Receiving royals in Later Medieval and renaissance France: Ceremonial entries into Northern French towns, c. 1350-1570

Murphy, Neil William (2009) Receiving royals in Later Medieval and renaissance France: Ceremonial entries into Northern French towns, c. 1350-1570. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis explores ceremonial entries in Renaissance France from the perspective of the townspeople who designed and produced them. Existing studies of French entries have tended to see them as expressions of monarchical power, with townspeople coming in submission before the majesty of the king. In contrast, this thesis demonstrates that ceremonial entries were nuanced civic ceremonies which demonstated urban pride and power. Chapter 1 details the weeks of preparations that went into staging a civic reception and the townspeople’s numerous efforts to ensure that the entry was a success. Chapter 2 examines the extramural greeting, where the civic council and other notables came out of the town in procession to greet the visitor and make the formal welcoming speech. The extramural greeting was an important part of the ceremony, as it was the first point of personal contact between the urban elite and the dignitary. The intramural procession is discussed in chapter three. During this part of the ceremony, the dignitary entered through the town gate and processed through the streets until they reached the town’s principal church, where a short service was held. The urban fabric was decorated with flowers, linens, triumphal arches and other decorative structures, while theatrical performances were staged along the length of the processional route. The streets were thronged with ordinary townspeople who had come to both watch and participate in the ceremony. Chapter 4 is concerned with the post-entry festivities, which included banquets, further processions and jousting. The exchange of gifts between the royal guest and the town council was an important element of the post-entry ceremonies, as it was the occasion when the civic councillors could win significant new economic grants for the crown in return for providing a valuable item of silverware.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Due to copyright restrictions the full text of this thesis cannot be made available online. Access to the printed version is available once any embargo periods have expired.
• Keywords: Royal entry, ceremony, ritual, France, medieval, Renaissance, Hundred Years' War, urban, towns
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History; D History General and Old World > DC France
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History
• Supervisor's Name: Small, Dr. Graeme
• Date of Award: 2009
• Depositing User: Mr Neil Murphy
• Unique ID: glathesis:2009-3665
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 18 Mar 2013 16:43
• Last Modified: 18 Mar 2013 16:43
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/3665