Aristocracy · Archive · Monarchies
One branch of the House of Valois is that of Charles VI, the very man who was crowned thanks to Joan of Arc. The other branch of the House of Valois is the Dukes of Orléans. Charles d'Orléans, the great poet, returns from captivity, and is regarded with
NB! · Architecture · Monarchies · Heritage
The gallery at the Château de Chambord, founded by Francis I. The gallery ceiling is adorned with bas-reliefs of the royal salamander and the monogram F
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The Château de Dordon, bought for Marie de' Medici by Louis XIII, is currently under renovation. In one of the rooms, beneath the plaster, workmen found nineteenth-century fabric wallpaper, and beneath it a copy of Le constitutionnel dated 13 September 1855
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NB! · Architecture · Art · Monarchies · Observations
The interiors of the château bear the initials of the owner couple and the emblems of Francis I and his wife. I cannot believe that a mistress so witty and attentive to detail would not have endowed the greedy squirrels at the martyr's feet with some special meaning
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A stained-glass window at the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, built by Gilles Berthelot, treasurer to Francis I, or rather by his wife Philippa. Look at the spiteful squirrels below: it looks like a dig at King Francis and Queen Claude
NB! · Architecture · Monarchies · Paris
Aristocracy · Books · Monarchies · Observations · Mores
Found an interesting take on the role of Versailles and Louis XIV's personal will in the life of the French court. Many authors, with varying degrees of skill, describe how the monarch arranged the daily lives of his courtiers, how he meddled in their private affairs and strove
NB! · Monarchies · Mores · People
The lovely daughter of the King of Poland, Marie Leszczyńska, became Queen of France, but was made wretched by the countless infidelities of Louis XV. One of his mistresses was the far less attractive Madame de Pompadour
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Architecture · Monarchies · Heritage
There is much to tell about this château; it really is an interesting and very rich one. During the reign of Louis XII, the palace-château of Blois was in effect the capital of France. But in the centuries that followed, a good deal of interest happened here too. Blois
NB! · Architecture · Monarchies · Heritage
Everywhere at Blois are carved the crowned porcupine and the two royal monograms, of Louis and Anne. The porcupine is the emblem of the House of Orléans and the personal symbol of King Louis. The motto of the house: Cominus et eminus, At a distance and at close quarters