France

The French hunting fire-arms of the 17–18th centuries in the collection of the Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum

Rodionov, E. A. Frantsuzskoe okhotnich’ye oruzhie XVII–XVIII vv. v sobranii Gatchinskogo dvortsa-muzeya [The French hunting fire-arms of the 17–18th centuries in the collection of the Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum], in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture, 2017. Vol. 3 (1). P. 221–234.

Rodionov Eugeniy Alexandrovich, senior research officer, curator of the Arms Department at the Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum, town of Gatchina (188300, Rossiya, Gatchina, Krasnoarmeyskiy pr., 1)

Language: Russian

The collection of hunting firearms of Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum (former imperial residence) contents about 50 guns and pistols made in France in the 17–18th centuries, the period, when the French style of making and decoration of fire-arms dominated all over Europe. The article briefly describes four wheel-lock pistols of the beginning of the 17th century and several guns and pistols of the end of the 17th – beginning of the 18th century, made in Paris, Sedan and Saint-Étienne. Some of these guns were made by the best Parisian masters of the time, who had the king’s privilege to live and work in the Galleries of Louvre, namely Adrien Reynier and Jean Baptiste Laroche. The author focuses on details of construction and style of firearms, especially common for French gunsmiths of that period, such as «French» type of wheel-lock with separated mainspring and axis of a wheel, passing through the stock, a manner of decoration of barrels with golden incrustation upon the blued ground, light and elegant stocks, decorated with incrustation of silver wire, etc. Also the author gives brief notes about the gunsmiths, their places and dates of life.

Key Words: Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum, hunting fire-arms, France, Sedan, Paris, Galerie du Louvre, flintlock, wheellock, gun, pistol, Françoi Bletterie, Adrien Reynier, Laurent de Lachaise, Jean Baptiste Laroche, Tristan Allevin, Pierre Puiforcat, Giller-Tissot, Baloche

URL: http://proslogion.ru/31-rodionovt/

Creative Commons License


download PDF


HTML

Sons and daughters sent abroad: Successes and failures of foreign princes at the French court in the Sixteenth Century

Spangler, J. Sons and Daughters Sent Abroad: Successes and Failures of Foreign Princes at the French Court in the Sixteenth Century, in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture, 2017. Vol. 3 (1). P. 48–89.

Jonathan Spangler, Doctor of Philology (Oxon), Manchester Metropolitan University (All Saints, Manchester M15 6BH, United Kingdom)

Language: English

In the era of centralisation of the great powers in Europe, dynasties ruling smaller states on the margins between France, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire developed strategies for survival. One of these was to establish a presence at the courts of these larger states, by sending members of the ruling dynasty itself. This article looks in particular at the court of France, where such princely emissaries established lineages known to historians as the «foreign princes», the princes étrangers. The French monarchy desired the presence of these princes as well, for various political and ceremonial reasons. The successes and failures of the foreign princes sent to the French court can be measured at the individual level and the wider dynastic level, and are examined by scrutinising activities of secular princes (male and female) as well as prelates. The results are varied, and depended on a variety of ever-shifting factors, notably the establishment of kinship ties with the royal dynasty, a solid independent financial base, and individual character. By the end of the period, some smaller states had survived; others had not.

Key Words: Foreign princes, diplomacy, sovereignty, dynasticism, France, Lorraine, Savoy, Cleves, Mantua

URL: http://proslogion.ru/31-spangler/

Creative Commons License


download PDF


HTML

Royal Officials in Reformation France: Is it Easy to be a Huguenot?

Altukhova, N. I. Frantsuzskie chinovniki v epokhu Reformatsii: Legko li byt’ gugenotom? [Royal Officials in Reformation France: Is It Easy to Be a Huguenot?], in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture, 2018. Vol. 4 (1). P. 84–100.

Natalia Ivanovna Altukhova, research fellow, Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences (119334, Rossiya, Moskva, Leninskiy prospekt, 32A), scientific assistant, Ecclesiastical Research Centre «Orthodox Encyclopedia» (105120, Rossiya, Moskva, Nizhnyaya Syromyatnicheskaya ulitsa, 10A, building 1)

Language: Russian

The article deals with the practice of venality (vénalité des offices) in France during the Wars of Religion in the second half of the sixteenth century. During that period the adherents of the so-called «reformed religion» could obtain or lose the opportunity to acquire and to perform royal offices, depending on whether hostilities prevailed or a peace was concluded — on conditions either favourable to the Huguenots or depriving them of the rights received during the previous war. The article examines steps taken to prevent «the heretics» from serving «the most Christian king» (oath of allegiance to the Catholic religion, testimonies of «a Catholic way of life», certificates from Catholic priests) as well as the royal legislation against Huguenot officials. While addressing Edicts of Pacification (édits de pacification), it is possible to reveal, on the one hand, the pendulum-like nature of royal commands, switching between prohibition and permission for Huguenots to acquire and to dispose of royal offices; on the other hand, a gradual, if very slow, process of obtainment by the Huguenots of the right not only to appeal to the Catholic king for justice, but also to participate in the work of financial and judicial institutions, executing offices acquired through the department of casual revenues (caisse des parties casuelles). The development of legal venality excluded the possibility to deprive owners, whether Calvinists or Catholics, of their offices without financial reimbursement. The implementation of anti-Huguenot edicts was thus delayed by the lack of money in the royal treasury. However, the Huguenots themselves, fearing for their lives and property, often preferred to conceal their relationship with «the so-called Reformers».

Key Words: French Wars of Religion, venality of offices, officials, Edicts of Pacification, Huguenots, France, sixteenth century

URL: http://proslogion.ru/41-altuhova/

Creative Commons License


download PDF


HTML