It will run through the beginning of the Capetian dynasty to nowadays and will focus on everything related to France and its history.
Feel free to submit!
![historical-nonfiction:
On Jan. 28, 1393, during a riotous wedding at the royal palace of Saint-Pol, Charles VI and five French nobles dressed up as wild men using linen costumes covered with pitch and hair and ranged among the guests, howling like wolves and daring them to guess their identities. One guest approached too closely with his torch and set them ablaze. The Duchess of Berry had the presence of mind to throw a cloak over the king, and one of the nobles managed to dive into a barrel of water. “The other four were burned alive their flaming genitals dropping to the floor, [the Monk of St. Denis] remarks with a sharp but on this occasion rather unsavoury eye for detail, releasing a stream of blood,” notes Jan R. Veenstra in Magic and Divination at the Courts of Burgundy and France. “Three of them, the count of Joigny, the bastard of Foix and Aymeri de Poitiers were deeply mourned; a fourth victim, Huguet de Guisay, was left wailing in agony for three days before he too expired, but he was not mourned, the Monk of St. Denis explains, since he was a vicious man and people were glad to see him perish.”](http://25.media.tumblr.com/229af9772846b3a699a5ef588e766d92/tumblr_mjxorg263p1r0bqbdo1_500.jpg)
On Jan. 28, 1393, during a riotous wedding at the royal palace of Saint-Pol, Charles VI and five French nobles dressed up as wild men using linen costumes covered with pitch and hair and ranged among the guests, howling like wolves and daring them to guess their identities. One guest approached too closely with his torch and set them ablaze. The Duchess of Berry had the presence of mind to throw a cloak over the king, and one of the nobles managed to dive into a barrel of water. “The other four were burned alive their flaming genitals dropping to the floor, [the Monk of St. Denis] remarks with a sharp but on this occasion rather unsavoury eye for detail, releasing a stream of blood,” notes Jan R. Veenstra in Magic and Divination at the Courts of Burgundy and France. “Three of them, the count of Joigny, the bastard of Foix and Aymeri de Poitiers were deeply mourned; a fourth victim, Huguet de Guisay, was left wailing in agony for three days before he too expired, but he was not mourned, the Monk of St. Denis explains, since he was a vicious man and people were glad to see him perish.”
Elections présidentielles du 21 avril 2002
The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates (Jacques Chirac and Jean-Marie Le Pen) on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen’s unexpected victory over Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin and subsequent appearance in the runoff election. Journalists and politicians then claimed that polls had failed to predict his second place finish in the general election, though Le Pen’s strong stance could be seen in the week prior to the election. This led to serious discussions about polling techniques and the climate of French politics. Although Le Pen’s political party National Front described itself as mainstream conservative, non-partisan observers largely agreed in defining it as a far right or ultra-nationalist party.
Chirac experienced the biggest landslide in a French presidential election (greater even than that of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in 1848, the first by direct ballot), winning over 82% of the vote.
Iphis et Iante
Played for the first time at th hôtel de Bourgogne in 1634, Iphis and Iante is the first comedy of Isaac de Benserade. This comedy in five acts is inspired from the Metamorphoses of Ovid, itself inspired from the greec myth Iphis and Ianthe. The play addresses the subject of lesbianism far more directly than the text of Ovid: living as a boy since she was born, Iphis marries the beautiful Iante; she’s transformed into a man only after the wedding night, and not before as Ovid wrote it
It is the first comedy to openly mention same-sex marriage in France
DOUBLE FLINTLOCK AND MATCHLOCK GUN
- Dated 1636
- Author : François Duclos
As a keen firearms enthusiast who was fascinated by technology, Louis XIII (1601-1643) put together an exceptional weapons cabinet during his reign. The King protected the best arquebusiers of the kingdom, who lived within the Louvre Palace, and he placed commissions with masters such as Le Bourgeois and François Duclos, the author of this piece from 1636. This was one of the first weapons to have a flintlock mechanism.
Still in its infancy, the flintlock mechanism (to the right of the gun lock) is accompanied by a matchlock system (to the left) which is less innovative (visual 2). This ingenious device made it possible to fire two shots in a row from the same barrel. This gun is very technically advanced and is a real masterpiece of ornamentation. When working on this royal commission, François Duclos displayed his virtuosity in varied decorative techniques such as gilding, engraving, chasing, blue finishing and damascene.
The curled butt is adorned with a bronze bust of Minerva (visual 3), while a surface-mounted brass decoration is attached close to the breech tang (visual 4). At the centre, a figure representing Justice - wearing a blindfold - leans on the “L” of the sovereign’s name, accompanied by a cartridge bearing a Latin inscription addressed to Louis XIII, which translates as: “Oh Louis, this blind thing has let you out of its sight”.
Marriage of Tobias and Sara
This roundel originally came from the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. This was built by Louis IX of France to house the Crown of Thorns, which Jesus Christ had worn at the time of his Crucifixion. The king acquired part of this priceless relic in 1238. The Sainte-Chapelle was begun in 1241 and dedicated in 1248. It has been described as a huge reliquary in stone. Architecture, sculpture and stained glass combine to produce an effect of astonishing richness. The vast glazing programme has suffered, however. During the first half of the 19th century much glass was removed and many panels were sold to private collectors. Fortunately, some have come into museum collections.
Originally, this medallion belonged to the window devoted to the Story of Tobias, on the south side. It shows Tobias and Sara being joined in marriage by Sara’s father, Raguel, who stands behind her. Taking his daughter’s right hand and putting it into the right hand of Tobias, he gives the couple his blessing.
The Book of Tobias recounts how Tobias’s son, also called Tobias, with the aid of the Archangel Raphael, was able to restore his father’s health and wealth. Raphael, in disguise, leads Tobias to the lands of his kinsman Raguel. Raguel gives his daughter Sara in marriage to Tobias, but warns him that Sara’s seven previous husbands had all been devoured by demons on the wedding night. With Raphael’s aid, Tobias prepares a potion, the smell of which drives out the demons. He and Sara are then able to consummate their marriage successfully.
The Catholic church considers the Book of Tobias (or Tobit) to be a canonical book of the Old Testament. The Protestant reformers in the first half of the 16th century considered it to be non-historical and thus non-authoritative. They removed it from their official new bibles and labelled it ‘Apocryphal’.
Théatre des Champs Elysées, Paris, France
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theatre at 15 avenue Montaigne. Despite its name, the theatre is not on the Champs-Élysées but nearby in another part of the 8th arrondissement of Paris.
Opened in 1913, it was designed by French architect Auguste Perret and founded by journalist and impresario Gabriel Astruc to provide a venue suitable for contemporary music, dance and opera, in contrast to traditional, more conservative, institutions like the Paris Opera. It hosted the Ballets Russes for its first season, staging the world première of the Rite of Spring on Thursday May 29, 1913, thus becoming the celebrated location of one of the most famous of all classical music riots.
Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet (anonymous, 17th century)
Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet (1588 – 2 December 1665), known as Madame de Rambouillet, was a society hostess and a major figure in the literary history of 17th-century France.
L’Italie reconnaissante.
Auteur : Vicenzo VELA (1820-1891)
The woman on the right is Italy, half naked, her hands on her chest, bare feet, turned towards France and ready to offer her a kiss of peace. France is wearing a long robe adorned with eagles and other patterns. On the floor lays a broken chains and the signature of the artist : Vincenzo Vela F. 1862. The statue is on a wooden base where is written :
A EUGENIA IMPERATRICE
NELL’ ESULTANZA
DELLA PRIMA VITTORIA
CHE RENDEVA LA PATRIA A SE’ STESSA
LE DONNE MILANESI
GIUGNO MDCCCLIX
(To the Impress Eugenie - in the joy of the first victory that offered the homeland back to herself - the ladies from Milan - June 1859)
After Lombardy fought the Austrians in 1859, the women of Milan started a suscription for the Empress Eugénie to thank France for its help. The statues are allegories : the two nations are embodied by the two women. Italy’s freedom is depicted by the chains, its enslavement by its nudity and fragility. France is calm and protective, as a country more and more powerful in Europe.
Heures à l’usage de Rouen (XVe siècle). Proverbe illustré : « Aussi aisé que ung chat qui reculle en ung puis ».
Illustrated proverb: “As easy as a cat moving back in a well”
