The Royal Château of Blois stands on a rocky promontory on the right bank of the Loire. The medieval château gradually disappeared with subsequent construction work, with the exception of the Tour de Foix and the Hall of Estates (13th century). In 1498 Louis XII moved there with his court. At the dawn of the 16th century he had a new wing built, which was partly inspired by the newly discovered Italian Renaissance. In 1508 St. Calais's Chapel and the Charles d'Orléans wing were added. Between 1499 and 1510 Pacello da Mercogliano designed large gardens with three tiers of terracing, which extended to the west and were connected to the building by a bridge.

In 1515, the year of his accession to the throne, the new King Francis I initiated the construction of a wing on the north side of the courtyard. This was his first architectural undertaking. Construction probably continued until 1519, when work on Chambord began. This wing was one of the earliest constructions of the French Renaissance, combining Gothic and Italian Renaissance styles. It combines the horizontal focus of Italian buildings with the vertical focus of the French. The polygonal external staircase tower accentuates the asymmetry of the façade, but its openings gave it a new function, allowing the king and his courtiers to appear before visitors. It is decorated with gargoyles, statues in niches and Antiquity-inspired ornamentations, supplemented by the royal emblem of the crowned salamander and the initials of the royal couple. The façade of the Loggias, to the north on the town side, was inspired by those of the Vatican Palace by Bramante, being divided by a series of recessed windows along two floors. It is possible that the Italian architect Domenico da Cortona (known as the Boccador) was involved in its construction.

In the 17th century, Gaston d'Orléans had part of the Francis I wing demolished and had François Mansart build a wing on the west side of the courtyard. The current appearance of the château shows evidence of the restorations of Jacques-Félix Duban (1845-1848), a leading French architect who worked in the conservation and restoration of monuments.