There was a constant struggle for power in France in the 16th century. The de’ Medici family and the Guise family were the two major influences on France at the time. Catherine de Medici in particular had a hand in almost everything that was passed or that occurred while she and her sons were in power. She was one of the most prominent Politiques in history. She had influence over all of her sons, and was an advisor to all of them. She was able to shape France without having any outward involvement in any of the on-goings, though she did have outward involvement in the on-goings when she was Regent for one of her sons. Catherine de’ Medici greatly influenced France through the Edict of January, the Massacre of Vassy, the Assassination of M. de Guise, and through The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Eve. The Edict of January was the first large step towards religious equality in France. It legalized the Protestant Religion and allowed congregations outside of the cities (Strage 122-123), (Frieda 160-161), (Heritier 180). The Edict was a result of Catherine’s influence and was published January 17, 1562 (Strage 122-123), (Frieda 160-161), (Heritier 180). It was created to oppose the Guise’s power and influence because the de’ Medici family wanted to rule, and the Guises were the only obstacle facing them (Strage 123), (Frieda 160-161). Due to the timing of the edict, neither Pope Pius IV nor Spain took strong action against Catherine de’ Medici or France, though Catherine’s daughter, Elizabeth, threatened to pull out all of Spain’s support if Catherine did not whole-heartedly support Catholicism (Strage 123), (Frieda 160-161), (Heritier 181-182). Due to the increase of rights and the ability for Protestants to hold congregations outsid... ... middle of paper ... ... legislature and all of these events greatly impacted the course of France. Catherine de’ Medici may not have been directly involved in ruling France and making the decisions throughout the times in which the de’ Medici family ruled, however, she was a large influence throughout those times regardless. Whether directly or through her sons, Catherine made many important decisions that later led to religious freedom in France, as well as more Wars of Religion. Catherine de’ Medici was influenced France incredibly in the 16th century. Works Cited Frieda, Leonie. Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France. Great Britain: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003. Print. Heritier, Jean. Catherine de’ Medici. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1963. Print. Strage, Mark. Women of Power: The Life and Times of Catherine de’ Medici. New York: A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book, 1976. Print.
In the book, Giovanni and Lusanna, by Gene Bucker, he discusses the scandalous actions of a Florentine woman taking a wealthy high status man to court over the legality of their marriage. Published in 1988, the book explains the legal action taken for and against Lusanna and Giovanni, the social affects placed on both persons throughout their trial, and the roles of both men and women during the time. From the long and complicated trial, it can be inferred that women’s places within Florentine society were limited compared to their male counterparts and that women’s affairs should remain in the home. In this paper, I will examine the legal and societal place of women in Florentine society during the Renaissance. Here, I will argue that women were the “merchandise” of humanity and their main objective was to produce sons.
The Edict of Nantes had given Protestants, or Huguenots, in France the ability to practice their religion without fear of violence or persecution. Enacted in the late 1500s in an effort to resemble France after the destruction of the French Wars of Religion, the Edict of Nantes served as a means to unite the French population and end the violence that often accompanied religious persecution. Louis’ decision to revoke such a peace-promoting edict, in an effort to homogenize his country and align his subjects with his own beliefs, clearly illustrates his giving of priority to his own agenda, as opposed to that which would best benefit his country. However, while the claim that the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes was detrimental to French society, seems to be disproven by Doc 6, which essentially asserts that the king’s revocation has resulted in the rapid conversion of “whole towns” and describes the king as “the invincible hero destined to… destroy the terrible monster of heresy”, the author’s inherently biased point of view must be addressed. This description, which could be used as evidence to support the fact that Louis did act in interest of the state, must be taken with a grain of salt as the author himself, a member of the Assembly of the Clergy, does not even have the best interest of the state in mind; rather, he is
In 1981, Isabel de Madariaga wrote the landmark book, Russia in the Age of Catherine the Great. This book was the first comprehensive study of Catherine the Great’s reign. It was a very long, thoroughly researched, very dense book about later eighteenth-century in Russia and was meant for scholars. The book I read and am reviewing, Catherine the Great: a Short History, also by de Madariaga, is more than a shortened version of her earlier work; it is a manageable, factual examination of only about 200 pages with maps, illustrations and timelines, and genealogical tables.
The Act of Supremacy 1559 arguably was a key turning point in the relationship between Church and State in the 16th century because most of the changes it introduced were permanent. However, it could be said that it was not the only factor which contributed to the changing relations as the Act of Supremacy 1534, the role of key individuals and the changes under Edwards reigns played a significant role. This implies that the changing relationship between the Church and state in the 16th century was not a consequence of Act of Supremacy 1559 but all of them together.
de Pizan, Christine. The Book of the City of Ladies. Rosalind Brown-Grant trans. London: Penguin, 1999. Print.
Robin, Diana, Anne B. Larsen, and Carole Evans, eds. Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France and England. Santa Barbara: Abc Clio, 2007.
The church was also brought under control, and Louis sought to do away with all other religions by revoking the Edict of Nantes. Political power was given to noblemen, who were seen as possible opponents, and they were made to reside part of the year at Louis XIVs’ court in Versailles in order to display dominance over them (458–459).... ... middle of paper ... ...
In the early stages of Catherine's life the surfacing modern age was bringing with it social turmoil which spread throughout Europe (Giordani 3). During Catherine's lifetime, according to Mary Ann Sullivan in her essay “St. Catherine of Siena,” the center of Catholic rule fluctuated between Rome and Avignon and contributed to a schism between popes in Italy and France (1). Catherine was born 23rd in a line of 25 children and, according to Sullivan “even at a young age, [she] sensed the troubled society around her and wanted to help” (1). While her parents were not exceptionally religious, St. Catherine's biographer Blessed Raymond of Capua discusses Catherine's early zeal for Catholic practices: “When she was about five she learned the Hail Mary, and repeated it over and over again as often as she could…she was inspired by heaven to address the Blessed Virgin in this way whenever she went up and down stairs, stopping to kneel on each step as she did so” (24). Her devotion to the Virgin Mary would become especially important in a vision she had around this time while walking with her brother to visit one of her sisters.
If one was to discern Maria Theresa’ character from reading her Political Testament, one would say that she was a practical, clever, and devote Catholic woman who despite the lack of resources or empire’s affair knowledge of the empire, managed to restore the empire. One aspect in her political Testament that made her look practical was when she recognized her ignorance of the situation of the empire by admitting to be “devoid of the experience and knowledge needful to rule dominions so extensive” (Theresa, 2). She was aware of not being informed of the empire’s situation and, as a result, she depended on her advisers to solve the empire’s dilemmas. On the other hand, she was a devote Catholic but not to the point of unconditionally supporting the church in financial matters. In her testament, she noticed the monetary indulgency that the church enjoyed due to her predecessor’s generosity, but she considered that times were different and the church did not need as much economic support as before because they had already achieve the goal of converting most people in the empire to Catholicism (Theresa, 7). It would be safe to say that she was in tune with the ideas of the enlightenment because her decisions were based partly on reason and not tradition. The mere fact of her assuming the crown instead of her husband Duke Francis Stephan of Lorraine shows that she did not follow the tradition. (Johnson, 113).
Christine de Pizan’s early life influences her behavioral theories concerning women. She was born in Venice in 1363, and followed her farther to France where she received education and experienced royalty due to his physician consulting skills for King Charles V of
Cloud, Amanda. Gender Roles of Women in the Renaissance. n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2009. < http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/eng/lfletcher/shrew/acloud.htm >.
The French Revolution spread the idea of an egalitarian society. This promise led many women to fight for the revolution with the hopes of gaining their freedom. When the monarchy had been replaced with a legislative government, the equality, liberty, and fraternity promised to women was never fully realized. Women were disempowered during the French Revolution and held more influence during the reign of the monarchy.
... then a noble. These governors were required to spend a large amount of time at Louis’ extensive palace of Versailles, which allowed Louis to monitor the generalités very closely. Religiously, Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes and declared France a Catholic state. Louis hoped that religious unity and centralization would lead to stronger unity in the country as a whole. He expelled or executed any Protestants who refused to convert, and the Catholics supported most of his actions. Although he delegated most of the power in France to himself, Louis did acknowledge the power and authority of the Parlement of Paris, which helped to regulate local administration and taxes, but overall, Louis stripped the nobles and aristocracy of most of their powers. Louis XIV long rule gave France the time it needed to transform from a divided nation to a centralized and powerful one.
An Analysis of the Absolute Monarchy of France in the 17th Century This historical study will define the absolute monarchy as it was defied through the French government in the 17th century. The term ‘absolute” is defined I the monarchy through the absolute control over the people through the king and the royal family. All matters of civic, financial, and political governance was controlled through the king’s sole power as the monarchical ruler of the French people. In France, Louis XIII is an important example of the absolute monarchy, which controlled all facts of military and economic power through a single ruler. Udder Louis XIII’s reign, the consolidation of power away from the Edicts of Nantes to dominant local politics and sovereignty
Unger, Miles. Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008.