In the center of Blois is the spacious Place Victor-Hugo, with the 17th century church of St-Vincent and the Pavillon d'Anne de Bretagne, set against the majestic backdrop of the Château with its loggias and galleries and oriel windows.
The Château, built in stages between the 13th and the 17th century, reflects changing architectural styles over five centuries.
It is laid out around a large central courtyard, partly open only on the southeast side. The Château is entered through the Louis XII wing (1498-1503), built in red brick and natural stone. Over both the large and the small doorway appears the crowned porcupine, the emblem of Louis XII, and above the large doorway, framed in Late Gothic ornament, is an equestrian figure of Louis, a 19th century copy of the original.
The interior of the Louis XII wing is supported on arcaded walkways, with winding stairways in staircase towers to left and right.
On the right, after such a projecting tower, is the Salle des Etats, a remnant of the 13th century castle. Adjoining this is the Francis II wing (1515-24), a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, with the famous richly decorated octagonal staircase. Around the corner (opposite the entrance) lies the southwest wing, built between 1635 and 1638 by François Mansart for Louis XIII's brother Gaston d'Orléans. Parts of the Francis I wing had to be removed in order to construct it. However, the three-story building remains unfinished; it now houses the library and municipal festival hall.
The Francis I wing (Aile François I) of the Blois Château contains a series of handsome state apartments, the decoration of which, however, mostly dates from the 19th century. The tiles still show traces of colored glazing. On the massive and richly decorated chimneypiece in the Salle d'Honneur on the first floor can be seen the salamander of Francis I and the ermine of Anne de Bretagne. Adjoining are the apartments of Catherine de Médicis, who was banished to Blois by her son. On the second floor are the apartments of Henry III. Between the Francis I wing and the Louis XII wing is the Salle des Etats-Généraux (Hall of the States General; 30 m/98ft long, 18 m/60ft wide and 12 m/40ft high), with huge 17th and 18th century tapestries depicting the exploits of Louis XIV and episodes from the life of Constantine the Great.
The three-story classical-style Gaston d'Orléans wing (unfinished) of Blois Château on the southwest side of the courtyard was built in 1635-1638 by François Mansart, the leading French exponent of this style. Its construction involved the demolition of part of the Francis I wing.
Along the inner wall of the two-story Louis XII wing in Blois Château, built of red brick and light-colored stone, runs an arcaded gallery, at each end of which is a staircase tower containing a spiral staircase at each end. On the ground floor is the Musée des Arts Religieux with a collection of medieval and Renaissance sculptures and religious items, on the upper floor the Musée des Beaux-Arts (pictures, including works by Solario, dell'Abbate, Caron, Vignon, Bowdon, Boucher, Ingres, David and Fromentin; china, ceramics and musical instruments of the 18th century.
In the southeast part of Blois in the Château St-Calais. The Louis XII wing is followed by the Galerie Charles d'Orléans, with the Late Gothic chapel of St-Calais. In front of the chapel is a lookout terrace from which there is a fine view of the lower town, with the church of St-Nicolas in the foreground.
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