thumb|upright=2|interior faÃ§ades in classic, renaissance, and gothic styles (from left to right). the royal chÃ¢teau de blois (french: "chÃ¢teau royal de blois") is located in the loir-et-cher dÃ©partement in the loire valley, in france, in the center of the city of blois. the residence of several french kings, it is also the place where joan of arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the archbishop of reims before departing with her army to drive the english from orlÃ©ans. built in the middle of the town that it effectively controlled, the chÃ¢teau of blois comprises several buildings constructed from the 13th to the 17th century around the main courtyard. it has 564 rooms and 75 staircases although only 23 were used frequently. there is a fireplace in each room. there are 100 bedrooms. ==history== thumb|left|salle des Ãtats gÃ©nÃ©raux. ===counts of blois=== the "salle des Ãtats gÃ©nÃ©raux", built in the beginning of the 13th century, is one of the oldest seignoral rooms preserved in france, and is also the largest remaining civilian gothic room. the room was used as a court of justice by the counts of blois, and was used in 1576 and 1588 for the "Ãtats gÃ©nÃ©raux". ===louis xii===   the medieval castle was purchased in 1391 by louis, duc d'orlÃ©ans, brother of charles vi; after louis' assassination, his widow, valentina visconti, retired to this castle at blois. it was later inherited by their son, charles d'orlÃ©ans the poet, who was taken prisoner at agincourt and spent twenty-five years as a hostage in england, before returning to his beloved blois, which he partly rebuilt as a more commodious dwelling. it became the favourite royal residence and the political capital of the kingdom under charles' son, king louis xii. at the beginning of the 16th century, the king initiated a reconstruction of the main block of the entry and the creation of an italian garden in terraced parterres that occupied the present place victor hugo and the site of the railway station. in 1890 the construction of the avenue victor hugo destroyed the remainder of the gardens. this wing, of red brick and grey stone, forms the main entrance to the chÃ¢teau, and features a statue of the mounted king above the entrance. although the style is principally gothic, as the profiles of mo
1500s_architecture Ancien_RA(c)gime_French_architecture Art_museums_and_galleries_in_France ChAC/teaux_in_Loir-et-Cher ChAC/teaux_of_the_Loire_Valley Double_spiral_staircases Historic_house_museums_in_Centre_(French_region) Loire_Valley Museums_in_Loir-et-Cher Royal_residences_in_France