administrative center (castle comtal), city - stage, market with the junction of four natural areas (Touraine, Loire Valley, Beauce, Sologne), and centers religious: abbeys of Bourgmoyen as of the Life S., Saint-Lomer to Xe S., two convents of beggars in XIIIes, without counting several d’assistance establishments.
In 1392, the city and its county become the property of the dukes d’Orléans. Blois is mixed, more and more narrowly with l’Histoire of the kingdom. Charles d’Orléans, the prince poet, after a long exile in England, 1440 comes there to live, s’entourant d’une court, high - place of brilliant culture.
Louis XII, born in Blois, reaches the throne of France in 1498, sealing l’union city with the dynasty of Valois. Those make a transitory capital of it, center administrative and diplomatic under Louis XII and François Ist These two kings rebuild in the place of the medieval fortress, a castle symbol of the French Rebirth. In 1576 and 1588, Henri III s’y takes refuge, there convenes States - Generals and makes assassinate the duke of Own way. The stay of the court transforms Blois into "city of the kings", the close relations of the king make there build hotels with l’image royal home. L’ craft industry of luxury develops, in particular l’horlogery.
In spite of l’intérêt d’Henry IV, the city is forsaken by the Bourbons. The castle of Blois east d’exil place of Marie de Médicis in 1617-1619. The stay of Gaston d’Orléans reanimates a life of brilliant court, opened with the scientific questions (botanical garden, collections), with the advantageous repercussions for Blésois. The benefits of the prince accompany the œuvres by the catholic reform, materialized by a fever of constructions: college of the Jesuits, new convents, especially female. The death of Gaston in 1660, the revocation of l’Edit of Nantes in 1685 (exodus of the Protestants), plunge the city in a certain drowsiness.
The XVIIIe century is marked by creation in évêché Blois d’un (1697). L’évêque becomes for one century the principal local character. L’effondrement of the medieval bridge in 1716, construction d’un bridge modern and resistant to furies of the Loire of 1717 to 1724 will direct urban l’évolution, equipping it d’un axis from which the quays will s’organiseront, the road North-South, great work of the XIX E S.
The function of administrative center is confirmed by the creation of the department of Dormouse-and-Expensive in 1790, whose Blois is the chief town. The sale of the national goods involves a news gives land, which allows l’aeration of the low city, by opening new arteries or public spaces on l’emprise of the old demolished fields conventuels or d’églises. The construction of the prefecture on the plate, in 1830, makes leave the town of its medieval enclosure. An administrative center is born, in relation to l’ambition of modernity of the chief town: prefecture, law courts, market to the grains. It s’accomplit in the urban policy voluntarist d’Eugene Riffault, mayor of 1850 to 1871: creation of the boulevards of l’Est (data base Eugene – Riffault) and of l’Ouest (data base Daniel – Dupuis), and d’une large central artery, the street of the Prince - Imperial (street Denis - Papin). L’arrivée of the railroad in 1846 fine met with the multiséculaire role of the Loire like principal transportation route. The urban change s’accompagne of l’entrée of Blois in l’ère industrial: creation of the chocolate factory Foal (1848) and d’une industry of the flourishing shoe until in the years 1960. After the war of 1870, Blois falls down in l’engourdissement. Chief town d’un primarily rural department, it sees being born the agricultural co-operation. Large War 14-18, like elsewhere, left traces and sowed l’amitié free American. L’entre two wars starts a shy person alarm clock, under the municipalities of Maurice Olivier of 1925 to 1940: new district of social housing in Cabochon, starts d’une industrial migration of the Paris area the day before the Second world war. The war 1939-1945 was particularly severe for Blois, victim of air raids in 1940 and 1944: the low city is burnt. The rebuilding carried out by l’architecte Nicod knew to keep the harmonious proportions of the cities of the Loire Valley de by l’emploi of red brick and of l’ardoise; it draws a new network of streets, releasing from the sights on the castle, the cathedral and the Loire
The finished rebuilding, the s’est city equipped d’un sector safeguarded (1970) for the development d’un built inheritance which testifies to its long and rich history.
The city knew a significant demographic expansion as from the years 1960. Rural L’exode, l’accueil of repatriates d’Afric of North, l’implantation d’usines decentralized Paris area involved the urban development on the plate beauceron, with creation d’une "urban development zone" in 1959. The municipalities of Rene Calenge, Marcel Buhler, Louis Pétré and Pierre Sudreau accompanied this evolution by the necessary utility services …
