Editing Blois (section)

=== Early modern era ===
After the departure of the Royal Court towards Paris, Blois lost the status of a Royal residence, along with the luxury and economic activity that came with it. [[Henry IV of France|King Henry IV]] relocated the Royal library to [[Fontainebleau]], which would later be the [[Bibliothèque nationale de France|National Library of France]] ({{Lang|fr|Bibliothèque nationale de France}}).

In 1606, [[Philippe de Béthune]] gave his ownership of ''Vienne-lez-Blois'' village, on the left bank of the [[Loire]] river, to Blois, making it a part of the city afterwards known as [[Blois-Vienne]]. From 1617 to 1619 [[Marie de' Medici]], wife of [[Henry IV of France|King Henri IV]], exiled from the court by his son, King [[Louis XIII]], lived in the château. By 1622, the [[Counter-Reformation]] arrived in Blois and a [[Society of Jesus]] was founded. St. Louis Chapel, which is today [[St. Vincent Church, Blois|St. Vincent Church]] was also built at this time.

Then in 1634, Louis XIII exiled his brother, [[Gaston, Duke of Orléans]] and Count of Blois, who became attached to the city. The Duke in 1657, found a hospital in [[Blois-Vienne]], now named ''Résidence Gaston d'Orléans'', and financed the reconstruction of the [[Hôtel-Dieu, Blois|Hôtel-Dieu]]. He remained in Blois until his death, in 1660.

Under [[Louis XIV]]'s reign, Blois became un independent [[bishopric]]. David Nicolas de Bertier, first bishop of Blois from 1697, chose as his seat the cathedral church of St. Solenne, that had been destroyed by a storm and was under reconstruction, before being completed 3 years later in 1700, thanks to the intervention of [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert|Colbert]]'s wife, who herself came from Blois. The new edifice became [[Blois Cathedral]] and was dedicated to [[Louis IX|St. Louis]].

A large episcopal palace was built by King Louis XIV's official architect, [[Jacques Gabriel]], right next to the newly built cathedral, on a site overlooking the Loire Valley. Landscaping of terraced gardens began in 1703 and lasted nearly 50 years. The so-called Bishopric Gardens were first open to the public in 1791 by [[Henri Grégoire]] (known as the Abbot Grégoire), the first [[Constitutional bishopric|constitutional bishop]] after the [[French Revolution]].

During the night of 6-7 February 1716, the [[List of former bridges in Blois|medieval bridge]] collapsed. Construction of a new one was ordered the following year. [[Jacques-Gabriel Bridge]] was inaugurated in 1724. All the levies were consolidated, and the river channel of ''La Bouillie'' in the prolongation of [[La Creusille Harbour]] was closed and dried.

When [[Gaston, Duke of Orléans|Duke Gaston of Orléans]] died, the château was stripped by King Louis XIV, and completely abandoned, to the point that King [[Louis XVI]] once considered demolishing it in 1788. The building was saved when the Royal-Comtois Regiment established their base within it.

In 1790, [[Orléanais province]] was dissolved, the Département of [[Loir-et-Cher]] was created with Blois as the local capital.

By 1814, [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma]] and wife of [[Napoleon I]], found refuge in Blois.