Église Saint-Vincent de Blois, Baroque church in Blois, France.
Église Saint-Vincent de Blois is a Baroque church located in the city center with a three-story facade featuring sturdy columns and large rounded arch windows. The interior follows Jesuit design principles with high vaults and a clear structural layout.
Henri III ordered a chapel for the Jesuit college he founded in Blois in 1581, but construction only began in 1634 to plans by Étienne Martellange. The exterior was finished in 1655 under Charles Turmel, and from 1660 Gaston d'Orléans funded the work, with the interior completed by Gaspard Imbert in 1678. During the Revolution it became a Temple of Liberty, was sacked in 1793 and used as a fodder store, before becoming the parish church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in 1826.
The church began as the chapel of the Jesuit college of Blois, built from 1634 on plans by Étienne Martellange. Expelled from France in 1773, the Jesuits lost the college and chapel; during the Revolution it became the Temple of Liberty, was sacked in 1793 and served as a fodder store. It became a parish church in 1826 under the name Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, and was renamed Notre-Dame-de-l'Immaculée-Conception in 1856.
Entry to the church is free and it maintains regular opening hours for the public. It is helpful to check in advance if special services or events are scheduled that might affect visiting times.
The church faces north, following Jesuit custom rather than the usual east-west axis. Inside, a monument once held the heart of Gaston d'Orléans, the prince exiled to Blois who funded the works from 1660; two half-relief figures flank a high base carrying a free-standing statue.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,030 contributors worldwide.