Blois-Vienne (), or merely Vienne for locals, is the common name given to the southern part of Blois, central France, separated from the rest of the city by the natural border of the Loire river. It corresponds to the subdistricts of St Saturnin, La Creusille, Les Métairies (college and cemetery) and La Vaquerie, but also include the hamlets of Bas-Rivière and Béjun, although these ones are now administratively attached to the neighboring commune of Chailles. In other words, it is now the left bank of the Loire in Blois.
Nowadays this borough (or district) of around 10,000 inhabitants is the physical heritage of the former village of Vienne-lez-Blois, which remained independent of the royal domain until the beginning of the 17th century, when it was attached to the city, first as a suburb, then as a district.
History
Ancient times
No written documentation about the area during the ancient times was found. However, in 2013, French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP in French) conducted excavations in Vienne and found out evidence of Gaulish presence as early as the 4th century BCE (more precisely, they were from Carnutes tribe). Also, all the surroundings were different compared to what they are nowadays: at that era, Vienne have been built on sort of a river island that was likely to be surrounded by water in the event of heavy rains or floods. However, historians do not agree about the nature of the site. On the one hand, it would have been built on a presque-isle, surrounded by marshy spaces, becoming a real island only when the river floods. On the other hand, other historians believe that Vienne was rather a proper river island, even during the Middle Ages.
The Gaulish settlement was named Vienna (where Vienna would mean "river" in an ancient local dialect), and the island was known as Insula Evenna (literally "Vienna island").
When the Romans conquered Gaul during the 1st century BCE, they built a first wooden bridge (so-called Ancient bridge), the foundations of which can be seen nowadays when the Loire river experiments drought flow. Before that, the locals likely used the submersible dike still visible in Blois at the level of St-Nicolas church, on the right bank, to cross the river.
Nonetheless when Romans started wanting romanize Celtic tribes during the 1st century AD it seems that Gaulish individuals who were against romanization built their own community on Evenna island, whereas the right bank's inhabitants wanted to integrate the Empire.
Middle Ages
The independent village
Since the beginning of the Middle Ages, Vienne was being a distinct manor but vassal to the count of Blois, having adopted the name of Vienne-lez-Blois. There was administered by the parish of St-Saturnin, established opposite the present-day city center, on Vienna island. Nevertheless, the presence of diked bridges over the river as well as archaeological excavations demonstrate that both banks have always coexisted with each other. The development of trade on the river and of La Creusille Harbor allowed the village to prosper constantly. Innkeepers, leather-tanners, boatmen and fishermen prospered there at that time. Pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain) from Paris through Tours stopped here regularly. At the beginning of the 16th century, the construction of a new Blois-Vienne Church began under the orders of Queen Anne of Brittany, but remained unfinished at her death in 1514.
The town of Vienne was mainly built around two axes starting from the Ancient bridge, probably built under Count Odo II of Blois: one running alongside the Loire to the port, before joining the Chartrains bridges driving to Vineuil; the other joining the church then the Treen Cross (Croix Boissée in French) and Les Métairies district to join the St-Michel bridges leading to St-Gervais. These axes still exist through -respectively- the quai Amédée Contant – rue des Ponts Chartrains, and quai Villebois-Mareuil – rue Croix-Boissée – rue de la Croix Rouge – rue des Métairies. The hamlets of Béjun and Bas-Rivière ("Low-River"), located downstream, were populated with a few tenant farms.
Incorporation to Blois main city
The village was integrated into Blois in 1606, under the reign of King Henry IV, when Philip of Béthune, the last manor of Vienne, exchanged it with the royal domain for some land in Sologne. The hamlets of Bas-Rivière and Béjun, on the west of the island, came under the jurisdiction of the commune of Chailles.
By 1657 Gaston, Duke of Orléans, settled on the banks of the Loire river near the church. After his death in 1660 his residence was converted into a hospital.