Uploads from kelsk (having a break), tagged valledeloire

nobody@flickr.com (kelsk (having a break)) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:18:25 -0800

inside the Gaston Gallery of Castle Blois.
The classical style, created by Mansart, contrasts sharply with the rest of the building. From the courtyard, the contrast is not favorable. To judge it fairly, one must see it from the outside and imagine how it would look as part of the whole. Of gigantic proportions, it took up the site of the castle and the plaza. With its successive terraces covering the entire neighborhood of the present day train station, it went all the way to the forest.

crypt in cathedral Saint-Louis of Blois

nobody@flickr.com (kelsk (having a break)) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:07:53 -0700

kelsk (having a break) posted a photo:

Blois Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Louis de Blois) is a Roman Catholic cathedral, and a national monument of France, in Blois.

It is the seat of the Bishopric of Blois, established in 1697.

This was previously the collegiate church of Saint-Solenne, the original building of which dated from the 12th century. Apart from some traces in the crypt nothing survives of this. The façade and the belltower were built in 1544. The nave was destroyed by a hurricane in 1678, and the reconstruction in Gothic style took place between 1680 and 1700 under the architect Arnoult-Séraphin Poictevin (d. 1720). The Lady Chapel by the architect Jules Potier de la Morandière was added in about 1860.

To celebrate the church's elevation to a cathedral in 1697, Louis XIV presented the organ loft in 1704. The new see thereupon took the dedication to Saint Louis.

from:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blois_Cathedral

in the mist of time

nobody@flickr.com (kelsk (having a break)) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:09:23 -0800

kelsk (having a break) posted a photo:

The Gaston of Orleans Gallery of Castle Blois.
The classical style, created by Mansart, contrasts sharply with the rest of the building. From the courtyard, the contrast is not favorable. To judge it fairly, one must see it from the outside and imagine how it would look as part of the whole. Of gigantic proportions, it took up the site of the castle and the plaza. With its successive terraces covering the entire neighborhood of the present day train station, it went all the way to the forest.

created with the textures of:
Pareeerica: www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/2827847422/in/set-72157...

same staircase, other angle

nobody@flickr.com (kelsk (having a break)) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:28:33 -0800

kelsk (having a break) posted a photo:

A magnificent stairway was added to the façade of the Francis I wing, and attracts a lot of attention. Mansart later demolished part of the wing in order to build the Gaston of Orleans edifice, so the stairway is no longer in the center of the façade. It ascends in an octagonal casing. Three of its sides are in the wall and perpetuates the French tradition of the exterior spiral stairway. It has large bay openings. This masterpiece of architecture and sculpture by Dominique de Cortone, was obviously designed for grand receptions. The casing is hollowed out between the buttresses and forms a series of galleries where the royal court could be present for the arrival of important guests. On the balconies of these galleries stood the honor guard.
As he climbed the stairs, the king could enjoy the spectacle outside and, himself, become the object of the attention of the courtisans, who could watch him from the courtyard. All of the exterior railings are covered with fine sculptures. The decoration is quite detailed and varied. Royal symbols are used in addition to all the usual motifs of the Renaissance.

staircase on the Francis I wing of Castle Blois

nobody@flickr.com (kelsk (having a break)) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 03:14:17 -0800

kelsk (having a break) posted a photo:

view through an open door

nobody@flickr.com (kelsk (having a break)) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 11:56:21 -0700

kelsk (having a break) posted a photo:

The first prince to have made Blois a royal residence was Charles of Orleans, the poet. He moved there when he came back from England where he had spent 25 years in captivity. He brought up his son - the future Louis XII - there.

In 1498, Louis XII was crowned and Blois became the capital of the kingdom. The King had a wing built to the castle in flamboyant Gothic style. He stamped his emblem - a porcupine - on many stones and sat on a throne at the top of the portal that had the form of an equestrian statue. The queen, Anne of Brittany, had a very moral influence on the court; she thus created, "la Cordelière", an order of chivalry meant to reward the most virtuous ladies of her retinue.

After the porcupine, came François I's salamander which was also stamped on the castle's walls. After his victory in Marignan in 1515, he started the renovation of the north wing in the purist French Renaissance style. The castle was adorned with the loggia facade and the beautiful spiral staircase designed by Dominique de Cortone. After Queen Claude's death the works were stopped.

taken from:
www.france-la-visite.com/english/heritage/blois.html