67-454: Blois ( / b l w ɑː / BLWAH ; French: [blwa] ) 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 department, and the 4th of the region. Historically, the city was
134-496: A department was very difficult and laborious. On 29 September 1789, the constitution's advisory board made a report in which he wanted to attribute one of the 80 departments to Blois. However, some cities and canton capitals disagreed, such as Tours and Orleans. Inside of the department, Montrichard turns to Amboise and Tours, Saint-Aignan wants to turn to the Berry and Salbris to Vierzon. Finally, Orleans gave Blois an important part of
201-525: A problem. However, Elizabeth was desperate in 1384 and was not willing to let the schism stand in the way of the negotiations. Antipope Clement VII issued a dispensation which annulled Mary's betrothal to Sigismund and a proxy marriage between Louis and Mary was celebrated in April 1385. Nonetheless, the marriage was not recognised by the Hungarian noblemen who adhered to Pope Urban VI . Four months after
268-487: A secondary settlement. Excavations carried out on the right bank between 2001 and 2016 and on the left bank in 2013-2014 revealed the presence of a large developed town on the right bank and an occupation on the left bank from the Gallic and Gallo-Roman periods. The Loire river has undoubtedly always been a major axis route, although no traces of a port have been discovered. However, there are remains of former bridges linking
335-598: A storm and was under reconstruction, before being completed 3 years later in 1700, thanks to the intervention of Colbert 's wife, who herself came from Blois. The new edifice became Blois Cathedral and was dedicated to St. Louis . A large episcopal palace was built by King Louis XIV's official architect, Jacques Gabriel , right next to the newly built cathedral, on a site overlooking the Loire Valley. Landscaping of terraced gardens began in 1703 and lasted nearly 50 years. The so-called Bishopric Gardens were first open to
402-417: A torch held by Louis came too close to their highly flammable costumes. Two other dancers wearing the same costumes (one of whom was Charles VI himself) narrowly escaped a similar fate. On Sunday, 20 November, 1407, the contending Dukes exchanged solemn vows of reconciliation before the court of France. But only three days later, Louis was brutally assassinated in the streets of Paris , on John's orders. Louis
469-502: 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 Poste gave it the number 41. It had a population of 329,470 in 2019. The department of Loir-et-Cher covers a territory which had a substantial population during
536-500: Is also the location of so-called Maison de la BD , a museum devoted to the art of comic books. Since the 1980s, this museum hosts an annual comic festival in late November called BD Boum , described as "the leading free comic book festival in France". Already by 924, monks from the St. Lomer community were given some acres below the medieval castle, but outside the city walls, on the bank of
603-484: Is the Jacques-Gabriel Bridge , built in the early 18th century. From the levees circling the surroundings to other abandoned bridges, Vienne has also conserved a harbour, named La Creusille , which is now an urban park right on La Loire à Vélo bike route. Beyond the levees, La Bouillie Park is getting rehabilitated, and actually is a spillway in the event of floodings. Further to the south of
670-595: The Catholics led by Maréchal de St. André. On 7 February 1568, Protestants under Captain Boucard's command, looted and invaded the town, eventually killing many Catholics. Grey friars were also killed and thrown in the well of their own convent. In addition, all the churches were ransacked. In 1576 and 1588, King Henry III convoked the Estates General to Blois where he attained refuge after an uprising called
737-570: The Château of Amboise . Subsequently, Duke Louis II ran 22 miles between the Château and Blois, and was crowned King Louis XII of France. He then married Charles VIII 's widow, Queen Anne of Brittany , in 1499. The birth of their daughter, Claude of France , effected the union of Brittany with the France . Louis XII, as the last hereditary Count of Blois , naturally established his royal Court in
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#1732765995219804-671: The Day of the Barricades . In response, Duke Henry I of Guise was assassinated on 23 December 1588 for his involvement in the uprising. The following day, his brother, Cardinal Louis II of Guise , who was also Archbishop of Reims , suffered the same fate. Their deaths were shortly followed by that of the Queen-Mother, Catherine de' Medici . In the 16th century, the French Royal court often made Blois their leisure resort. After
871-665: The Loir-et-Cher department, fleeing the Spanish Civil War and Dictator Francisco Franco . In June 1940, the German bombings destroyed a large part of the centre, and the French destroyed the 10th arch of Jacques-Gabriel Bridge to prevent further advance for the enemy. The German army bombed the former Town Hall on 16 June, thus killing Mayor Émile Laurens in the process, and took over the city 2 days later, on 18 June,
938-597: The Prussian army took control of Blois during the Franco-Prussian War . The city was taken back by Lieutenant Georges de Villebois-Mareuil , General Joseph Pourcet , and General Bertrand de Chabron . Since then, a memorial stands on Wilson Avenue in Vienne. In 1939, the construction of Blois Basilica was completed. That same year, between 29 January and 8 February, more than 3,100 Spanish refugees came to
1005-574: The 17th century. However, politically, the region remained quartered between the neighboring earldoms and duchies. In 1397, the House of Orleans became the possession of the Comté of Blois. In 1497, Louis d’Orleans (23rd count hereditary of Blois) was crowned with the name of Louis XII . This marked the beginning of the importance of Blois and of the Blaisois in the politic life of the French, especially under
1072-477: The 1980s. Nowadays, those are housings and host the National Institute and School of Applied Sciences ( INSA ). As Blois is built on a pair of steep hills, winding and steep pathways run through the city, culminating in long staircases at various points. The most iconic of them is the monumental Denis-Papin staircase which overlooks the town, provides a panoramic view by overlooking the downtown and
1139-635: The Châtillon dynastic line resided at Blois more often than their predecessors, and the oldest parts of the Château of Blois (from the 13th century) were built by them. In the Middle Ages, Blois was the seat of the County of Champagne when the latter passed to the French crown in 1314, forming the province of Champagne within the Kingdom of France . By 1397, Count Guy II of Blois-Châtillon offered
1206-895: The Eure-et-Loir, the Loiret, the Cher, the Indre, the Indre-et-Loire and the Sarthe. Due to its surface area of 6 343 km , it is the 31st largest department in the nation. It has a privileged geographical situation because it is in the center of the Centre region and near the Paris basin. An axe lively and dynamic, brings Blois closer (the department's administrative center) to both the urban conglomerations near it: Orleans and Tours. Located on
1273-498: The Fearless; John not only admitted to his role in the murder, but bragged openly about it. What began as a feud between factions of the royal family erupted into open warfare as a result of Louis's death. Louis's grandson would later become king of France as Louis XII . Born 13 March 1372, Louis was the second son of King Charles V of France and Joanna of Bourbon and was the younger brother of Charles VI . In 1374, Louis
1340-834: The First , Gaston d’Orleans , the Marshall Maunoury , and the abbot Gregoire (Bishop of Blois, elected at the Constituante). In the artistic domain, there is the compositor Antoine Boesset (1587–1643), musician in the Louis XII de France's court, who was the head of the Music of the King's Bedroom from 1623 to 1643. The Loir-et-Cher's department is a part of the Centre Region. It is adjacent of these departments :
1407-960: The Loir on the North and the Cher on the South is due to these tribulations. After the victory of the Coalises during the Waterloo's battle (18 June 1815), the Prussian's troops occupied the department from June 1815 to November 1818. ( to learn more about it, go on to "France’s occupation at the end of the First Empire") The poet Pierre de Ronsard , the inventor Denis Papin , and the historian Augustin Thierry come from here. Other well-known people are also associated with this department, such as François
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#17327659952191474-459: The Loire Valley, and regularly enlivens urban space with original decorations. The fountain next to the staircase is a reminder of the location of the first Town Hall, destroyed after bombings on 16 June 1940. Blois achieved independence from the Diocese of Chartres in 1697, and the cathedral was completed by 1700. As a result, the first bishops engineered wide gardens on several levels, next to
1541-741: The Loire river. In the 13th century, a proper church was built, then fortified because of the Hundred Years' War . St. Lomer Abbey was completely destroyed during the French Wars of Religion . The edifice was rebuilt until the early 18th century. When the French Revolution broke out by 1789, the church was turnt into a Hôtel-Dieu , namely a charity hospital for the have-nots, because Revolutionners destroyed many clergy- and royal-related monuments. After that, new buildings were added to
1608-665: The Sologne except Beaugency and Tours didn't give Amboise. The department was founded 4 March 1790, in accordance with the law of 22 December 1789. It is constituted of some old provinces of the Orleanais and of the Touraine along with a Berry's plot (left bank of the Selles en Berry's Cher which becomes Selles sur Cher, to Saint-Aignan). The department's constriction in its centre and the maximum stretching out in its surface area beyond
1675-498: The animated adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast". Loir-et-Cher is a part of the modern region of Centre-Val de Loire . Adjacent departments are Eure-et-Loir to the north, Loiret to the north-east, Cher to the south-east, Indre to the south, Indre-et-Loire to the south-west, and Sarthe to the west. The department comprises 6,314 km , which makes it the 31st largest of the French departments in terms of area. The line of
1742-540: The boundaries of the Perche, the Beauce, the Sologne and the Touraine, it finds its territorial identity in the diversity of its geography and its landscapes. Cut in its middle by the Loire, it shows an image of balance and diversity. In 1989, American-based animators Andreas Deja, Glen Keane, and Tom Sito, and draftsmen Jean Gillmore, Thom Enriquez, and Hans Bacher launched an expedition to the chateau to do their research for
1809-848: The capital of the County of Blois , created on 832 until its integration into the Royal domain in 1498, when Count Louis II of Orléans became King Louis XII of France . During the Renaissance , Blois was the official residence of the King of France . Since 2013, excavations have been conducted by French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research ( INRAP in French) in Vienne where they found evidence of "one or several camps of late Prehistory hunter-gatherers, who were also fishermen since fishing traps were found there.. [...] They were ancestors of
1876-529: The château, closest to the Loire river, and is actually located at the center of Blois downtown. There are local shops and restaurants, and a 16th-century fountain stands below the Sycamores planted in the place. Known as Louis XII Fountain ( Fontaine Louis XII ), this is one of the greatest and oldest water inlets throughout the city, but far from being the only one. Among the other founts, there are: Blois
1943-530: The château, like: Right in front of the château, La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin (i.e.: Robert-Houdin House of Magic) is a museum dedicated to illusionism . This is the only public museum in Europe which incorporates in one place collections of magic and a site for permanent performing arts, and directly reflects the personality of Robert-Houdin. Opened after bombings in 1944, the place stands right below
2010-500: The city became more industrialised from 1848 thanks to a successful chocolate brand created by Bloisian, Victor-Auguste Poulain . As in Paris, urban organisation in Blois was redesigned during 1850 and 1870 by Mayor Eugène Riffault , who was friends with Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann . Thus, he had built a boulevard separating the modern upper town (where the cathedral, Hôtel of Préfecture , and Halle aux Grains are located), from
2077-480: The city, the Forêt de Russy is a reminder of the thick woods that once covered the area. The city also is provided with many religious edifices, including: The A10 motorway connects Blois with Paris, Orléans and Tours . Blois Railway Station offers direct connections from Paris, Orléans, Tours, Nantes , and to several regional destinations. Regular commuting connections exist between Blois and most cities in
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2144-580: The city. The Treaty of Blois , which temporarily halted the Italian Wars , was signed there in 1504–1505. During his reign, the city experienced a massive redevelopment, with some architectural elements inspired from the Italian Renaissance , as seen in the medieval castle immediately turned into a château , and the construction of many hôtels particuliers for the nobility throughout the entire kingdom. One of which, Hôtel d'Alluye ,
2211-532: The city. The Duke in 1657, found a hospital in Blois-Vienne , now named Résidence Gaston d'Orléans , and financed the reconstruction of the Hôtel-Dieu . He remained in Blois until his death, in 1660. Under Louis XIV 's reign, Blois became un independent bishopric . David Nicolas de Bertier, first bishop of Blois from 1697, chose as his seat the cathedral church of St. Solenne, that had been destroyed by
2278-571: The county to his cousin, Duke Louis I of Orléans , brother of King Charles VI . In 1429, Joan of Arc made Blois her base of operations for the relief of Orléans . She rode the 35 miles on 29 April from Blois to relieve Orléans. In 1440, after his captivity in England, Duke Charles of Orléans (son of Duke Louis I) took up residence in the Château of Blois, where in 1462 his son was born, Duke Louis II of Orléans who would afterwards become Louis XII . By 1498, King Charles VIII died with no heirs in
2345-411: The cultural and historical estate. The Château of Blois , a Renaissance multi-style château once occupied by King Louis XII , is located in the centre of the city, and an 18th-century stone bridge spans the Loire. It was also the residence of many Counts of Blois , who were amongst the most closest vassals to the King of France between the 9th and the 14th century. Many gardens are located around
2412-697: The department are called the Loir-et-Chériens . The president of the Departmental Council is Philippe Gouet ( UDI ), elected in July 2021. See also the Results of the 2024 French legislative election . Loir-et-Cher has an important number of historic châteaux, including the following: Louis I, Duke of Orl%C3%A9ans Louis I of Orléans (13 March 1372 – 23 November 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death in 1407. He
2479-525: The departure of the Royal Court towards Paris, Blois lost the status of a Royal residence, along with the luxury and economic activity that came with it. King Henry IV relocated the Royal library to Fontainebleau , which would later be the National Library of France ( Bibliothèque nationale de France ). In 1606, Philippe de Béthune gave his ownership of Vienne-lez-Blois village, on
2546-432: The exact same day of Charles de Gaulle's Appeal for Internal Resistance . Between June and August 1944, US-English-allied bombings destroyed other infrastructures, like the railway bridge between Blois and Romorantin . In total during World War II , 230 people were killed, and 1,522 buildings were entirely or partially destroyed. On 16 August 1944, the German troops withdrew to Blois-Vienne to seek refuge and destroyed
2613-515: The famous Neolithic farmer-herders, who were present in current France around 6,000 BCE [i.e.: 8,000 years ago]." A major urban development begun in 1959 uncovered the remains of a late Gallic settlement and an urban centre from the Gallo-Roman period. At that time, the town was located on the road linking Chartres to Bourges . In the network of cities of the Carnutes people, Blois was
2680-580: The initial advantage over John, being the brother rather than the first cousin of the king, but his reputation as a womanizer and the rumour of an affair with Queen Isabeau made him extremely unpopular. In the following years, the children of Charles VI were successively kidnapped and recovered by both parties, until John the Fearless was appointed by royal decree as guardian of the Dauphin Louis and regent of France. Louis did not give up and made every effort to sabotage John's rule, including squandering
2747-457: The kingdom during Charles' frequent bouts of insanity. He struggled for control of France with John the Fearless , Duke of Burgundy . Louis was unpopular with the citizens of Paris due to his reputation for womanizing and his role in the Bal des Ardents tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of four French nobles and the near death of the king himself. He was assassinated in 1407 on orders of John
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2814-566: The last Valois. During that period, kings and financiers competed to build castles and elegant abodes which now form an important part of the French national heritage. (Chambord, Blois, Cheverny and so on.) After that, there were religious wars which were extremely ferocious under Charles IX 's reign. In 1576 and 1588, the General Estates convened in Blois. L’Orléanais, le Berry, la Touraine, le Perche et le Maine occupied le Loir-et-Cher and its provinces in 1790. The Loir-et-Cher's birth as
2881-607: The left bank of the Loire river, to Blois, making it a part of the city afterwards known as Blois-Vienne . From 1617 to 1619 Marie de' Medici , wife of King Henri IV , exiled from the court by his son, King Louis XIII , lived in the château. By 1622, the Counter-Reformation arrived in Blois and a Society of Jesus was founded. St. Louis Chapel, which is today St. Vincent Church was also built at this time. Then in 1634, Louis XIII exiled his brother, Gaston, Duke of Orléans and Count of Blois, who became attached to
2948-406: The local capital. By 1814, Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma and wife of Napoleon I , found refuge in Blois. There was new development in Blois in the 19th century. Firstly, the railway arrived in 1846 with the inauguration of the Paris–Tours railway , whose Blois Station is a stop. The competition with river transport gradually forced La Creusille Harbor to reinvent its activity. In parallel,
3015-402: The marriage negotiations. In 1384, Elizabeth of Bosnia started negotiating with Louis' father about the possibility of Louis marrying her daughter Mary , notwithstanding Mary's engagement to Sigismund of Luxembourg . If Elizabeth had made this proposal in 1378, after Catherine's death, the fact that the French king and the Hungarian king no longer recognised the same pope would have presented
3082-501: The meantime, he gradually expressed his will to move to Fontainebleau , near Paris, and started to abandon Blois. Much of the royal furniture was moved from Blois to Fontainebleau by 1539. The French Wars of Religion were a significantly destructive conflict for the French people. The city's inhabitants included many Calvinists , and in 1562 and 1567 it was the scene of struggles with the Catholics. On 4 July 1562, Blois and Beaugency , conquered by Protestants just before, were looted by
3149-555: The medieval lower town. He also paved the way to the construction of the boulevard Daniel Depuis , in the West of Blois. Between 1862 and 1865, the Denis-Papin staircase are built under La Morandière 's supervision, in the axis of Jacques-Gabriel Bridge and Blois-Vienne 's Wilson Avenue. In the meantime, the lower town faced three of the most significant floods of the Loire river: in 1846, 1856 (the worst), and 1866. The central districts of St. Jean and Blois-Vienne were under water, as well as La Bouillie spillway. On 13 December 1871,
3216-580: The middle of the park. Bishopric gardens are open to public all the year, and a remarkable rose garden can be visited from 15 May and 30 September, each year. Since Count Louis II of Orléans became King Louis XII of France in 1498, the city started to host many noblepersons from all the Kingdom. All would build their own mansion as close from the château as they could. King Louis XII also imported Renaissance style from Italy due to his successful military campaigns there. Among these so-called hôtels particuliers , there are: In addition, many citizens from
3283-442: The money raised for the siege of Calais , then occupied by the English. After this episode, John and Louis broke into open threats and only the intervention of John, Duke of Berry , and uncle of both men, avoided a civil war. Louis was reportedly responsible for the deaths of four dancers at a disastrous 1393 masquerade ball that became known as the Bal des Ardents (Ball of the Burning Men). The four victims were burnt alive when
3350-456: The original St. Lomer Abbey, which became St. Nicholas Church , and the additional edifices remained dedicated to the Hôtel-Dieu of the city . Nonetheless, this part was gradually abandoned and taken back by some public services. A reconversion project is currently under study. In the late 19th century, Bloisian industrialist and chocolatier Victor-Auguste Poulain established his brand's factory next to Blois station . The premises moved in
3417-407: The peoples engineered timber-framing buildings all across the city, including: Please note all the above edifices have been listed as historical monuments . Blois-Vienne (or merely Vienne ) is the name given to the southern part of the city, on the left bank of the Loire river. Independent from the city until 1606, there are many traces of the river's past. The main link between both banks
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#17327659952193484-423: The prehistoric period. However it was not until the Middle Ages that local inhabitants built various castles and other fortifications to enable them to withstand a series of invasions of Normans , Burgundians , the English and others. The economy is quite flourishing: there are shops in the valley, and agriculture is prominent in the region of the Beauce and the Perche to the Sologne which were prosperous until
3551-400: The premises. Since the destruction of the former Blois town hall during World War II , local authorities requisitioned the bishop's apartments to establish there the new town hall. Now organised as an urban park , the gardens offer a panoramic view on the downtown, the Loire river, and Blois-Vienne . A statue of Joan of Arc , given to the city by American patron J. Sanford Saltus, stands in
3618-473: The proxy marriage, Sigismund invaded Hungary and married Mary, which ultimately destroyed Louis' chances to reign as King of Hungary. Louis played an important political role during the Hundred Years' War . In 1392, his elder brother Charles the Mad (who may have suffered from either schizophrenia , porphyria , paranoid schizophrenia , or bipolar disorder ) experienced the first in a lifelong series of attacks of 'insanity'. It soon became clear that Charles
3685-434: The public in 1791 by Henri Grégoire (known as the Abbot Grégoire), the first constitutional bishop after the French Revolution . During the night of 6-7 February 1716, the medieval bridge collapsed. Construction of a new one was ordered the following year. Jacques-Gabriel Bridge was inaugurated in 1724. All the levies were consolidated, and the river channel of La Bouillie in the prolongation of La Creusille Harbour
3752-503: The river Loire traverses the land, ensuring easy communication between its own capital, Blois , and the vibrant cultural and commercial centres of Tours to the west and the fringes of the Seine-Paris basin at Orléans to the east. Its main rivers are the Loire , on which its prefecture (capital) Blois is situated, the Loir and the Cher . The most populous commune is Blois , the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 6 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants: The inhabitants of
3819-587: The surroundings, including: During the 16th and 17th centuries, Blois was the hometown of many artisans in the watchmaking and goldsmithing industries. Among them: Blois is twinned with: Athos , the count of La Fère (from Alexandre Dumas ' The Three Musketeers ) has a castle in Blois, in Twenty Years After , and The Vicomte de Bragelonne (from the same author). Bloisian artisans' artworks (A list): Loir-et-Cher Loir-et-Cher ( / ˌ l w ɑː r eɪ ˈ ʃ ɛ ə r / LWAR ay SHAIR , French: [lwaʁ e ʃɛʁ] )
3886-442: The three central arches of the bridge . On 1 September, they surrendered. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened in December 1948. In 1959, Mayor Marcel Bühler received President Charles de Gaulle and launched the construction of the ZUP , at the North of the city, on the same model of so-called banlieues of Paris or any other French city. Since 1986, Blois is part of the French Towns of Art and History program, which promotes
3953-425: The title of count to his faithful vassal, Theobald I of Blois ( circa 940). His descendants, known as "Thibaldians", remained as Counts up until the county became a royal possession in 1397. The House of Blois also succeeded in raising some of its members or descendants to the highest levels of the European nobility, notably by acceding to the thrones of France, England, Navarre, Spain and Portugal. In 1171, Blois
4020-409: The two banks . Though of ancient origin, Blois is first distinctly mentioned by Gregory of Tours in the 6th century, and the city gained some notability in the 9th century, when it became the seat of a powerful countship known as Blesum castrum by the counts of Blois . The Robertians were at the head of the county of Blois before 900. When Hugh the Great became duke of the Franks , he left
4087-440: Was also Duke of Touraine (1386–1392), Count of Valois (1386?–1406) Blois (1397–1407), Angoulême (1404–1407), Périgord (1400–1407) and Soissons (1404–07). Louis was the younger brother of King Charles VI of France , and a powerful and polarizing figure in his day. Owing to the King's highly public struggles with mental illness, Louis worked with Charles' wife Queen Isabeau to try to lead
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#17327659952194154-434: Was betrothed to Catherine , heir presumptive to the throne of Hungary . Louis and Catherine were expected to reign either over Hungary or over Poland, as Catherine's father, Louis I of Hungary , had no sons. Catherine's father also planned to leave them his claim to the Crown of Naples and the County of Provence , which were then held by his ailing and childless cousin Joanna I . However, Catherine's death in 1378 ended
4221-468: Was built as a copy of an Italian palace for Florimond Robertet , who was an important French minister under King Charles VIII, King Louis XII and King Francis I . On 1 January 1515, Louis XII died. His throne would be passed to Francois I, the husband to his daughter, Claude of France . In 1519, King Francois I ordered the construction of the Château of Chambord (10 miles away from Blois), but its construction lasted for one year before he died in 1547. In
4288-400: Was closed and dried. When Duke Gaston of Orléans died, the château was stripped by King Louis XIV, and completely abandoned, to the point that King Louis XVI once considered demolishing it in 1788. The building was saved when the Royal-Comtois Regiment established their base within it. In 1790, Orléanais province was dissolved, the Département of Loir-et-Cher was created with Blois as
4355-449: Was stabbed while mounting his horse by fifteen masked criminals led by Raoulet d'Anquetonville, a servant of the Duke of Burgundy. An attendant was severely wounded. John the Fearless was supported by the population of Paris and the University. He could even publicly admit the killing. Rather than deny it, John had the scholar Jean Petit of the Sorbonne deliver a peroration justifying the murder as tyrannicide . Louis's murder sparked
4422-408: Was the site of a blood libel against its Jewish community that led to 31 Jews (by some accounts 40) being burned to death. Their martyrdom also contributed to a prominent and durable school of poetry inspired by Christian persecution. In 1196, Count Louis I of Blois granted privileges to the townsmen; a commune, which survived throughout the Middle Ages , probably dates from this time. The counts of
4489-434: Was unable to rule independently. In 1393 a regency council presided over by Queen Isabeau was formed, and Louis gained powerful influence. Louis disputed the regency and guardianship of the royal children, initially with Philip the Bold until his death in 1404, and then with Philip's son John the Fearless . The enmity between the two was public and a source of political unrest in the already troubled country. Louis had
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