This thesis will contend that a permanent body of military force under royal command, a ‘standing army’, arose during the first three decades of the seventeenth century in France. Such a development constituted a transformation in the nature of the monarchy’s armed forces. It was achieved by encouraging elements of the French nobility to become long-term office-holders within royal military institutions. Those members of the nobility who joined the standing army were not coerced into doing so by the crown, but joined the new body of force because it provided them with a means of achieving one of the fundamental ambitions of the French nobility: social advancement for their family. The first four chapters of this thesis thus look at how the standing army emerged via the entrenchment of a system of permanent infantry regiments within France. They look at how certain families, particularly from the lower and middling nobility, attempted to monopolise offices within the regiments due to the social benefits they conferred. Some of the consequences that arose from the army becoming an institution in which ‘careers’ could be pursued, such as promotion and venality, will be examined, as will how elements of the the nobility were vital to the expansion of the standing army beyond its initial core of units. Chapters Five and Six will investigate how the emergence of this new type of force affected the most powerful noblemen of the realm, the grands. In particular, it will focus on those grands who held the prestigious supra-regimental military offices of Constable and Colonel General of the Infantry. The thesis concludes that the emergence of the standing army helped to alter considerably the relationship between the monarchy and the nobility by the end of the period in question. A more monarchy-centred army and state had begun to emerge in France by the late 1620s; a polity which might be dubbed the early ‘absolute monarchy’. However, such a state of affairs had only arisen due to the considerable concessions that the monarchy had made to the ambitions of certain elements of the nobility.

This thesis takes as its starting point the use of extracts from the works of historical authors who wrote in England in the early to mid twelfth-century. It focuses upon the ways in which their works began to be incorporated into three particular texts in the later twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Through the medium of individual case studies – De Abbatibus (Abingdon), CCCC 139 (Durham) and The London Collection three elements are explored (i) how mediaeval writers used extracts from the works of others in ways which differed from modern practices with their concerns over charges of plagiarism and unoriginality (ii) how the structural and narrative roles which the use of extracts played within the presentation of these texts (iii) how the application of approaches developed in the twentieth century, which transformed how texts are now analysed, enabled a re-evaluation and re-interpretation of their use of source material with greater sensitivity to their original purposes This analysis casts fresh light upon the how and why these texts were produced and the means by which they fulfilled their purposes and reveals that despite their disparate origins and individual perspectives these three texts share two common features: (i) they follow a common three stage pattern of development (ii) they deal with similar issues: factional insecurities and concerns about the quality of those in power over them – using an historical perspective The analysis also reveals the range of techniques which were at the disposal of the composers of these texts, dispelling any notion that they were either unsophisticated or naïve in their handling of their source materials. Together these texts demonstrate how mediaeval authors used combinations of extracts as a means of responding quickly and flexibly to address particular concerns. Such texts were not regarded as being set in stone but rather as fluid entities which could be recombined at will in order to produce new works as required.

La tesi tratta delle circostanze della fondazione del convento dei frati Predicatori di Bergamo, che ebbe inizio attorno al 1220. Tale fondazione si inserisce in un ampio progetto di diffusione dell’Ordine dei Predicatori concepito dal cardinale Ugo d’Ostia in collaborazione con il fondatore Domenico di Caleruega. Ugo stesso nella sua seconda legazione apostolica in Lombardia pose le basi per la realizzazione di questo progetto. Il convento di Bergamo fu il primo ad essere fondato grazie alle relazioni che vi erano tra il vescovo locale Giovanni Tornielli e la sede apostolica e grazie anche alla presenza di Guala de Roniis, un frate Predicatore di origini bergamasche, anch’egli conosciuto dagli ambienti della curia papale. / This dissertation deals with the foundation of the convent of the Preacher Friars in Bergamo, which started around 1220. This foundation was part of an ample project to spread the Order of Preachers, drawn by Cardinal Hugh of Ostia in a joint effort with the founder Dominic of Caleruega. Hugh of Ostia himself laid the foundations of this project during his second apostolic legation in Lombardy. The convent of Bergamo was the first to be founded probably because of the friendship between the local bishop, Giovanni Tornielli and the Holy See, and also thanks to the presence of Guala de Roniis, a bergamask Preacher, who was known by the Roman Curia.

Le milieu lagunaire formé par les étangs de Berre et de Caronte est né d'une ingression marine, vers 6000 av. J.-C. Si d'importants vestiges de l'Age de Fer et de l'Antiquité ont été mis à jour sur les rives de Caronte, aucun habitat n'a pu être identifié après l'époque romaine: Caronte n'est semble-t-il, au haut Moyen-Âge, qu'un lieu de passage et de pêche (présence de bourdigues, grandes nasses à poisson). Cet espace est néanmoins convoité par les divers pouvoirs locaux nés de l'effondrement de l'autorité publique, pour des motifs économiques (bourdigues), mais aussi militaires, Caronte et l'Ile formant la porte d'entrée de l'étang de Berre, et donc de la Basse Provence occidentale. La fondation de St-Geniès et du port de Bouc au XIIe s., de l'Ile-St-Geniès au XIIIe s., ainsi que de Ferrières et de Jonquières façonnent cette zone palustre : le centre-ville de la future ville de Martigues se dessine vers 1400. En 1581, la création de Martigues par l'union de l'Ile, Ferrières et Jonquières procure les bases d'un fort développement économique et démographique. La croissance de la cité s'effectue selon un modèle atypique, les phases de pression démographique induisant la création, par remblayage, de secteurs constructibles sur la lagune. Mais du fait de la faible profondeur de Caronte et de la concurrence du port de Marseille, Martigues ne peut suivre l'augmentation du tonnage des navires au XVIIIe s., et son économie connaît jusqu'à l'ère pétrochimique une longue atonie.

L’action des conseillers du roi de France dans le domaine artistique, et notamment architectural, au tournant des XIIIe et XIVe siècles, a été abordée dans le cadre d’études monographiques, mais n’a jamais été envisagée dans un souci de synthèse. Recenser les bâtiments et les œuvres d’art réalisés à l’initiative de ces individus dans l’ancien royaume de France, les confronter avec les entreprises et les commandes royales permet de comprendre les motivations et l’impact d’un milieu alors en plein essor, celui des grands officiers royaux et des hommes de confiance qui assistaient quotidiennement le roi et l’aidaient à gouverner. L’époque retenue couvre les règnes des derniers Capétiens, Philippe le Bel (1285-1314) et ses trois fils (1314-1328). Il a semblé souhaitable d’étendre l’étude en amont au règne de Philippe le Hardi (1270-1285), afin de prendre en compte les prémices d’un véritable phénomène, par ailleurs très diversifié : lancement de projets architecturaux de grande ampleur destinés à l’usage propre du conseiller et de sa famille, embellissement d’édifices existants, participation à de grands chantiers en cours (cathédrales), commandes de tombeaux, d’œuvres d’art destinées à orner des fondations pieuses, réalisation d’hôpitaux ou d’édifices utilitaires ; beaucoup d’exemples témoignent de l’ambition comme de la piété de ces hommes. Dans les textes mais également dans le paysage monumental français actuel, il a été possible de retrouver de nombreuses traces de cette action, dont une typologie a été établie. L’étude a pour but de répondre aux questions suivantes : les conseillers du roi partageaient-ils le même mode de vie et avaient-ils des goûts communs ? Leur action fut-elle en tout point semblable à celle des membres de la famille royale et de la haute noblesse ? Peut-on mesurer la portée de ces réalisations ? / The action of the councillors of the French king in the artistic domain, particularly architectural, at the turn of the XIIIth and XIVth centuries, aroused a large number of monographic studies, but has never been envisaged in a concern of synthesis. Listing buildings and works of art commissioned by these individuals in the realm of France, confronting them with those patronized by the king, let us understand the motivations and the influence of an environment then in full development, that of the royal officers who assisted the king and helped him to govern. The chosen period covers the reigns of the last Capetians, Philip the Fair (1285-1314) and his three sons (1314-1328). It seemed worthwhile to widen the study area to include the reign of Philip the Bold (1270-1285) in order to take into account the beginnings of the phenomenon, besides very diversified : launch of large-scale architectural projects intended for the councillor and his family, embellishment of existing buildings (like cathedrals), production of gravestones, execution of works of art made to “decorate” pious foundations, construction of hospitals or utilitarian buildings ; many examples show the ambition as the devotion of these men. In texts but also in current French architectural landscape, it has been possible to find numerous traces of this action, a typology of which has been proposed. The study aims at answering the following questions : did the king’s councillors share the same lifestyle, the same tastes ? Was their action completely similar to that of the members of the royal family and the nobility ? Can we measure the reach of these creations ?

The Marillac were one of the most important noble families in early modern France. My analysis of this pivotal and deeply political family during the turbulent era of the French Wars of Religion (1562-1629) examines and explains the importance of the interaction of familial alliances, religion and diplomacy in the making of the state. This period represents a critical moment in the process of state development. In contrast to prevailing studies of early modern state formation that concentrate on a centrally-directed program, this dissertation argues that it was the expansion of family strategy, and its interplay with religion and diplomacy, that drove the ongoing construction of the early modern state. There was no blueprint for the creation of this state. Rather, it was born out of an accretion of policies formed by politically important clans working to advance their familial interests. By closely tracing the fortunes of the Marillac clan through archives and research libraries in France, this study discloses the nature of power in early modern Europe in its daily, practical manifestations. My project reaffirms the agency of the family and the individual in the making of the state. It showcases the importance of religious devotion to the formation of family strategy, and especially how Marillac women were drivers of this devotion. My research demonstrates how one family successfully negotiated the Wars of Religion. Additionally, I discuss the impactful role of the individual diplomat in the practice of foreign affairs. Finally, by tracing the fortunes of the Marillac family, I show how a family not only rises to power, but falls, as well as the consequences and limits of disgrace. My research will therefore contribute to the fields of early modern state-building, diplomacy, religious politics, and women and gender through the prism of Marillac family strategy and its interaction with religion and diplomacy.

No description available.

Dans l'écriture de l'histoire immédiate, la pression et l'expérience de l'actualité, les valeurs, les sentiments et les intérêts personnels d'un historien peuvent le conduire à transformer le passé. L'exemple de l'historien des guerres de Religion françaises Pierre Matthieu montre comment la gestion des vérités passées s'avère délicate lorsque les historiens doivent faire des «choix éditoriaux». L'étude de la représentation qu'il fait des chefs ligueurs, de la Ligue et d'Henri IV dans son Histoire des derniers troubles de France (1594-1606) permet de comprendre le poids du présent sur l'écriture de l'histoire récente et la perception arrangée et significative qui s'en dégage pour le présent. Ce mémoire s'intéresse aux fonctions auxquelles répond cette représentation dans le processus de réconciliation nationale lancé par le premier Bourbon. Il donne un indice de la difficulté séculaire d'être acteur et rédacteur de l'histoire et permet de se demander si le présent est «historicisable».