The **Rendez-vous de l'histoire**, a major history festival centered around the theme "the merchants," will be held in the French city of Blois from October 7 to 11, 2026. The event will bring together historians, authors, and film-makers to explore the role of merchants throughout history and their influence on societies and economies. The festival will include a variety of activities, from academic debates to film screenings and book presentations. A book fair will be held from Friday, October 9, to Sunday, October 11, on stand number 237. This fair will feature new releases, older publications, and special subscription deals for attendees. On Friday, October 9, at 11:00 AM, the cinema Les Lobis will screen a historical documentary that has received awards, offering viewers an opportunity to watch a recognized piece of historical filmmaking. A major debate titled "From the Hanse to Elon Musk: merchants stronger than states?" will take place on Saturday, October 10, at 6:30 PM in the hemicycle of the Halle aux Grains. This discussion will be led by Valérie Hannin and will include contributions from Romain Bertrand, Tobias Boestad, and Romain Huret. Other events on Saturday will include the presentation of the High School History Book Award at 5:00 PM in the conference room of the Royal Castle of Blois, and a screening of the historical film award at 8:45 PM at the cinema Les Lobis. Additional events include a screening of The Secret Agent of Kleber by Mendoça Filho on Friday, October 9, at 3:30 PM at the cinema Les Lobis, presented by Héloïse Kolebka. A book presentation of The Battle of the Green Oaks: investigating an ecocide in Spain in the 17th century (Anamosa) by Sébastien Malaprade will take place on Friday, October 9, at 2:15 PM, moderated by Olivier Thomas. On Sunday, October 11, a round table discussion titled "Prehistory: what lessons for the present?" will be held at 2:30 PM in the marriage hall of the City Hall, featuring Anne Augereau, Boris Valentin, Yann Potin, and moderated by Héloïse Kolebka. Interviews with award winners will be available on lhistoire.fr throughout the festival. A special edition titled "1000 years of capitalism" will also be featured in L'Histoire No. 545-546, published in July-August 2025.