The relationship between Blois and the Tour de France began with a pioneer, Achille Colas, who finished eighth in the race’s second edition in 1904. By that time, the royal château and the city centre were already hosting cycling races, largely under the impetus of the Société vélocipédique de Loir-et-Cher bike club, which was founded in 1898. Blois subsequently secured a place on the Tour and the Paris-Tours routes – the one-day Classic race was even renamed Blois-Paris for a time and later Blois-Chaville. The city has also been a favoured location for time trials, both of the individual as in 1992 and of the team variety in 2005.
- Stage town for the 5th time
- Prefecture of Loir-et-Cher (41)
- Population: 47,500
- blois.fr • departement41.fr
Blois and cycling
The history of Blois and the Tour de France began with a pioneer, Achille Colas, a native of the town who finished eighth in the second edition of the race in 1904. At that time, the royal castle and the town centre were already the setting for cycle races, thanks in particular to the efforts of the Société vélocipédique de Loir-et-Cher, founded in 1898. Blois subsequently made its mark on the Tour and on Paris–Tours, with the classic race even being renamed Blois–Chaville between 1974 and 1987. It is also a regular venue for individual time trials (such as in 1992, when Miguel Indurain claimed victory) and team time trials (2005). The department’s prefecture has also hosted the Tour du Loir-et-Cher every year since 1960.
As well as Achille Colas, Blois is the birthplace of Nicolas Vogondy, twice French road champion in 2002 and 2008 and French time trial champion in 2010. ‘Néné’ took part in seven Tours de France and finished 19th in the race in 2002.
Among the Tour de France participants born in Blois, we should also mention Henri Anthoine, who finished last in the 1908 Tour, and Jacques Labertonnière, who took part in the 1953 Tour.
Sights
Blois Castle
Built: 13th to 17th centuries.
Style: Gothic.
History: The Royal Château of Blois offers a magnificent overview of the art and history of the Loire Valley châteaux. Its four wings, surrounding the courtyard, provide a unique example of the evolution of French architecture from the 13th to the 17th centuries. The building thus evokes the destinies of seven kings and ten queens of France. In the 9th century, the promontory overlooking the town and the Loire was occupied by a fortress and a count’s palace. From the year 1000 onwards, the Counts of Blois erected a tower and new buildings, which were regularly extended. Of the medieval period, the château retains only 13th-century structures: the great hall, part of the rampart and three towers in the François I wing, as well as the Foix Tower. From 1498 onwards, Louis XII transformed the fortress into a Gothic urban palace, featuring, on the courtyard side, a gallery alternating between pillars and columns leading to two stair towers. On the square side, the long brick façade houses the king’s equestrian statue. Today, the Louis XII wing houses the Museum of Fine Arts.
In 1515, François I undertook his first building project by constructing a building inspired by the Italian Renaissance. On the courtyard side, the majestic façade features a central staircase whose massive buttresses contrast with the lightness of the windows. The exterior façade is modelled on the loggias built by Bramante at the Vatican. Gaston, Duke of Orléans, brother of King Louis XIII, decided in 1634 to build an entirely new château. He chose the architect François Mansart, who erected a main building at the far end of the courtyard, which was intended to be the first phase of an ambitious reconstruction project. Work on the project was halted in 1638 following the birth of the king’s son, which removed Gaston from the line of succession and deprived him of funding. This main building foreshadowed the style of Versailles: columns, pilasters, capitals and pediments pay homage to Greek architecture. Inside, the vault, adorned with trophies and masks and surmounted by a dome, is particularly spectacular.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.
Blois Museum of Fine Arts
Opened: 1869
History and features: the first floor of the Louis XII wing has housed the Blois Museum of Fine Arts since 1869. The current exhibition is designed to complement a tour of the apartments in the François I wing, which showcase the château’s royal past and court life. Among the thousands of works donated by collectors and artists or acquired by the museum over the years, more than 300 of the most remarkable paintings, sculptures and works of art are on display, grouped by theme. The gallery’s eight rooms display a selection of paintings and sculptures dating from the 16th to the 19th century. The gallery also houses a collection of French and Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries. The portrait gallery contains 16th- and 17th-century paintings from the châteaux of Saint-Germain-Beaupré and Beauregard: Madame de Noailles, the Duke of Chevreuse, the Grande Mademoiselle, the Duchess of Beaufort, Anne of Austria and Marie de’ Medici (after Rubens) are on display there. In a room dedicated to the 17th and 18th centuries, a series of fifty terracotta medallions by Jean-Baptiste Nini is preserved.
Designation: Musée de France.
Blois Town Hall
Built: 18th century.
Architect: Jacques V Gabriel.
Style: Classical.
History: Blois Town Hall is situated behind Saint-Louis Cathedral. It occupies the buildings of the former episcopal palace, built by the king’s architect Jacques V Gabriel, who was also responsible for the central bridge in Blois. In 1700, with the plans finalised, work began. The bishop moved into his residence in 1704. Alexandre de Lauzières-Thémines (1776–1791) established an art collection and a library within the bishop’s palace, which would later form part of the municipal library’s collection. He was forced into exile in 1791, and his successor, Abbé Grégoire, transformed the garden into a public promenade. The palace remained vacant during the early 19th century and subsequently served as the residence for the department’s prefects. In 1830, the bishops returned to the palace for 70 years, until the 1905 Act. Destroyed in 1940 by bombing, the town hall was then relocated to the Bishop’s Palace.
Characteristics: its majestic four-storey south façade allows the palace to rival the château. The first storey, featuring continuous rustication, opens onto the lower terrace through semi-circular windows. The courtyard façade is characterised by a central projection, slightly set back by one bay, surmounted by a triangular pediment bearing the coat of arms of the first bishop. The columns in front of the entrance were added during the episcopate of Bishop Thémines.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1930.
Jacques Gabriel Bridge
Construction: 1716 to 1724
History: in February 1716, the town’s medieval bridge could not withstand the ice break-up on the Loire: thirteen of its twenty arches, along with the buildings erected upon them, collapsed. The extent of the damage prompted the Regent to authorise the construction of a new bridge. Jacques V Gabriel, architect to the King’s buildings, was responsible for its design. The scale and speed of this project were impressive. Nearly a thousand men were employed on it. It was the first of the great modern bridges over the Loire, but also the last to feature a pronounced humpback design. The structure comprises eleven arches, is 283 metres long and is crowned at its centre by an obelisk 14.60-metres high. Although renowned for its sturdiness, the bridge was not spared damage. During the conflicts that punctuated France’s history, one or more arches were destroyed, particularly during the world wars. Following reconstruction work and further repairs carried out in 1978, only three of the original arches remain today.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1927
Saint-Louis Cathedral
Construction: 12th, 16th and 17th centuries.
Style: Renaissance and Late Gothic.
History: during the Merovingian period, an early sanctuary was dedicated to Saint Peter. At the end of the 10th century, a new church dedicated to Saint Solenne and a crypt to house the saint’s relics were built. The church was completely rebuilt in the 12th and then the 16th centuries. In 1678, a hurricane destroyed the building, which was rebuilt between 1680 and 1700 and dedicated to Saint Louis. The church then became a cathedral. In 1847, the sculpted decoration of the choir was completed.
Distinguishing features: the major project undertaken at the cathedral in the 20th century was the creation of the stained-glass windows, as the cathedral had never had any since its reconstruction following the hurricane of 1678. The commission was entrusted by Jack Lang, Minister for Culture and Mayor of Blois, to the Dutch artist Jan Dibbets in 1992.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1906.
Church of Saint-Nicolas du Foix
Construction: 12th to 14th centuries.
History: a former abbey founded by monks who, fleeing the Norman invasions, settled in Blois in 873. Following a fire, the church was rebuilt between 1138 and 1230 on the ruins of the original building. In 1356, the church was fortified to withstand the English. In 1568, the building was partly destroyed during the Wars of Religion and subsequently restored during the 17th century (the rose window in 1661). During the Revolution, the abbey housed the Hôtel-Dieu.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.
House of Magic
Opened: 1998.
History: The Robert-Houdin House of Magic was inaugurated in 1998; the museum showcases the life and varied work of Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, the famous French illusionist, inventor, clockmaker and automaton builder, who was born in Blois during the First Empire in 1805. The city of Blois had purchased the Maison Ballet, a large bourgeois house built in 1856 and situated opposite the château, to house the illusionist’s private collection, which had been donated to the city in 1981 by Paul Robert-Houdin, his grandson, who had previously opened a private museum a short distance away. This collection has gradually been expanded. The collections of magic artefacts and posters offer an insight into the history of magic. It welcomes nearly 120,000 visitors each year.
Designation: Musée de France.
Former Poulain Chocolate Factory
Built: 19th century.
History: This chocolate factory was built for Auguste Poulain between 1862 and 1872. The production workshop built for the Poulain company in 1919–1920 features an early application of reinforced concrete construction techniques, particularly the flared columns. This building is now regarded as one of the symbols of the city of Blois.
Note: Poulain was the first sponsor of Tour de France KOM polka-dot jersey in 1975.
Listing: Listed as a Historic Monument in 1997.
