Editing Blois (section)

=== Contemporary era ===

There was new development in Blois in the 19th century. Firstly, the railway arrived in 1846 with the inauguration of the [[Paris–Bordeaux railway|Paris–Tours railway]], whose [[Gare de Blois|Blois Station]] is a stop. The competition with river transport gradually forced [[La Creusille Harbor]] to reinvent its activity. In parallel, the city became more industrialised from 1848 thanks to [[Chocolat Poulain|a successful chocolate brand]] created by Bloisian, [[Victor-Auguste Poulain]].

As in Paris, urban organisation in Blois was redesigned during 1850 and 1870 by Mayor [[Eugène Riffault]], who was friends with Baron [[Georges-Eugène Haussmann]]. Thus, he had built a [[boulevard]] separating the modern upper town (where the cathedral, ''Hôtel of Préfecture'', and ''Halle aux Grains'' are located), from the medieval lower town. He also paved the way to the construction of the ''boulevard Daniel Depuis'', in the West of Blois. Between 1862 and 1865, the [[Denis-Papin staircase]] are built under [[Jules de La Morandière|La Morandière]]'s supervision, in the axis of [[Jacques-Gabriel Bridge]] and [[Blois-Vienne]]'s Wilson Avenue.

In the meantime, the lower town faced three of the most significant floods of the Loire river: in 1846, 1856 (the worst), and 1866. The central districts of St. Jean and Blois-Vienne were under water, as well as La Bouillie spillway.

On 13 December 1871, the [[Prussia]]n army took control of Blois during the [[Franco-Prussian War]]. The city was taken back by Lieutenant [[Georges de Villebois-Mareuil]], General [[Joseph Pourcet]], and General [[Bertrand de Chabron]]. Since then, a memorial stands on Wilson Avenue in Vienne.

In 1939, the construction of [[Notre-Dame de la Trinité Basilica|Blois Basilica]] was completed. That same year, between 29 January and 8 February, more than 3,100 Spanish refugees came to the [[Loir-et-Cher]] department, fleeing the [[Spanish Civil War]] and Dictator [[Francisco Franco]]. In June 1940, the German bombings destroyed a large part of the centre, and the French destroyed the 10th arch of [[Jacques-Gabriel Bridge]] to prevent further advance for the enemy. The German army bombed the former Town Hall on 16 June, thus killing Mayor [[Émile Laurens]] in the process, and took over the city 2 days later, on 18 June, the exact same day of [[Appeal of 18 June|Charles de Gaulle's Appeal]] for [[French Resistance|Internal Resistance]].

Between June and August 1944, US-English-allied bombings destroyed other infrastructures, like the railway bridge between Blois and [[Romorantin-Lanthenay|Romorantin]]. In total during [[World War II]], 230 people were killed, and 1,522 buildings were entirely or partially destroyed. On 16 August 1944, the German troops withdrew to [[Blois-Vienne]] to seek refuge and destroyed the three central arches of [[Jacques-Gabriel Bridge|the bridge]]. On 1 September, they surrendered. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened in December 1948.

In 1959, Mayor [[Marcel Bühler]] received President [[Charles de Gaulle]] and launched the construction of the ''ZUP'', at the North of the city, on the same model of so-called ''banlieues'' of Paris or any other French city.