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Blois
Basilica - The High Altar
29-Oct-1974
Tuesday morning was filled by a coach tour of Blois taking in the old town, Basilica, Cathedral and the Castle. This shot taken from the centre of the nave shows the high altar and the decorations around it.
The Easilica of Our Lady of the Trinity
This church was begun in l932 and consecrated in 1949. It was raised to the rank of Basilica in 1956. It was designed by Paul Rouviere who died in the war and was completed in l940s by Yves Froidevaux. The basilica is to serve as a place of prayer and pilgrimage for Franciscan Monks.
The high altar is the centre piece of the Basilica: a heavy stone (symbolising Christ) rests on twelve columns (the 12 Apostles). The roof above the high alter is a mosaic representing the crowning of the Virgin Mary by the Three Divine persons. Below this there are bas-reliefs and tapestries.
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Blois
Basilica - Stained Glass Windows
29-Oct-1974
Part of the magnificent stained glass windows of this modern Basilica.
The stained glass windows in the Basilica total 500 square metres. Unlike at Coventry which is contemporary with this church the stained glass is traditional in usage although the glass is built in the form of a plain mosaic, whereas in older churches the mosaic is augmented by shading within each piece of glass so that the design shows more detail. The large windows of which this is one light the upper part of the nave and sing the glory of "Our Lady" in retracing her history from the Predestination to her Glorious Assumption.
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Blois
Blois - The Cathedral
29-Oct-1974
View of the cathedral from the West.
The cathedral of St. Louis dates from the 14th century with later additions. Architecturally it is gothic and very beautiful but the overall impression is rather disappointing after seeing the new Basilica since most of the stained glass has been lost. That which is left however shows well the difference between the pure mosaic of the newer style and the intricate detail of the older type.
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Blois
Blois - The Chateau
29-Oct-1974
The staircase of Louis.
This castle is one of the most famous of the chateaux of
the Loire. It was started in 1500 by Louis XII for his wife Anne of Brittany, who he married in 1498. The original part of the chateau was completed in 1540, however parts have been added since then. The castle is still furnished in the original style and as such is rather dim and dingy and very cold! One of the most famous features is the unusual intricately decorated external spiral staircase of Louis.
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Blois
Blois - The Chateau
29-Oct-1974
The top of the staircase.
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Blois
Blois - The Chateau
29-Oct-1974
One of the more modern towers of the chateau seen through one of the windows in the Louis staircase.
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Blois
Blois - The Chateau
29-Oct-1974
Carved Salamander above the fireplace.
Each of the French kings had his own emblem. This one is the salamander of Francis I. The emblem is about six feet long and decorates the chimney breast above an enormous fireplace.
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Chenonceaux
Chenonceaux Chateau
29-Oct-1974
The chateau from the driveway.
Tuesday afternoon saw us on a tour of the chateau country
which included visits to the chateaux at Chenonceaux and Amboise the wine cellars of Montrichard.
The chateau is situated a long way off the road and is accessed via a long tree-lined drive. This photo shows the front view of the chateau from the driveway with a pair of sphinx where the drive opens out into the main courtyard.
Chenonceaux castle, "a jewel of the French Renaissance",
was built in 1513 by Thomas Bohier, Controller of the French
Treasury under Francis I. The architect was in all probability
a master mason named Pierre Nepveu, known as Trinqueau, a
native of Amboise. He built the castle on the foundations of
a fortified mill, retaining the keep. The tower known as the
Tower of Marques, still hears the name of the family who owned the mill from the 13th century. In 1535 after the death of
Thomas Bohier, his son Antoine had to relinquish the castle
to the crown in settlement of his father's debts, to the then King, Francis I. His successor Henry II gave the castle to his mistress Diane de Poitiers. After the death of Henry the castle was returned to Catherine de Medicis.
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Chenonceaux
Chenonceaux Chateau
29-Oct-1974
The castle from below by the side of the River. One of the most striking feature of this chateau is that it is built completely
straddling the River Cher, which is about 60 metres wide at this point. From the River the water is taken for a moat which completely surrounds the coutyard.
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Chenonceaux
Chenonceaux Chateau
29-Oct-1974
The chateau from upstream on the River Cher. The whole chateau is seen straddling the river.
The gallery which straddles the River is the most striking part of this chateau. The original bridge was built by Diane de Poitiers from plans by Philibert de l'Orme. The gallery was added by Catherine de Medicis probably to plans by the same architect.
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Chenonceaux
The Castle at Night
29-Oct-1974
This photo is almost identical so the previous one but was taken at night when the chateau, like most of the chateaux of this area, was beautifully floodlit. There is a clear reflection of the chateau in the River.
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Chenonceaux
Chenonceaux Chateau
29-Oct-1974
Another view of the chateau from the end of the drive showing clearly in the foreground the sphinx at the end of the drive. It was very windy and many leaves were falling from the trees all around.
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