Blois, town in central France, capital of Loir-et-Cher Department, on the Loire River, in Centre. It is a tourist, manufacturing, and commercial center, with a large trade in wine and brandy; products include footwear and chocolate. Of particular note in this historic city is a Renaissance-style château (13th-17th century) in which Louis XII of France was born and in which several sessions of the Estates-General (national assemblies) were held (notably in the late 16th century).
Blois was founded by the 6th century AD. From the late 10th to the late 12th century the counts of Blois were among the most powerful feudal lords of France. In 1498, Blois passed to the French crown. Population (1999) 49,171.
