Château de Blois' history spans over a thousand years, serving as a favored home for several French kings and queens, including Louis XII, François I, and Catherine de Medici. The castle’s unique architecture reflects four distinct periods, medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, and classical, each represented in its wings surrounding the main courtyard. It was here that pivotal events in French history unfolded, such as the assassination of the Duke of Guise in 1588. After falling into neglect, the château was restored in the 19th century under the direction of architect Félix Duban.
The Chapel of Saint-Calais at the Château de Blois is the oldest structure within the castle complex. Originally founded by Count Thibaut III of Blois in 854, it was reconstructed in the late 15th century under Louis XII in the Flamboyant Gothic style. Dedicated to Saint Calais, bishop of Anjou, the chapel stands apart from the main courtyard. Of the 16th-century chapel, only the Gothic choir with its lierne-and-tierceron vaults remains, as the nave was demolished in 1635 by Mansart during the construction of the Gaston d’Orléans wing, reducing the chapel’s original length by about half. The current façade, designed by Félix Duban and Jules de La Morandière, dates from 1870. Damaged during the Second World War, the chapel lost its stained-glass windows, which were replaced in 1957 by Max Ingrand with modern panels depicting figures from local history, including Joan of Arc and Charles of Blois.
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