The County of Blois was a
feudal principality centred on
Blois
Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours.
With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...
, south of Paris,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. It was created just after king
Clovis I conquered
Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul refers to GaulThe territory of Gaul roughly corresponds to modern-day France, Belgium and Luxembourg, and adjacient parts of the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. under provincial rule in the Roman Empire from the 1st century ...
around
AD 500 500 may refer to:
* 500 (number)
* 500 BC
* AD 500
Buildings and places
* 500 Boylston Street of Boston
* 500 Brickell in Miami
* 500 Capitol Mall in Sacramento
* 500 Fifth Avenue
* 500 Renaissance Center, one of seven buildings in the GM Renaiss ...
. Between the 8th and the 13th centuries, it was amongst the most powerful vassal counties within the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...
, after having succeeded in surrounding the
Capetian dynasty's
lands of France since Blois annexed the
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
.
Since its creation up to
1498, the county was directed by counts, often with various more or less prestigious titles of nobility, or sometimes delegating their task to
viscounts
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
. The county existed until its definitive attachment to the Kingdom's lands in
1660, when
Gaston, Duke of Orléans and last count of Blois, died.
History
Ancient times
From the 1st to the 5th centuries,
Bloisian depended on the
Carnutes ''
oppidum
An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...
'' of ''Autrium'' (corresponding to current city of
Chartres), in the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
province of
Gallia Lugdunensis Senonia. At that time, Blois was actually a little growing city around a fortress built by the Romans, named
''Castrum'' ''Blesense'', and administrated by a
Roman consul
A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...
. Therefore, the surrounding region was called ''
pagus
In ancient Rome, the Latin word (plural ) was an administrative term designating a rural subdivision of a tribal territory, which included individual farms, villages (), and strongholds () serving as refuges, as well as an early medieval geogra ...
Blesensi''.
In
410, a
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
chieftain named
Ivomadus would have conquered
Blois
Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours.
With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...
as well as
Chartres by overthrowing the consul in place, a man named Odo who may come from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. The cheftain would have established an independent State, the
Kingdom of Blois, within the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
itself, when Emperor
Flavius Honorius
Honorius (9 September 384 – 15 August 423) was Roman emperor from 393 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla. After the death of Theodosius, Honorius ruled the western half of the empire whil ...
was already weakened because of repetitive raids conducted by Barbarians. This entity is not well known to historians, but it seems to have resisted the invasion of the
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of the Goths ( la, Regnum Gothorum), was a kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic peoples, Germanic su ...
of
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
, but it did not resist to those by the
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
between
481 and
491.
A first Frankish county
The Franks established there a first county named ''Comitatui blesensi'', whose capital city was already in Blois, on the right bank of the
Loire river
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...
. The counts' names of that time are not known.
When King
Chlothar I
Chlothar I, sometime called "the Old" ( French: le Vieux), (died December 561) also anglicised as Clotaire, was a king of the Franks of the Merovingian dynasty and one of the four sons of Clovis I.
Chlothar's father, Clovis I, divided the kin ...
died, the county was administratively attached to the Kingdom of Orleans then offered to his elder son
Guntram
Saint Gontrand (c. 532 in Soissons – 28 March 592 in Chalon-sur-Saône), also called Gontran, Gontram, Guntram, Gunthram, Gunthchramn, and Guntramnus, was the king of the Kingdom of Orléans from AD 561 to AD 592. He was the third eldest and ...
until
592
__NOTOC__
Year 592 ( DXCII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 592 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era be ...
, whereas the neighboring cities of
Chartres and
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
were gifted to the second son,
Charibert I
Charibert I (french: Caribert; la, Charibertus; 517 – December 567) was the Merovingian List of Frankish kings, King of Paris, the second-eldest son of Chlothar I and his first wife Ingund, wife of Clotaire I, Ingund. His elder brother Guntha ...
, yet King of Paris.
At the spiritual level, the diocese of Blois would still depend on the bishopric of Chartres, since the first Frankish Kings would have taken this decision in order to keep the clergy of Chartres away from politics and management of the Blois area.
At these times, Blois was governed by one of the 7
mayors of the palace whose mission was to select a Frankish nobleman to raise him as a count. The name of the chosen count did not come down to us, but a civil war did break out in the region. Along with the
Carnutes, the
Bloisians fought against people from
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Châteaudun
Châteaudun () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It was the site of the Battle of Châteaudun during the Franco-Prussian War.
Geography
Châteaudun is located about 45& ...]
.
However, the county seems to be governed directly by the
Counts of Orléans
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
, of which the oldest known,
Adrian
Adrian is a form of the Latin language, Latin given name Adrianus (given name), Adrianus or Hadrianus (disambiguation), Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria (river), Adria from the Venetic language, Venetic and ...
(died before 821), would have come from the Vintzgau family. They were by the way close to the
Capetians
The Capetian dynasty (; french: Capétiens), also known as the House of France, is a dynasty of Frankish origin, and a branch of the Robertians. It is among the largest and oldest royal houses in Europe and the world, and consists of Hugh Cape ...
since King
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
married by
771
__NOTOC__
The year 771 ( DCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 771 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calend ...
Hildegard, the Adrian's sister and daughter of
Count Gerold of Vintzgau.
Hence, the title would have formally created in
832
__NOTOC__
Year 832 ( DCCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 832nd year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 832nd year of the 1st millennium, ...
when King
Louis ''the Pious'' by making Adrian's second son, called
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
. Then, William gathered with King
Pepin I of Aquitaine
Pepin I or Pepin I of Aquitaine (French: ''Pépin''; 797 – 13 December 838) was King of Aquitaine and Duke of Maine.
Pepin was the second son of Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye. When his father assigned t ...
to help him retake its Kingdom, that King Louis gave to King
Charles II. The first-ever known Count of Blois died in
834
__NOTOC__
Year 834 ( DCCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* March 1 – Emperor Louis the Pious is restored as sole ruler of the Fr ...
during a battle in this war. Because he did not have any child, the county would have been transmitted to his supposed nephew,
Robert ''the Strong'', who would later become Count of Orléans,
Anjou Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
* County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
**Duk ...
, Auxerre and Nevers, but also
Margrave
Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Emp ...
of
Neustria
Neustria was the western part of the Kingdom of the Franks.
Neustria included the land between the Loire and the Silva Carbonaria, approximately the north of present-day France, with Paris, Orléans, Tours, Soissons as its main cities. It later ...
after
861
__NOTOC__
Year 861 ( DCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* March – Robert the Strong is appointed margrave of Neustria by King Ch ...
.
King
Robert ''the Strong'' died in
866, and bequeathed his titles to his former foe,
Count Hugh of Paris, called ''the Abbot'', who then raised Robert's sons. Both would also become Kings of the Franks, Margraves of Neustria, Counts of Paris: first
Odo
Odo or ODO may refer to:
People
* Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian
* Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka
* Yuya Odo (born 1990), J ...
, then
Robert I Robert I may refer to:
*Robert I, Duke of Neustria (697–748)
*Robert I of France (866–923), King of France, 922–923, rebelled against Charles the Simple
*Rollo, Duke of Normandy (c. 846 – c. 930; reigned 911–927)
* Robert I Archbishop of ...
.
In the meantime, the county was several times looted and burned down by the
viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
chieftain
Hastein Hastein (Old Norse: ''Hásteinn'', also recorded as ''Hastingus'', ''Anstign'', ''Haesten'', ''Hæsten'', ''Hæstenn'' or ''Hæsting'' and alias ''Alsting''Jones, Aled (2003). ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Sixth Series'' Cambridge ...
: in
851
__NOTOC__
Year 851 ( DCCCLI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Asia
* Bagrat II Bagratuni, Armenian prince and leader of a rebellion against the Abbasi ...
,
854
__NOTOC__
Year 854 ( DCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* Emperor Lothair I meets his (half) brothers (Louis the German and Charles the Bal ...
, and somewhen between
856
__NOTOC__
Year 856 (Roman numerals, DCCCLVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* March 15 – Emperor Michael III overthrows the reg ...
and
857
__NOTOC__
Year 857 ( DCCCLVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Emperor Michael III, under the influence of his uncle Bardas, banis ...
. He came again in
882
__NOTOC__
Year 882 (Roman numerals, DCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* January 20 – King Louis the Younger dies in Frankfurt. He ...
and conquered
Chartres before becoming a vassal to King
Louis III Louis III may refer to:
* Louis the Younger, sometimes III of Germany (835–882)
* Louis III of France (865–882)
* Louis the Blind, Louis III, Holy Roman Emperor, (c. 880–928)
* Louis the Child, sometimes III of Germany (893–911)
* Louis I ...
. The new county of Chartres was hence created right at the North of Blois.
Relegation to the status of viscounty
Around
900
__NOTOC__
Year 900 ( CM) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Abbasid Caliphate
* Spring – Forces under the Transoxianian emir Isma'il ibn Ahmad are ...
, Count Robert decided to delegate the administration of a more autonomous
Bloisian to a
viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
. He would have chosen to replace him a man called ''Garnegaud'' or ''Odo of Chartres'', who is supposed to be a descendant of
Count William and who would have inherited the county of Chartres that his brother would have bought from
Hastein Hastein (Old Norse: ''Hásteinn'', also recorded as ''Hastingus'', ''Anstign'', ''Haesten'', ''Hæsten'', ''Hæstenn'' or ''Hæsting'' and alias ''Alsting''Jones, Aled (2003). ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Sixth Series'' Cambridge ...
in
886
__NOTOC__
Year 886 ( DCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* March – A wide-ranging conspiracy against Emperor Basil I, led by John Kourkouas, is uncovered.
* ...
. Nonetheless, Odo died in
906
__NOTOC__
Year 906 ( CMVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* February 27 – Battle of Fritzlar: The Conradines defeat the Babenberg co ...
. Robert forsaked the county until his death in
923. His son
Hugh ''the Great'' succeeded him. Blois remained in the
Robertian
The Robertians (sometimes called the Robertines in modern scholarship) are the proposed Frankish family which was ancestral to the Capetian dynasty, and thus to the royal families of France and of many other countries. The Capetians appear first ...
domain until
940
Year 940 ( CMXL) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* The tribe of the Polans begins the construction of the following fortified settlements (Gi ...
, when King Hugh is said to have offered the county as a viscounty to
Theobald ''the Elder'', a possible son of the previous viscount, Garnegaud. Theobald had already been made viscount of
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
in
909
__NOTOC__
Year 909 ( CMIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Britain
* King Edward the Elder and his sister, Princess Æthelflæd of Mercia, raid Danish ...
to succeed to
Count Fulk I of Anjou, who had been transferred to
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
by order of King Hugh's father. In 941, he did the same as his suzerain by offering the viscounty of Tours to his son
Theobald ''the Trickster''. Theobald ''the Elder'' ended his life in Blois by
943
Year 943 ( CMXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Spring – Allied with the Rus', a Hungarian army raids Moesia and Thrace. ...
, and his son recovered the rights over Bloisian.
A second ''Thibaldian'' county
Like his father,
Theobald ''the Trickster'' was politically close to the
Robertians
The Robertians (sometimes called the Robertines in modern scholarship) are the proposed Frankish family which was ancestral to the Capetian dynasty, and thus to the royal families of France and of many other countries. The Capetians appear first i ...
and, therefore, to Duke
Hugh
Hugh may refer to:
*Hugh (given name)
Noblemen and clergy French
* Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks
* Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II
* Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...
, who was even ''the Tricksters uncle by marriage for a time, through his maternal aunt
Judith of Maine. His reign as viscount was rather quiet until Duke Hugh's death in
956. Since his heir was not Judith's but
Hedwige of Saxony
Hedwige of Saxony (also ''Hedwig'', german: Hadwig von Sachsen; – after 958), a member of the Ottonian dynasty, was Duchess consort of the Franks by her marriage to the Robertian duke Hugh the Great. Upon her husband's death in 956, she act ...
's son, Theobald refused to recognize his legitimacy.
Hugh Capet
Hugh Capet (; french: Hugues Capet ; c. 939 – 14 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and his wife Hedwige of Saxony, ...
was only 15 years old at that time. Thus, Theobald proclaimed his independence from his young suzerain by calling himself "Count of Blois and Tours". Thus he won his epithet.
In
958
Year 958 ( CMLVIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* October / November – Battle of Raban: The Byzantines under John Tzimiskes ...
, Theobald gathered with his brother-in-law
Count Fulk II of Anjou, who he is allied with since
the last King of Brittany perished in
952
Year 952 ( CMLII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* Summer – At the Reichstag in Augsburg (assembled by King Otto I), joined by German nob ...
. Both went so far as to present themselves as "governors and administrators of the kingdom of Neustria" and "counts by the grace of God", and not by that of any suzerain. From
960
Year 960 ( CMLX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Summer – Siege of Chandax: A Byzantine fleet with an expeditionary force (co ...
onwards, Theobald got more strongly associated with Carolingian King
Lothair II, and asserted his influence by extending his territory to
Bourges
Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry.
History
The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, t ...
,
Chartres and
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
. However, he did not break with
Hugh Capet
Hugh Capet (; french: Hugues Capet ; c. 939 – 14 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and his wife Hedwige of Saxony, ...
and continued to frequent the two courts.
By
1019, his grandson
Odo II continued ''the Tricksters conquests by adding to the family domain the county of
Meaux
Meaux () is a commune on the river Marne in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is east-northeast of the centre of Paris.
Meaux is, with Provins, Torcy and Fontainebleau, ...
as well as that of
Troyes
Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...
in
1023. When he died in
1037, the domains he administered were divided, until they were reunited in
1063 by Count
Theobald III, Odo II's son. Meanwhile, the county of
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
was definitively lost in
1044
Year 1044 ( MXLIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* July 6 – Battle of Ménfő: German troops, under King Henry III (the Black), defeat the Hungarian army, led by King Samue ...
after the Battle of Nouy against the
House of Anjou
Angevin or House of Anjou may refer to:
* County of Anjou or Duchy of Anjou, a historical county, and later Duchy, in France
** Angevin (language), the traditional langue d'oïl spoken in Anjou
** Counts and Dukes of Anjou
*House of Ingelger, a Fra ...
. The counties of Blois and
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
are united again until
1152, date on which
Theobald IV bequeaths Champagne to his elder
Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...
and Blois to his younger brother
Theobald V.
In
1171, Blois was one of the first cities in Europe to accuse its
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
of ritual crimes following the unexplained disappearance of a Christian child. On the orders of Count
Theobald V, 30 to 35 Jews (out of a community of about 130 people) were burned alive on May 26 near the pitchforks.
The county remained in the Thibaldian family, but in the younger branch of Avesnes from
1230 to
1241 with Countess
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, then in that of Blois-Châtillon until
1397. The latter lost influence, which was felt in the control of the territories included in the county. When Count
Guy II gave up his domain to Duke
Louis I of Orléans Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ( ...
, for lack of direct male descendants and in the middle of the
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
, the county was limited to the area between the manors of
Vendôme
Vendôme (, ) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Departments of France, department of Loir-et-Cher, France. It is also the department's third-biggest Communes of France, commune with 15,856 inhabitants (2019).
It is one of the ...
,
Beaugency and
Valençay
Valençay () is a commune in the Indre department in the administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Geography
Valençay is situated in the Loire Valley. It sits at the end of a plateau. on a hillside overlooking the River Nahon. Va ...
.
Incorporation to the Royal domain
The Duke established the
Blois Castle as his official residence, since there was no castle in
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Louvre Castle
The Louvre Castle (french: Château fort du Louvre), also known as the Medieval Louvre (french: Louvre médiéval, links=no), was a castle (french: château fort, links=no) built by Philip II of France, King Philip II of France on the rive droite ...]
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
Despite its proximity to the Atlantic front, the county was relatively spared from the
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
. At the end of April 1429,
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
stayed in the Blois Castle before liberating Orléans, then occupied by the English.
Although they were handed down as an
apanage
An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...
within the
house of Valois
The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the List of French monarchs, French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589 ...
, the counties of Blois and Orléans did not formally enter the Crown's domain until
1498 when Count Louis II of Orléans was crowned King of France as
Louis XII
Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...
, and naturally established his court in Blois that year. He was thus the last hereditary count of Blois.
Continuity
In
1498, the county was integrated into the royal domain with the former
county of Orléans The County of Orléans was an area of early medieval France including the city of Orléans and its countryside. It was governed by a count.
When Hugh Capet became King of France, the county of Orléans became a part of the Crown lands of France, ro ...
, thus creating the
Orléanais province. By setting up his court in Blois, King Louis XII not only invited his court's nobles to the banks of the Loire but also made
Bloisian the cradle of the
French Renaissance
The French Renaissance was the cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th and early 17th centuries. The period is associated with the pan-European Renaissance, a word first used by the French historian Jules Michelet to define th ...
. The county became considerably richer, and a new castle was built in Blois. The
treaty of Blois was signed there in
1504
__NOTOC__
Year 1504 (MDIV) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 1 – French troops of King Louis XII surrender Gaeta to the Spanish, u ...
. By
1516
__NOTOC__
Year 1516 ( MDXVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January – Juan Díaz de Solís discovers the Río de la Plata (in future A ...
, newly King
François I
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
ordered the conception of an ideal city, a "new Rome" -today known as
''Romorantin''-, but it was aborted after the
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
's death in
1519
__NOTOC__
Year 1519 ( MDXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1519th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 519th year of the 2nd millennium ...
. Then began the construction of a huge annex castle dedicated to hunting in the forest of
Chambord Chambord can refer to:
* Chambord (liqueur), a brand of raspberry-flavored liqueur
* Château de Chambord, a French ''château'' built in the 16th century
* Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, the French commune where the ''château'' is located
* Chambord, ...
, in place of the old fortress built under the counts in the 10th century.
This lasted for almost 25 years, until
1544
__NOTOC__
Events
January–June
* January 13 – At Västerås, the estates of Sweden swear loyalty to King Gustav Vasa and to his heirs, ending the traditional electoral monarchy in Sweden. Gustav subsequently signs an allianc ...
. Later, another sovereign took the same type of decision by converting a hunting lodge into a sumptuous palace: King
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
. Nevertheless, if the ''Sun King'' wished to leave the capital, King
François I
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
left Bloisian from
1526 to install his court in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Since then, this move as well as the loss of the title of count relegated Blois to a simple provincial town.
In
1626
Events
January–March
* January 7 – Polish-Swedish War: Battle of Wallhof in Latvia – Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, defeats a Polish army.
* January 9 – Peter Minuit sails from Texel Island for America's Ne ...
,
Duke Gaston of Anjou, third son of King
Henry IV, married -not without regret- the rich
duchess of Montpensier, Marie de Bourbon, imposed on him by
Richelieu. He thus received the duchies of Orleans and Chartres as an apanage, as well as Blois, which was again raised to an independent county. His reign was marked by his motivation to renovate multiple castles within
Sologne
Sologne (; ) is a natural region in Centre-Val de Loire, France, extending over portions of the departements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher. Its area is about . To its north is the river Loire, to its south the river Cher, while the districts ...
. After
the Fronde
The Fronde () was a series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659), Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. King Louis XIV confronted the combined opposition of the pr ...
, Duke Gaston d'Orléans, as he was called from then on, was assigned to that of Blois from
1652 and died in
1660 in his newly built residence in
Blois-Vienne
Blois-Vienne (), or merely Vienne for locals, is the common name given to the southern part of Blois, central France, separated from the rest of the city by the natural border of the Loire river. It corresponds to the subdistricts of St Saturnin ...
. In accordance with the appanagist tradition, his titles were transferred to
Duke Philippe, King
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
's younger brother, but His Majesty decided not to grant him Blois as a county. The county was thus attached once again to the royal domain.
Since that time, Bloisian no longer depends directly on the
Duchy of Orléans
The Duchy of Orléanais () is a former royal duchy, which was created during reign of Hugh Capet by elevating the former County of Orléans. In 1498, as part of a centralisation of France under Louis XII, the duchy was dissolved and replaced by t ...
, but remains administratively attached to the
Orléanais province.
Right after the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, the department of
Loir-et-Cher
Loir-et-Cher (, ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Its name is originated from two rivers which cross it, the Loir in its northern part and the Cher in its southern part. Its prefecture is Blois. The INSEE and La P ...
was created in
1790, more or less following the last borders of the county, including the cantons of
Vendôme
Vendôme (, ) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Departments of France, department of Loir-et-Cher, France. It is also the department's third-biggest Communes of France, commune with 15,856 inhabitants (2019).
It is one of the ...
and
Romorantin
Romorantin is a traditional French variety of white wine grape, that is a sibling of Chardonnay. Once quite widely grown in the Loire, it has now only seen in the Cour-Cheverny AOC. It produces intense, minerally wines somewhat reminiscent of ...
.
References
{{reflist