The entrance to the château leaves no doubt whose house this was. The king on horseback is Louis XII* identified by the crowned porcupines over the main gateway and side door.
Once through the gate, the king’s personal emblem appears in spiny variations over a courtyard door and at regular intervals through the building. Later dukes and monarchs left their mark on the château and their emblems over its doors, the salamander of François I prominent among them. (Click on any photo to view the gallery)
It’s not only the nobility who like to make their doors distinctive. Some doors in the old town of Blois are distinguished by their unusual carving, others by their door knockers or their ingenious bell pulls. (Click above or below for a closer view)
Half the doors in the old town of Blois could be candidates for inclusion in Thursday Doors.
* Louis XII was born in the Château de Blois in 1462, was crowned in Reims in 1498 and died in Paris in 1515. Most of the buildings in the streets around the château date from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.
August 10, 2017 at 1:15 pm
Great set of doors
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August 10, 2017 at 6:54 pm
Wow, that’s one splendid entrance, Louis XII* done in style and I like the porcupine aside! Lovely doors, thanks for taking us to Blois!
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August 10, 2017 at 7:12 pm
I’m glad you enjoyed the visit!
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August 18, 2017 at 3:38 pm
Love that little blue door on the hill.
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August 18, 2017 at 10:10 pm
That one’s certainly got character.
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