France
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Azincourt
On this the anniversary of the Battle of Azincourt (Agincourt for all the English-speakers) I have no doubt the internet will be flooded with a million flavours of how the battle was won. So I thought I would endeavour to bring you something a little different. Now we all know the story. The Hundred Years’ War consisted of a series of battles spread out over 116 years, between 1337 and 1453 between the houses of Plantagenet and Valois for control of France. So, even though it was erroneously named, it gave rise to more than one legend, and eclipsed the lives of several notable figures historically; Edward the Black Prince…
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First Human blood transfusion
Jean-Baptiste Denys was born in Paris around 1643, and after qualifying from Montpelier, worked as personal physician to Louis XIV of France. Denys was following the work of early controversial human anatomists, notably Andreas Vesalius in the 16th Century, who contravened guidelines set by the Royal Colleges of Physicians banning human dissection. Vesalius not only performed autopsies, which flouted religious principles of medicine, but he performed them publically to ensure as many apprentices, practitioners and lay-people as possible could attend and learn. His work, published as De Humani Corporis Fabrica in 1543, and dedicated to Holy Emperor Charles V, not only blew holes in the theories of Galen, which had…
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Marie Antoinette – A Queen Fallen From Grace
At the age of 14 the princess and archduchess of Austria, Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna married the dauphin of France, Louis-Auguste. Born into a life of luxury, the one she married into, was to become synonymous with all that was wrong with French Nobility, and the driving force behind the resulting revolution. But how much of it was true? Life would not end well for this queen and it would all start with the French Revolution, more specifically the storming of the Bastille when she was said to have told the peasants begging her for food, “Let them eat cake”. This is probably the most famous mis-quote we will…
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The Terror
Dear Diary: December 5, 1793 The Revolution here in France has already been going on for 2 years but the worst seems to have started only recently. See, the revolution began as a response to the monarchy having complete power and taking advantage of the people in this country. France then did the next rational thing that could be thought of, abolish the monarchy and throw King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette from the throne. Why was it so important that monarchy be abolished? We wanted lower taxes, especially since it was only the population in the Third Estate that were paying taxes to the government. The First Estate…
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Marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II
Eleanor of the House of Poitiers was born somewhere between 1122 and 1124, the daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine and Aenor de Chatellerault. At a young age she was granted title of Duchess of Aquitaine, and by the age of thirteen/fifteen, on the death of her father in 1137, Eleanor inherited the Duchy in her own right. William had anticipated her value and had her betrothed to the soon to be Louis VII who was approximately two years older, the marriage took place in July of 1137, around which time both William and Louis VI passed away, and the Aquitaine lands passed as dowry to her husband. The…
