Home is the Loir-et-Cher département, and it's biggest town is Blois. That's just 25 miles north of Saint-Aignan. The drive from Bellegarde to Blois takes about an hour. Blois, an old royal town, has one of the major Loire Valley châteaux. Here are some pictures I took on a visit to the Château de Blois in 2009 with CHM. Each is a wider view next to a closer view...

The man who took the name Louis XII was born in the château at Blois in 1462 and reigned over France from 1498 until 1515. He was known as
le père du peuple. He had his own brick wing of the old château built starting in 1499 in, basically, gothic style.

King François Ier reigned from Blois from 1515 to 1547, the period known as the French Renaissance. He in turn had his own wing added to the château at Blois, with the spiral stone staircase you see in the two photos just above.

François Ier's royal symbol was the salamander, an animal that was believed to have magical powers and be able to live through fires and other catastrophes.
No comments:
Post a Comment
What's on your mind? Qu'avez-vous à me dire ?