Mercure Blois Centre

The Crowned Porcupine sculpture

by black_mimi99

On the entrance wall of the chateau, we can see this The Crowned Porcupine sculpture, a symbol of Louis XII, a former resident of the Chateau. And we can find this Crowned Porcupine in other chateau also...

Château Royal de Blois: Fireplaces, Part I

by von.otter

“Oh, wretched man! What has he done? Pray for him; I see him rushing towards his ruin.”
— Catherine de’Medici (1519-1589), remarks to a priest on Christmas Day 1588 about the orders of her son, Henri III, to have the duc de Guise assassinated at Château Royal de Blois

A SAVING GRACE Catherine de’Medici was the wife of France’s king Henri II, son of François I, whose Renaissance wing at Blois is quite beautiful. She was also the mother of France’s next three kings, François II, Charles IX and Henri III. Some have said that she was a dominating force in the lives of these three men. She served as Regent until the ten-year-old Charles reached his majority.

What positive contribution to society was made by a woman whom history tells us had a penchant for scheming against and poisoning those who got in her way? Here’s my suggestion.

Today what the world knows as French haute cuisine began in Italy, and Catherine de’Medici brought it to France from her native Florence. A group of capi cuochi, head cooks, that accompanied her helped to comfort the plump 14-year old princess with a taste of home. The delicacies included sorbets, macaroons, frangipani tarts, and zabaglione, a light custard (little wonder she was plump!). Catherine introduced eatables never before tasted in France, such as broccoli, green beans, peas, truffles, artichokes, and melons. The French were taught to prepare delicate sauces for meats instead of rubbing them with strong dry spices, a common Mediaeval practice.

The Caterina de’Medici Gastronomic Society, a culinary group in the USA, praises her for bringing Italian cooking, the most sophisticated of the time, to France. At its headquarters in Rhinebeck, NY, the Culinary Institute of America named one of its restaurants, Ristorante Caterina de’Medici, for this great Italian woman.

These grand fireplaces, with their polychromed and ornately carved royal emblems, were recreated during castle renovations of the 19th century by Félix Duban, who took his inspiration from the royal emblems depicted in the Book of Hours of Louis XII’s queen, Anne, duchesse de Bretagne. Those royal emblems include the porcupine of Louis XII, the salamander of François I and the ermine of Anne de Bretagne.

Château Royal de Blois: Look Up at the Ceilings

by von.otter

“In the wilderness”
— Marie de’Medici (1575-1642)

AH! WILDERNESS This quote is how Marie de’Medici described her exile from the Court at Paris. It lasted from 2.May.1617 until her escape on 22.February.1619 from Château de Blois. Her son, Louis XIII, imposed the sentence because his mother meddled in State affairs.

Marie’s husband, Henri IV, had abandoned the Loire Valley that had served as France’s capital for several hundred years, and he re-established Paris as the capital, bringing an end to the days of the itinerate kings. Henri’s heir, Louis XIII, continued to keep his Court at Paris and Île-de-France. Therefore, when Marie de’Medici was exiled far (by the standard distance measurements of the day) from the seat of power it was quite the reprimand.

A romanticized view of the queen’s escape is depicted by Peter Paul Rubens. In 1621 the queen commissioned a 24-painting cycle of her life’s highlights from the Dutch master. “The Flight from Blois” shows the queen escaping from her confinement. All 24 paintings are on view at the Louvre.

Marie de’Medici, younger cousin to Catherine, married Henri IV in 1600; she too brought culinary innovation with her from Italy (see von.otter’s Blois Things To Do Tip: “Château Royal de Blois: Fireplaces, Part I” for Catherine de’Medici’s culinary contribution). Marie’s contribution was the method of making puff pastry that could rise while maintaining its flakiness. It is this method, which depends on the proper amount of shortening spread between the layers of dough that led to the croissant, which in the minds of everyone is the very essence of France! It came from Italy, as good things do.

In most museums, and this castle is a museum after a fashion, some of the prettiest work is not on the walls but overhead on the ceiling. Just as with many of the interior details on view in the castle, the ceilings’ polychrome decoration dates from the mid- to late-19th-century renovations, as well as those carried out in the 20th century.

Blois in the Loire Valley, France

by mallyak

"Blois"

Blois is located halfway between Orleans and Tours on the north bank of the Loire. From a distance, you can see the characteristic white houses with red chimneys. The cathedral and the chateau are on seperate hills and dominate the city.
the royal city of Blois is still pretty small. You can explore the centre easily on foot - which will involve climbing a few stairs. The main sights are, of course, the castle, with its staircase by Leonardo da Vinci, and the Maison de la Magie dedicated to the famous magician, scientist, and diplomat Houdin, just opposite. Between the two, there is a nice square with a few restaurants and terraces where you can sit and relax