ClasséCathedral · protected 1906Cathédrale Saint-LouisPhoto: Chatmouettes · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ancien évêché · Photo: Eloïse Habert · CC BY-SA 3.070historic monuments
History of Blois · Monuments historiques
A secteur sauvegardé since 1970, and 70 historic monuments
The Culture ministry lists 70 historic monuments in Blois: 18 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 52 inscrit (the second level). That’s 15 for every 10,000 residents, more per resident than 92% of compared French towns; the median compared French town has 2.5. The oldest date from the 10th century. We have photos of 61 of them.
Monuments historiques
70
15 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
18
the highest protection
Inscrit
52
the second level
Oldest part
10th c.
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
8.9%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Blois in 61 photos
Nearly every classé monument, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Cathédrale Saint-LouisClassé
Bains de la Reine dénommés aussi Pavillon d'Anne de BretagneClassé
Maison de la ChancellerieClassé
Église Saint-VincentClassé
Château de BloisClassé+56See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
Protected area
Blois has had a protected historic area since 1970
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR24-29 | Secteur sauvegardé September 3, 1970 | PSMV (safeguarding plan) August 7, 1996 |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France. A PSMV (plan de sauvegarde et de mise en valeur) is the strictest plan: it covers every building, inside as well as out.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Map
Where Blois’ monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscritWithin 400 m of Fontaine Louis XII
14 of 18classé monuments stand within 400 m of Fontaine Louis XII, with 48 of the town’s 70 monuments.
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
70 monuments by protection
18 Classé52 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point. 6 monuments have no point on the map.
Classé
18 classé monuments in Blois
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 6 of the 18 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséChurch · protected 1840Église Saint-Nicolas-Saint-LomerPhoto: Christophe.Finot · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHospital · protected 1886Cloître Saint-Saturnin dans l'hospice du faubourg de ViennePhoto: EspéParadis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
Classé
Classé
ClasséTown house · protected 1929Hôtel d'AlluyePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Real politik · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1931Hôtel Denis-DupontPart of the building is protectedPhoto: PaulGat · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1927Hôtel SardiniPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Konstantinos · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséCourthouse · protected 2023Maison de la ChancelleriePhoto: Sébastien HOSY · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1928Maison dite Hôtel de LavallièrePart of the building is protectedPhoto: PaulGat · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséAbbey · protected 1939Ancienne abbaye Saint-Lomer, ou ancien Hôtel-DieuPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Elisa.rolle · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséBishop’s palace · protected 1930Ancien évêchéPhoto: Eloïse Habert · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséMonument · protected 1886Bains de la Reine dénommés aussi Pavillon d'Anne de BretagnePhoto: J. N. Squire · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Church · protected 1996Basilique Notre-Dame de la TrinitéPart of the building is protected
House · protected 1889Maison en bois
Inscrit
52 inscrit monuments in Blois
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
All 52, A to Z
"""Pont ""Saint-Michel"" et ponts sur le Cosson dits ""chastrés"" ou ""chartrains"" (également sur communes de Saint-Gervais-la-Forêt et Vineuil)"""Ancien collège des JésuitesAncien hôtel de JassandAncien mur d'enceinte de la villeAncien prieuré Saint-Jean-en-GrèveAncienne église du BourgmoyenChâteau de la VicomtéChocolaterie PoulainCrypte de BourgmoyenÉglise Saint-SaturninEnsemble des fortifications de la villeFontaine Saint-NicolasHalle aux grainsHaras, avenue MaunouryHôtel d'AmboiseHôtel d'EpernonHôtel ViartImmeuble, 6, 8, 12 rue ChemontonLes parois peintes de l’appartement de l’ancienne maison du Docteur LuzuyMaison Calcat dite Logis du LoupMaison dite Buvette de la RenaissanceMaison dite de Denis Papin, ou hôtel de VillebresmeMaison dite Hôtel de Bretagne ou Hôtel de la CapitainerieMaison dite Hôtel de CondéMaison dite Hôtel de GuiseMaison dite la Tupinière ou Grèneterie de MarmoutierMaison du 16e sièclemaison sise 10 rue PardessusMaison, 1 rue Pierre-de-BloisMaison, 14 rue des PapegaudsMaison, 15 rue des CarmélitesMaison, 2 rue du Puits Châtel (anciennement 2 carrefour Saint-Michel)Maison, 20 rue du Vieux-PontMaison, 25 rue des ViolettesMaison, 30 rue de la FoulerieMaison, 36 rue Saint-LubinMaison, 38 rue Saint-LubinMaison, 4 rue des PapegaudsMaison, 4 rue Pierre-de-BloisMaison, 41bis rue du CommerceMaison, 48, 50 rue Denis-PapinMaison, 6 rue Pierre-de-BloisMaison, 7 (ou 17) rue Porte-ChartraineMaison, 8 rue PardessusMaison, dite Hôtel Jacques de Moulins ou Hôtel de RochefortPalais de JusticePont sur la LoirePréfecture, 1 place de la RépubliqueRestes des bâtiments de l'ancien Hôtel-DieuStatue de DianeStatue et escalier Denis PapinTour d'Argent (ancien Hôtel des Monnaies des Comtes de Blois)
19 more, named only by their kind
19 more are named in the list only by their kind: 16 houses (maisons), 1 building (immeuble), 1 town house (hôtel) and 1 other, most from the 15th and 16th centuries. The 19 with an address are in the list above, by it.
15th c.6
16th c.9
17th c.2
18th c.1
19th c.1
What’s protected
Most of Blois’ monuments are houses and homes
Each monument under the main domain Mérimée gives it.
Houses & homes44
Religious buildings9
Public & civic5
Military & fortified2
Tombs & cemeteries2
Bridges & engineering2
Industrial1
Farm buildings1
Shops & trade1
Houses & homes: 44 of 70 monuments (63%). 9 are religious buildings, 5 of them classé.
Mérimée files each monument under one main domain: a château with its chapel counts once. 3 have no domain on the list.
How old
How old Blois’ monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.0
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.22
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution34
19th century 1801–19004
20th century and later since 19012
22 of 62 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: """Pont ""Saint-Michel"" et ponts sur le Cosson dits ""chastrés"" ou ""chartrains"" (également sur communes de Saint-Gervais-la-Forêt et Vineuil)""" (Middle Ages). 8 monuments have no date on the list.
When protected
Blois’ list has grown since 1840
Monuments by the year they were first protected.
1946 · 131928 · 10
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020
First protected, in 1840: Château de Blois, Église Saint-Nicolas-Saint-Lomer and Fontaine Louis XII. That was France’s first list of monuments historiques, drawn up in Prosper Mérimée’s time as inspector. 13 were protected in 1946 alone. 7 have been added since 2011.
Born before 1900
60 people born in Blois before 1900
The 20 best known on the line, and eight of them below.
Étienne d'Angleterre
Charles de Blois
Pierre Nepveu
Gentien d'Amboise
Renée de France
Paul Reneaulme
Paul Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain
Florimond de Beaune
Pierre Monier
Ange-François Fariau de Saint-Ange
Augustin Thierry
Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin
Alfred Blau
Joséphine Marchais
Adolphe Cicéron
René Guénon
Marcel Lehoux
Jean Laigret
Robert Lemaignen
Victor Dillard
1050120013501500165018001950
Éd
Étienne d'Angleterre1095–1154 · King of England from 1135 to 1154
CB
Charles de Blois1319–1364 · Duke of Brittany
RF
Renée de France1510–1575 · French princess
PP
Paul Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain1569–1621 · French politician
FB
Florimond de Beaune1601–1652 · French jurist and mathematician
PM
Pierre Monier1641–1703 · French painter
AF
Ange-François Fariau de Saint-Ange1747–1810 · French poet
AT
Augustin Thierry1795–1856 · French historian
Everyone born in Blois Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Blois has the 4th most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 44,000 to 50,600 residents, by historic monuments.
Blois70
#4 of 41for monuments per resident (15 per 10,000). Most per resident: Paris 7e, Lyon 5e and Saint-Malo.
The median town of these has 7. 4 of the 41 have none.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Blois
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blois | 47,219 | 70 | 18 | Yes |
| La Chaussée-Saint-Victor | 4,471 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Saint-Gervais-la-Forêt | 3,180 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Villebarou | 2,584 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Vineuil | 8,064 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Chailles | 2,726 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Cellettes | 2,715 | 3 | 1 | — |
In brief
Blois in brief
Blois’s old center has been a secteur sauvegardé, the strictest protection France gives a historic town, since 1970. In all there are 70 historic monuments, 18 of them classé, including Ancien évêché. Per resident, it has more historic monuments than 92% of compared French towns. Fontaine Louis XII sits at the heart of it all, with 14 of the town’s classé monuments within 400 m. In 2022 the Mission Patrimoine picked Cloître Saint-Saturnin dans l'hospice du faubourg de Vienne as a monument in danger to save.
Only 3 of the 41 towns nearest its size have more historic monuments. Of the whole list, 63% are houses and homes. The rest is about typical: 8.9% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 7.4% in the median compared French town.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Blois
How many historic monuments are there in Blois?
The Culture ministry lists 70 historic monuments in Blois: 18 classé and 52 inscrit.
Which monuments in Blois are classé?
18, among them Cathédrale Saint-Louis, Église Saint-Nicolas-Saint-Lomer, Cloître Saint-Saturnin dans l'hospice du faubourg de Vienne, Maison de l'Acrobate, Château de Blois and Fontaine Louis XII.
How old are the monuments of Blois?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from the 10th century.
Is Blois a protected historic area?
Yes: part of Blois has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 1970.
When were monuments in Blois first protected?
The first in 1840, the latest in 2025.
How old are the homes in Blois?
8.9% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.