Citizendia

For the history of France in this period, see Early Modern France. Early Modern France is the Early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century (or from the French Renaissance For other uses, see Ancien Régime. Ancien Régime ( pronounced: /ɑ̃sjɛ̃ ʁeʒim/ refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in

Kingdom of France
Structure
Estates of the realm
Parlements
French nobility
Taille
Gabelle
Seigneurial system
Louis XIV as the sun king
Louis XIV as the sun king

The Ancien Régime, a French term rendered in English as “Old Rule,” “Old Kingdom,” or simply “Old Regime,” refers primarily to the aristocratic, social and political system established in France from (roughly) the 15th century to the 18th century under the late Valois and Bourbon dynasties. The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society usually distinguishing Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners recognized in the Middle Ages This article is for the Ancien Régime institution For the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution see French Parliament. The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and Taille was also a name used in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach for the Baroque Cor anglais. The following article is about a Tax. If you are looking for information about a literary character see A Tale of Two Cities. This article is about the medieval system "Manors" redirects here Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. The administrative and social structures of the Ancien Régime were the result of centuries of nation-building, legislative acts (like the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts), internal conflicts and civil wars, but they remained a confusing patchwork of local privilege and historic differences until the French Revolution brought about a radical suppression of administrative incoherence. The Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts is an extensive piece of reform Legislation signed into law by Francis I of France on August 10, A privilege &mdashetymologically "private law" or law relating to a specific individual&mdashis a special Entitlement or immunity granted by a government The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an

Much of the medieval political centralization of France had been lost in the Hundred Years' War, and the Valois Dynasty's attempts at re-establishing control over the scattered political centres of the country were hindered by the Wars of Religion. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting Much of the reigns of Henry IV, Louis XIII and the early years of Louis XIV were focused on administrative centralization. Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III For the cognac see Louis XIII de Rémy Martin. Louis XIII ( September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643) Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Despite, however, the notion of “absolute monarchy” (typified by the king's right to issue lettres de cachet) and the efforts by the kings to create a centralized state, ancien régime France remained a country of systemic irregularities: administrative (including taxation), legal, judicial, and ecclesiastic divisions and prerogatives frequently overlapped, while the French nobility struggled to maintain their own rights in the matters of local government and justice, and powerful internal conflicts (like the Fronde) protested against this centralization. Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything In French history lettres de cachet were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers and closed with the royal seal or The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and La Fronde (1648–1653 was a Civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635

The need for centralization in this period was directly linked to the question of royal finances and the ability to wage war. The internal conflicts and dynastic crises of the 16th and 17th centuries (the Wars of Religion, the conflict with the Habsburgs) and the territorial expansion of France in the 17th century demanded great sums which needed to be raised through taxes, such as the taille and the gabelle and by contributions of men and service from the nobility. The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting Taille was also a name used in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach for the Baroque Cor anglais. The following article is about a Tax. If you are looking for information about a literary character see A Tale of Two Cities.

One key to this centralization was the replacing of personal “clientele” systems organized around the king and other nobles by institutional systems around the state. Patronage is the support encouragement privilege and often financial aid given by a person or an organization The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and [1] The creation of the Intendants -- representatives of royal power in the provinces -- would do much to undermine local control by regional nobles. The title of intendant (intendant Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history The same was true with the greater reliance shown by the royal court on the “noblesse de robe” as judges and royal counselors. The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and The creation of regional parlements had initially the same goal of facilitating the introduction of royal power into newly assimilated territories, but as the parlements gained in self-assurance, they began to be sources of disunity. This article is for the Ancien Régime institution For the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution see French Parliament.

Contents

Provinces and administrative divisions

Territoral expansion

French territorial expansion from 1552-1798
French territorial expansion from 1552-1798

In the mid 15th century, France was significantly smaller than it is today,[2] and numerous border provinces (such as Roussillon, Cerdagne, Calais, Béarn, Navarre, County of Foix, Flanders, Artois, Lorraine, Alsace, Trois-Évêchés, Franche-Comté, Savoy, Bresse, Bugey, Gex, Nice, Provence, Dauphiné, and Brittany) were autonomous or foreign-held (as by the Holy Roman Empire); there were also foreign enclaves, like the Comtat Venaissin. Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is Cerdanya (Ceritania Cerdagne Cerdaña is a small region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain and which is historically one of the Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France. This article is about the former French province for the warship see French aircraft carrier Béarn Béarn ( Gascon: Bearn Lower Navarre (Nafarroa Beherea or Baxenabarre Basse-Navarre Baja Navarra is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département The County of Foix was an independent medieval fief in Southern France, and later a Province of France, whose territory corresponded roughly the eastern The County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries. Artois (Artesië (adjective Artesian) is a former province of northern France. Lorraine (Lorraine Lothringen is a historical area in present-day northeast France. Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern The Three Bishoprics (Trois-Évêchés constituted a province of pre- Revolutionary France consisting of the bisphoprics of Verdun, Metz Franche-Comté ( Franc-Comtois: Fràntche-Comté; Franco-Provençal: Franche-Comtât) the former "Free County" of Burgundy For the two French départements of the region of Savoy see Savoie and Haute-Savoie Savoy ( French Bresse ( Arpitan: Brêsse) is a former French province. It is located in the Rhône-Alpes ( Rôno-Arpes) région The Bugey ( Arpitan: Bugê) is a historical region in the département of Ain ( En) France Gex is a commune in the department of Ain in eastern France. It lies 5 km from the Swiss border and 16 km from Geneva Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in The Comtat Venaissin, often called the Comtat for short (lo Comtat Venaicin la Comtat is the former name of the region around the city of Avignon in what is now In addition, certain provinces within France were ostensibly personal fiefdoms of noble families (like the Bourbonnais, Marche, Forez and Auvergne provinces held by the House of Bourbon until the provinces were forceably integrated into the royal domaine in 1527 after the fall of the Charles III, Duke of Bourbon). Bourbonnais ( Occitan: Borbonés / Barbonés) was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponded to the modern département Mark from the Old English mearc and march (or various plural forms of these words derived from the Frankish word marka ("boundary" Forez is a former province of France, corresponding approximately to the central part of the modern Loire département and a part Auvergne ( Occitan: Auvèrnhe/Auvèrnha) was the name of an historically independent county in the center of France, as well as later a Province of The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Charles III of Bourbon-Montpensier Eighth Duke of Bourbon ( February 17 1490 &ndash May 6, 1527 in Rome) was Count of Montpensier

The late 15th, 16th and 17th centuries would see France undergo a massive territorial expansion and an attempt to better integrate its provinces into an administrative whole.

French acquisitions from 1461-1789:

France in 1477. Red line: Boundary of the Kingdom of France; Light blue: the directly held royal domain
France in 1477. Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Henry II (Henri II (31 March 1519 &ndash 10 July 1559 of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I, was King of France from 31 Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France. The Three Bishoprics (Trois-Évêchés constituted a province of pre- Revolutionary France consisting of the bisphoprics of Verdun, Metz Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III The County of Foix was an independent medieval fief in Southern France, and later a Province of France, whose territory corresponded roughly the eastern For the cognac see Louis XIII de Rémy Martin. Louis XIII ( September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643) This article is about the former French province for the warship see French aircraft carrier Béarn Béarn ( Gascon: Bearn Lower Navarre (Nafarroa Beherea or Baxenabarre Basse-Navarre Baja Navarra is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The term Peace of Westphalia refers to the two peace treaties of Osnabrück and Münster, signed on May 15 and October 24 of Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed in 1659 to end the war between France and Spain that had begun in 1635 during the Thirty Years' War. Artois (Artesië (adjective Artesian) is a former province of northern France. Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is Cerdanya (Ceritania Cerdagne Cerdaña is a small region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain and which is historically one of the The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ( Négotiations de Nimegue or Négotiations de la Paix de Nimègue) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city Franche-Comté ( Franc-Comtois: Fràntche-Comté; Franco-Provençal: Franche-Comtât) the former "Free County" of Burgundy The County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries. Louis XV (15 February 1710 &ndash 10 May 1774 ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774 Lorraine (Lorraine Lothringen is a historical area in present-day northeast France. Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Red line: Boundary of the Kingdom of France; Light blue: the directly held royal domain

Administration

Main articles: Provinces of France and Généralité

Despite efforts by the kings to create a centralized state out of these provinces, France in this period remained a patchwork of local privileges and historical differences, and the arbitrary power of the monarch (as implied by the expression "absolute monarchy") was in fact much limited by historic and regional particularities. The Kingdom of France was organised into Provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département Recettes générales, commonly known as généralités, were the administrative divisions of France under the Ancien Régime and are Administrative (including taxation), legal (parlement), judicial, and ecclesiastic divisions and prerogatives frequently overlapped (for example, French bishoprics and dioceses rarely coincided with administrative divisions). This article is for the Ancien Régime institution For the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution see French Parliament. French Ancien Régime Roman Catholic Dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces were heirs of Late Roman Civitates (themselves created out of Certain provinces and cities had won special privileges (such as lower rates in the gabelle or salt tax). The following article is about a Tax. If you are looking for information about a literary character see A Tale of Two Cities. The south of France was governed by written law adapted from the Roman legal system, the north of France by common law (in 1453 these common laws were codified into a written form). Southern France (or the South of France) colloquially known as Le Midi, is a loosely defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that Roman law is the legal system of Ancient Rome. As used in the West the term commonly refers to legal developments prior to the Roman/Byzantine state's adopting Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive

The representative of the king in his provinces and cities was the "gouverneur". Royal officers chosen from the highest nobility, provincial and city governors (oversight of provinces and cities was frequently combined) were predominantly military positions in charge of defense and policing. Provincial governors — also called "lieutenants généraux" — also had the ability of convoking provincial parlements, provincial estates and municipal bodies. The title "gouverneur" first appeared under Charles VI. Charles VI (3 December 1368 &ndash 21 October 1422 called the Well-loved (le Bien-Aimé and the Mad (French le Fol or le Fou) was the The ordinance of Blois of 1579 reduced their number to 12, but an ordinance of 1779 increased their number to 39 (18 first-class governors, 21 second-class governors). Although in principle they were the king's representatives and their charges could be revoked at the king's will, some governors had installed themselves and their heirs as a provincial dynasty. The governors were at the height of their power from the middle of the 16th to the mid-17th century, but their role in provincial unrest during the civil wars led Cardinal Richelieu to create the more tractable positions of intendants of finance, policing and justice, and in the 18th century the role of provincial governors was greatly curtailed. This article is about a cardinal For information on the Russian also called The Red Eminence, see Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov. The title of intendant (intendant Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history

Major Provinces of France, with provincial capitals. Cities in bold had provincial "parlements" or "conseils souverains" during the ancien régime. This article is for the Ancien Régime institution For the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution see French Parliament. Note: The map reflects France's modern borders and does not indicate the territorial formation of France over time. Provinces on this list may encompass several other historic provinces and counties (for example, at the time of the Revolution, Guyenne was made up of eight smaller historic provinces, including Quercy and Rouergue). Aquitaine (Aquitània Akitania archaic Guyenne / Guienne (Occitan Guiana) is one of the 26 Regions of France, in the south-western part of Quercy (pronounced /kɛʀsi/ in French;) ( Occitan: Carcin, pronounced, locally) is a former Province of France located in the southwest Rouergue ( Occitan: Roergue) is a former province of France, bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc For a more complete list, see Provinces of France. The Kingdom of France was organised into Provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département
  1. Île-de-France (Paris)
  2. Berry (Bourges)
  3. Orléanais (Orléans)
  4. Normandy (Rouen)
  5. Languedoc (Toulouse)
  6. Lyonnais (Lyon)
  7. Dauphiné (Grenoble)
  8. Champagne (Troyes)
  9. Aunis (La Rochelle)
  10. Saintonge (Saintes)
  11. Poitou (Poitiers)
  12. Guyenne and Gascony (Bordeaux)
  13. Burgundy (Dijon)
  14. Picardy (Amiens)
  15. Anjou (Angers)
  16. Provence (Aix-en-Provence)
  17. Angoumois (Angoulême)
  18. Bourbonnais (Moulins)
  19. Marche (Guéret)
  20. Brittany (Rennes, parl. Île-de-France is one of the ancient Provinces of France, and the one that has been the centre of power during most of French history. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Berry is a region located in the center of France It was a province of France until the provinces were replaced by départements ' on March 4, Bourges is a commune in central France on the Yèvre river It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital Orléanais is a former Province of France, around the cities of Orléans, Chartres, and Blois. This article is about the French city of Orléans for other meanings see Orleans (disambiguation. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest After the division of the Carolingian Empire, the region was part of the Kingdom of Burgundy. ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the Grenoble is a city and commune in south-east France situated at the foot of the Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name Troyes (tʁwa is a commune, the préfecture (capital of the northeastern Aube département in France and is Aunis is a former province of France. It extended to Marais Poitevin in the north Basse Saintonge (and Niortais) in the east and La Rochelle is a city in western France, and a Seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente Saintes may refer to the following places Saintes Belgium Saintes Charente-Maritime, a commune of France in the Charente-Maritime department Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Poitiers is a town on the Clain River in west central France. Aquitaine (Aquitània Akitania archaic Guyenne / Guienne (Occitan Guiana) is one of the 26 Regions of France, in the south-western part of Gascony (Gascogne gaskɔɲ Gascon Occitan: Gasconha, pronounced) is an area of southwest France that constituted a province of France ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Dijon ( diʒɔ̃ is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or departement and of the Bourgogne region Picardy (Picardie is an historical Province of France, in the north of France. Amiens (amjɛ̃ is a city and commune in northern France, 120 km north of Paris. Anjou is a former County (c 880) Duchy ( 1360) and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Angers is a city in the Maine-et-Loire department in northwestern France about 300 km south-west of Paris. Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish Angoumois was an old province of France, nearly corresponding today to the Charente département. Angoulême is a commune in western France, capital of the Charente department. Bourbonnais ( Occitan: Borbonés / Barbonés) was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponded to the modern département Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department. Mark from the Old English mearc and march (or various plural forms of these words derived from the Frankish word marka ("boundary" Guéret is the préfecture (capital of the Creuse department in central France. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Rennes ( Gallo: Resnn, Roazhon Condate Condate Riedonum is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern briefly at Nantes)
  21. Maine (Le Mans)
  22. Touraine (Tours)
  23. Limousin (Limoges)
  1. Foix (Foix)
  2. Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand)
  3. Béarn (Pau)
  4. Alsace (Strasbourg, cons. Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast Maine is one of the traditional provinces of France. It corresponds to the old county of Maine centered around the city of Le Mans. Le Mans (ləmɑ̃ in French) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Touraine may also refer to Alain Touraine, French sociologist Tours is a city in France the Préfecture (capital city of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Limousin ( Occitan: Lemosin) is a former Province of France around the city of Limoges in central France. Limoges ( Lemòtges / Limòtges in the Limousin dialect of Occitan language) is a city and commune in France, the préfecture The County of Foix was an independent medieval fief in Southern France, and later a Province of France, whose territory corresponded roughly the eastern Foix (fwa is a commune, the capital of the Ariège département in France. Auvergne ( Occitan: Auvèrnhe/Auvèrnha) was the name of an historically independent county in the center of France, as well as later a Province of Clermont-Ferrand ( Auvergnat dialect of Occitan: Clarmont-Ferrand / Clarmont d'Auvèrnhe) is a city and commune of France This article is about the former French province for the warship see French aircraft carrier Béarn Béarn ( Gascon: Bearn Pau is a town and ''commune'' in the Aquitaine ''région'' of Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région souv. in Colmar)
  5. Artois (cons provinc. Colmar (Colmar kɔlmaʁ Alsatian: Colmer pronounced; Colmar between 1871-1918 and 1940-1945 also Kolmar) is a town and commune Artois (Artesië (adjective Artesian) is a former province of northern France. in Arras)
  6. Roussillon (cons. Arras (Atrecht is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is souv. in Perpignan)
  7. Flanders and Hainaut (Lille, parliament first in Tournai, then in Douai)
  8. Franche-Comté (Besançon, formerly at Dôle)
  9. Lorraine (Nancy)
  10. Corsica (off map, Ajaccio, cons. Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative The County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries. This article deals with the historical county of Hainaut for other meanings see Hainaut. Lille (lil Rijsel is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in the country Tournai (in Dutch Doornik, in Latin: Tornacum) is a Walloon City and municipality of Belgium Douai ( Dutch: Dowaai) is a town and commune in the north of France in the département of Nord Franche-Comté ( Franc-Comtois: Fràntche-Comté; Franco-Provençal: Franche-Comtât) the former "Free County" of Burgundy Besançon (bəzɑ̃ˈsɔ̃ in French and Arpitan; German: Bisanz) is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté Lorraine (Lorraine Lothringen is a historical area in present-day northeast France. Nancy (nɑ̃si archaic Nanzig Nanzeg is a city and commune in the Lorraine région of northeastern France Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Ajaccio ( Adiacium Ajaccio; Aiacciu; Aiaccio) is a commune in France. souv. in Bastia)
  11. Nivernais (Nevers)
  12. Comtat Venaissin (Avignon), a Papal fief
  13. Imperial Free City of Mulhouse
  14. Savoy, a Sardinian fief (parl. Bastia ( French & Corsican: Bastia) is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island Nivernais is former Province of France, around the city of Nevers and the département of Nièvre. Nevers ( Latin: Noviodunum, later Nevirnum and Nebirnum) is a commune of central France, the Préfecture The Comtat Venaissin, often called the Comtat for short (lo Comtat Venaicin la Comtat is the former name of the region around the city of Avignon in what is now Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city (in German: freie Reichsstadt) was a City formally ruled by the Emperor only &mdash Mulhouse (Mulhouse myluz Alsatian: Milhüsa or Milhüse, pronounced; Mülhausen i For the two French départements of the region of Savoy see Savoie and Haute-Savoie Savoy ( French Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the in Chambery 1537-1559)
  15. Nice, a Sardinian fief
  16. Montbéliard, a fief of Württemberg
  17. (not indicated) Trois-Évêchés (Metz, Toul and Verdun)
  18. (not indicated) Dombes (Trévoux)
  19. (not indicated) Navarre (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port)
  20. (not indicated) Soule (Mauléon)
  21. (not indicated) Bigorre (Tarbes)
  22. (not indicated) Beaujolais (Beaujeu)
  23. (not indicated) Bresse (Bourg)
  24. (not indicated) Perche (Mortagne-au-Perche)
Provinces of France

In an attempt to reform the system, new divisions were created. Chambéry (Ciamberì or Sciamberì) is the capital of the department of Savoie, France. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the Montbéliard (archaic Mömpelgard is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France Württemberg, formerly known as Wirtemberg, is an area and a former state in Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany. The Three Bishoprics (Trois-Évêchés constituted a province of pre- Revolutionary France consisting of the bisphoprics of Verdun, Metz The Diocese of Toul was a Roman Catholic Diocese seated at Toul in present-day France The Bishopric of Verdun was also a state of the Holy Roman Empire; it was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France the Duchy of Luxembourg The Dombes ( Arpitan: Domba) is an historic region of east-south-eastern France, once an independent municipality formerly part of the Trévoux is a commune in the department of Ain in eastern France. Lower Navarre (Nafarroa Beherea or Baxenabarre Basse-Navarre Baja Navarra is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (literally meaning "Saint John at the foot of the mountain pass" in French) ( Basque: Donibane Garazi) is a commune Soule ( Zuberoa, Xiberu or Xüberoa in Basque, Sola in Gascon is a former viscounty and French province and Mauléon-Licharre or simply Mauléon (Maule-Lextarre is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, in France Bigorre ( Gascon: Bigòrra) is region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper Tarbes is a French town and commune, in the département of Hautes-Pyrénées, of which it is the Préfecture Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC Wine generally made of the Gamay Grape which has a thin Beaujeu ( Bôjor / Biôjœr in Arpitan) is a small town between Mâcon and Lyon. Bresse ( Arpitan: Brêsse) is a former French province. It is located in the Rhône-Alpes ( Rôno-Arpes) région Bourg-en-Bresse (buʁkɑ̃bʁɛs Bôrg in Arpitan language) is a commune in eastern France, capital of the Ain Perche is a former province of northern France extending over the départements of Orne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Mortagne-au-Perche is a commune of the Orne département, in the Low-Normandy area of France. The recettes générales, commonly known as "généralités", were initially only taxation districts (see State finances below). Recettes générales, commonly known as généralités, were the administrative divisions of France under the Ancien Régime and are The first sixteen were created in 1542 by edict of Henry II. Henry II (Henri II (31 March 1519 &ndash 10 July 1559 of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I, was King of France from 31 Their role steadily increased and by the mid 17th century, the généralités were under the authority of a "intendant", and they became a vehicle for the expansion of royal power in matters of justice, taxation and policing. The title of intendant (intendant Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history By the Revolution, there were 36 généralités; the last two were created in 1784. Year 1784 ( MDCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

Généralités of France by city (and province). Areas in red are "pays d'état" (note: should also include 36, 37 and parts of 35); white "pays d'élection"; yellow "pays d'imposition" (see State finances below).
  1. Généralité of Bordeaux, (Agen, Guyenne)
  2. Généralité of Provence, or Aix-en-Provence (Provence)
  3. Généralité of Amiens (Picardy)
  4. Généralité of Bourges (Berry)
  5. Généralité of Caen (Normandy)
  6. Généralité of Châlons (Champagne)
  7. Généralité of Burgundy, Dijon (Burgundy)
  8. Généralité of Grenoble (Dauphiné)
  9. Généralité of Issoire, later of Riom (Auvergne)
  10. Généralité of Lyon (Lyonnais, Beaujolais and Forez)
  11. Généralité of Montpellier (Languedoc)
  12. Généralité of Paris (Île-de-France)
  13. Généralité of Poitiers (Poitou)
  14. Généralité of Rouen (Normandy)
  15. Généralité of Toulouse (Languedoc)
  16. Généralité of Tours (Touraine, Maine and Anjou)
  1. Généralité of Metz (Trois-Évêchés)
  2. Généralité of Nantes (Brittany)
  3. Généralité of Limoges (divided in two parts: Angoumois & Limousin - Marche)
  4. Généralité of Orléans (Orléanais)
  5. Généralité of Moulins (Bourbonnais)
  6. Généralité of Soissons (Picardy)
  7. Généralité of Montauban (Gascony)
  8. Généralité of Alençon (Perche)
  9. Généralité of Perpignan (Roussillon)
  10. Généralité of Besançon (Franche-Comté)
  11. Généralité of Valenciennes (Hainaut)
  12. Généralité of Strasbourg (Alsace)
  13. (see 18)
  14. Généralité of Lille (Flanders)
  15. Généralité of La Rochelle (Aunis and Saintonge)
  16. Généralité of Nancy (Lorraine)
  17. Généralité of Trévoux (Dombes)
  18. Généralité of Corsica, or Bastia (Corsica)
  19. Généralité of Auch (Gascony)
  20. Généralité of Bayonne (Labourd)
  21. Généralité of Pau (Béarn and Soule)

State finances

The desire for more efficient tax collection was one of the major causes for French administrative and royal centralization in the early modern period. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate Agen (aʒɛ̃ is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in the Aquitaine region in southwestern France. Aquitaine (Aquitània Akitania archaic Guyenne / Guienne (Occitan Guiana) is one of the 26 Regions of France, in the south-western part of Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Amiens (amjɛ̃ is a city and commune in northern France, 120 km north of Paris. Picardy (Picardie is an historical Province of France, in the north of France. Bourges is a commune in central France on the Yèvre river It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital The word berry has two meanings one based on a botanical definition the other on common identification Caen (kɑ̃ is a commune in northwestern France. It is the Prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. Châlons-en-Champagne is a city and commune in France. It is the administrative centre ( Préfecture) of both the département Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 26 regions of France. history and geogaphyChampagne-Ardenne is a region located in the northeast of France bordering Belgium Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Dijon ( diʒɔ̃ is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or departement and of the Bourgogne region Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Grenoble is a city and commune in south-east France situated at the foot of the Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the Issoire (Suire is a town and commune of central France, capital of an arrondissement in the département of Puy-de-Dôme Riom ( Occitan: Riam) is a historic city in the Auvergne région of France Auvergne ( Occitan: Auvèrnhe/Auvèrnha) was the name of an historically independent county in the center of France, as well as later a Province of ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. After the division of the Carolingian Empire, the region was part of the Kingdom of Burgundy. Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC Wine generally made of the Gamay Grape which has a thin Forez is a former province of France, corresponding approximately to the central part of the modern Loire département and a part Montpellier ( Occitan Montpelhièr) is a City in the south of France. Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Île-de-France is one of the ancient Provinces of France, and the one that has been the centre of power during most of French history. Poitiers is a town on the Clain River in west central France. Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon Tours is a city in France the Préfecture (capital city of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Touraine may also refer to Alain Touraine, French sociologist Maine is one of the traditional provinces of France. It corresponds to the old county of Maine centered around the city of Le Mans. Anjou is a former County (c 880) Duchy ( 1360) and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Metz (mɛs in French) is a city in the northeast of France, capital of the Lorraine région and Préfecture The Three Bishoprics (Trois-Évêchés constituted a province of pre- Revolutionary France consisting of the bisphoprics of Verdun, Metz Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Limoges ( Lemòtges / Limòtges in the Limousin dialect of Occitan language) is a city and commune in France, the préfecture Angoumois was an old province of France, nearly corresponding today to the Charente département. Limousin ( Occitan: Lemosin) is a former Province of France around the city of Limoges in central France. The County of Marche (la Marcha was a Medieval French County, approximately corresponding to the modern département of Creuse This article is about the French city of Orléans for other meanings see Orleans (disambiguation. Orléanais is a former Province of France, around the cities of Orléans, Chartres, and Blois. Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department. Bourbonnais ( Occitan: Borbonés / Barbonés) was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponded to the modern département Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardie in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about 100 Picardy (Picardie is an historical Province of France, in the north of France. Montauban ( Montalban in Occitan) is a town and commune of southwestern France, Préfecture (capital of the Tarn-et-Garonne Gascony (Gascogne gaskɔɲ Gascon Occitan: Gasconha, pronounced) is an area of southwest France that constituted a province of France Alençon is a town and commune in Normandy, France, préfecture (capital of the Orne department. Perche is a former province of northern France extending over the départements of Orne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is Besançon (bəzɑ̃ˈsɔ̃ in French and Arpitan; German: Bisanz) is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté Franche-Comté ( Franc-Comtois: Fràntche-Comté; Franco-Provençal: Franche-Comtât) the former "Free County" of Burgundy Valenciennes (Old Dutch: Valencijn, Latin: Valentianae) is a Town and commune in northern France in the This article deals with the historical county of Hainaut for other meanings see Hainaut. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern Lille (lil Rijsel is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in the country Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. La Rochelle is a city in western France, and a Seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. Aunis is a former province of France. It extended to Marais Poitevin in the north Basse Saintonge (and Niortais) in the east and Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente Nancy (nɑ̃si archaic Nanzig Nanzeg is a city and commune in the Lorraine région of northeastern France Lorraine (Lorraine Lothringen is a historical area in present-day northeast France. Trévoux is a commune in the department of Ain in eastern France. The Dombes ( Arpitan: Domba) is an historic region of east-south-eastern France, once an independent municipality formerly part of the Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Bastia ( French & Corsican: Bastia) is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily This article is for the French town For the bird see Great auk. Gascony (Gascogne gaskɔɲ Gascon Occitan: Gasconha, pronounced) is an area of southwest France that constituted a province of France Bayonne ( French: Bayonne bajɔn Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest Labourd ( Lapurdi in Basque; from Latin Lapurdum, Labord in Gascon is a former French province and part of the Pau is a town and ''commune'' in the Aquitaine ''région'' of This article is about the former French province for the warship see French aircraft carrier Béarn Béarn ( Gascon: Bearn Soule ( Zuberoa, Xiberu or Xüberoa in Basque, Sola in Gascon is a former viscounty and French province and The taille became a major source of royal income. Taille was also a name used in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach for the Baroque Cor anglais. Exempted from the taille were clergy and nobles (except for non-noble lands they held in "pays d'état", see below), officers of the crown, military personnel, magistrates, university professors and students, and certain cities ("villes franches") such as Paris.

The provinces were of three sorts, the "pays d'élection", the "pays d'état" and the "pays d'imposition". In the "pays d'élection" (the longest held possessions of the French crown; some of these provinces had had the equivalent autonomy of a "pays d'état" in an earlier period, but had lost it through the effects of royal reforms) the assessment and collection of taxes were trusted to elected officials (at least originally, later these positions were bought), and the tax was generally "personal", meaning it was attached to non-noble individuals. In the "pays d'état" ("provinces with provincial estates"), Brittany, Languedoc, Burgundy, Auvergne, Béarn, Dauphiné, Provence and portions of Gascony, such as Bigorre, Comminges and the Quatre-Vallées, recently acquired provinces which had been able to maintain a certain local autonomy in terms of taxation, the assessment of the tax was established by local councils and the tax was generally "real", meaning that it was attached to non-noble lands (meaning that nobles possessing such lands were required to pay taxes on them). Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Auvergne ( Occitan: Auvèrnhe/Auvèrnha) was the name of an historically independent county in the center of France, as well as later a Province of This article is about the former French province for the warship see French aircraft carrier Béarn Béarn ( Gascon: Bearn The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Gascony (Gascogne gaskɔɲ Gascon Occitan: Gasconha, pronounced) is an area of southwest France that constituted a province of France Bigorre ( Gascon: Bigòrra) is region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper The Comminges is an ancient region of southern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees, corresponding closely to the Arrondissement of Saint-Gaudens in the department Quatre-Vallées (ie "Four Valleys" ( Gascon: Quate-Vaths) was a small Province of France located in the southwest of France. In the Common law, real property (or realty) refers to one of the two main classes of Property, the other class being Personal property ( "Pays d'imposition" were recently conquered lands which had their own local historical institutions (they were similar to the "pays d'état" under which they are sometimes grouped), although taxation was overseen by the royal intendant. The title of intendant (intendant Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history

Taxation districts had gone through a variety of mutations from the 14th century on. Before the 14th century, oversight of the collection of royal taxes fell generally to the baillis and sénéchaux in their circumscriptions. Bailli (English bailiff was the rank and title of the head of each of the Bailiwicks of the Knights Hospitaller and also of the head at Rhodes and Reforms in the 14th and 15th centuries saw France's royal financial administration run by two financial boards which worked in a collegial manner: the four Généraux des finances (also called "général conseiller" or "receveur général" ) oversaw the collection of taxes (taille, aides, etc. Taille was also a name used in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach for the Baroque Cor anglais. ) by tax-collecting agents (receveurs) and the four Trésoriers de France (Treasurers) oversaw revenues from royal lands (the "domaine"). Together they were often referred to as "Messieurs des finances". The four members of each board were divided by geographical circumscriptions (although the term "généralité" isn't found before the end of the 15th century); the areas were named Languedoïl, Languedoc, Outre-Seine-and-Yonne, and Nomandy (the latter was created in 1449; the other three were created earlier), with the directors of the "Languedoïl" region typically having an honorific preeminence. By 1484, the number of généralités had increased to 6.

In the 16th century, the kings of France, in an effort to exert more direct control over royal finances and to circumvent the double-board (accused of poor oversight) -- instituted numerous administrative reforms, including the restructuring of the financial administration and an increase in the number of "généralités". In 1542, Henry II, France was divided into 16 "généralités". Henry II (Henri II (31 March 1519 &ndash 10 July 1559 of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I, was King of France from 31 The number would increase to 21 at the end of the 16th century, and to 36 at the time of the French Revolution; the last two were created in 1784. Year 1784 ( MDCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

The administration of the généralités of the Renaissance went through a variety of reforms. In 1577, Henri III established 5 treasurers ("trésoriers généraux") in each généralité who would form a bureau of finances. Henry III of France (Henri III Henryk ( September 19 1551 – August 2, 1589) In the 17th century, oversight of the généralités was subsumed by the intendants of finance, justice and police, and the expression "généralité and "intendance" became roughly synonymous. The title of intendant (intendant Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history

Until the late 17th century, tax collectors were called receveurs. In 1680, the system of the Ferme Générale was established, a franchised customs and excise operation in which individuals bought the right to collect the taille on behalf of the king, through 6-years adjudications (certain taxes like the aides and the gabelle had been farmed out in this way as early as 1604). The Ferme générale was in ancien régime France, essentially a franchised customs and excise operation which collected duties on behalf of the king The major tax collectors in that system were known as the fermiers généraux (farmers-general in English).

The taille was only one of a number of taxes. There also existed the "taillon" (a tax for military purposes), a national salt tax (the gabelle), national tarifs (the "aides") on various products (wine, beer, oil, and other goods), local tarifs on speciality products (the "douane") or levied on products entering the city (the "octroi") or sold at fairs, and local taxes. The following article is about a Tax. If you are looking for information about a literary character see A Tale of Two Cities. Finally, the church benefited from a mandatory tax or tithe called the "dîme".

Louis XIV of France created several additional tax systems, including the "capitation" (begun in 1695) which touched every person including nobles and the clergy (although exemption could be bought for a large one-time sum) and the "dixième" (1710-1717, restarted in 1733), enacted to support the military, which was a true tax on income and on property value. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent In 1749, under Louis XV of France, a new tax based on the "dixième", the "vingtième" (or "one-twentieth"), was enacted to reduce the royal deficit, and this tax continued through the remaining years of the ancien régime. Louis XV (15 February 1710 &ndash 10 May 1774 ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774

Another key source of state financing was through charging fees for state positions (such as most members of parlements, magistrates, maître des requêtes and financial officers). Maître des requêtes (in French, literally "master of requests" or "petitions" (the term "maître" is an honorific title for lawyers plural Many of these fees were quite elevated, but some of these offices conferred nobility and could be financially advantageous. The use of offices to seek profit had become standard practice as early as the 12th and 13th centuries. A law in 1467 made these offices unrevocable, except through the death, resignation or forfeiture of the title holder, and these offices, once bought, tended to become hereditary charges (with a fee for transfer of title) passed on within families. In an effort to increase revenues, the state often turned to the creation of new offices. Before it was made illegal in 1521, It had been possible to leave open-ended the date that the transfer of title was to take effect. In 1534, the "forty days rule" was instituted (adapted from church practice), which made the successor's right void if the preceding office holder died within forty days of the transfer and the office returned to the state;however, a new fee, called the survivance jouissante protected against the forty days rule. [3] In 1604, Sully created a new tax, the "paulette" or "annual tax" (1/60 of the amount of the official charge), which permitted the title-holder to be free of the 40 day rule. Maximilien de Béthune Duke of Sully ( December 13, 1560 &ndash December 22, 1641) was the doughty soldier French minister staunch Huguenot The "paulette" and the venality of offices would become key concerns in the parlementarian revolts of the 1640s (La Fronde). La Fronde (The Sling was a French feminist Newspaper first published in Paris on December 9, 1897 by activist

The state also demanded of the church a "free gift", which the church collected from holders of eccleciastic offices through taxes called the "décime" (roughly 1/20th of the official charge, created under François I).

State finances also relied heavily on borrowing, both private (from the great banking families in Europe) and public. The most important public source for borrowing was through the system of rentes sur l'Hôtel de Ville of Paris, a kind of government bond system offering investers annual interest. This system first came to use in 1523 under François I.

Until 1661, the head of the financial system in France was generally the surintendant des finances; with the fall of Fouquet, this was replaced by the lesser position of contrôleur général des finances. The Superintendent of Finances (Surintendant des finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1561 to 1661 Fouquet ( Foucquet) is a French surname and may refer to Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet duc de Belle-Isle (1684-1761 French general and statesman The Controller-General of Finances (Contrôleur général des finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1661 to 1791

For more information on the Ancien Régime economy, see Economic history of France. This is a history of the economy of France. For more information on historical cultural demographic and sociological developments in France see the chronological

Justice

Lower courts

Justice in seigneurial lands (including those held by the church or within cities) was generally overseen by the seigneur or his delegated officers. Since the 15th century, much of the seigneur's legal purview had been given to the bailliages or sénéchaussées and the présidiaux (see below), leaving only affairs concerning seigeurial dues and duties, and small affairs of local justice. Only certain seigneurs -- those with the power of haute justice (seigeurial justice was divided into "high" "middle" and "low" justice) -- could enact the death penalty, and only with the consent of the présidiaux.

Crimes of desertion, highway robbery, and mendicants (so-called cas prévôtaux) were under the supervision of the prévôt des maréchaux, who exacted quick and impartial justice. A provost (introduced into Scots from French) is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities. In 1670, their purview was overseen by the présidiaux (see below).

The national judicial system was made-up of tribunals divided into bailliages (in northern France) and sénéchaussées (in southern France); these tribunals (numbering around 90 in the 16th century, and far more at the end of the 18th) were supervised by a lieutenant général and were subdivided into:

In an effort to reduce the case load in the parlements, certain bailliages were given extended powers by Henri II of France: these were called présidiaux. Henry II (Henri II (31 March 1519 &ndash 10 July 1559 of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I, was King of France from 31

The prévôts or their equivalent were the first-level judges for non-nobles and ecclesiastics. In the exercise of their legal functions, they sat alone, but had to consult with certain lawyers (avocats or procureurs) chosen by themselves, whom, to use the technical phrase, they "summoned to their council". The appeals from their sentences went to the bailliages, who also had jurisdiction in the first instance over actions brought against nobles. The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and Bailliages and présidiaux were also the first court for certain crimes (so-called cas royaux; these cases had formerly been under the supervision of the local seigneurs): sacrilege, lèse-majesté, kidnapping, rape, heresy, alteration of money, sedition, insurrections, and the illegal carrying of arms. Lèse majesté ( French expression from the Latin Laesa maiestas or Laesae maiestatis (crimen, (crime of injury to the Majesty in English In Criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or Asportation of a person against the person's will usually to hold the person in False imprisonment Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief To appeal a bailliage's decisions, one turned to the regional parlements. This article is for the Ancien Régime institution For the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution see French Parliament.

The most important of these royal tribunals was the prévôté[4] and présidial of Paris, the Châtelet, which was overseen by the prévôt of Paris, civil and criminal lieutenants, and a royal officer in charge of maintaining public order in the capital, the Lieutenant General of Police of Paris. The Prefecture of Police (Préfecture de Police headed by the Prefect of Police ( Préfet de Police) is an agency of the Government of France (and

Superior courts

The following were cours souveraines, or superior courts, whose decisions could only be revoked by "the king in his conseil" (see administration section below).

The head of the judicial system in France was the chancellor. This page is a list of French justice ministers. Under the Ancien régime, the French minister responsible for the judiciary was the Chancellor

Administration

Main article: Conseil du Roi

One of the established principles of the French monarchy was that the king could not act without the advice of his counsel; the formula "le roi en son conseil" expressed this deliberative aspect. The Conseil du Roi or King's Council is a general term for the administrative and governmental apparatus around the king of France during the Ancien Régime The administration of the French state in the early modern period went through a long evolution, as a truly administrative apparatus -- relying on old nobility, newer chancellor nobility ("noblesse de robe") and administrative professionals -- was substituted to the feudal clientel system.

Under Charles VIII and Louis XII the king's counsel was dominated by members of twenty or so noble or rich families; under François I the number of counsellors increased to roughly 70 individuals (although the old nobility was proportionally more important than in the previous century). Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death Louis XII ( June 27, 1462 – January 1, 1515) called "the Father of the People" (Le Père du Peuple was the thirty-fifth king Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 The most important positions in the court were those of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, headed by the connétable (chief military officer of the realm; position eliminated in 1627) and the chancellor. The Great Officers of the Crown were the most important officers of state of the royal court in France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration The Constable of France (connétable de France from Latin comes stabuli for " Count of the stables" as the First Officer of the Crown was one This page is a list of French justice ministers. Under the Ancien régime, the French minister responsible for the judiciary was the Chancellor The royal administration in the Renaissance was divided between a small counsel (the "secret" and later "high" counsel) of 6 or fewer members (3 members in 1535, 4 in 1554) for important matters of state; and a larger counsel for judicial or financial affairs. François I was sometimes criticized for relying too heavily on a small number of advisors, while Henri II, Catherine de' Medici and their sons found themselves frequently unable to negotiate between the opposing Guise and Montmorency families in their counsel. Henry II (Henri II (31 March 1519 &ndash 10 July 1559 of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I, was King of France from 31 Catherine de' Medici (April 13 1519 &ndash January 5 1589 was born in Florence, Italy as Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo de' Medici. Guise is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardie in northern France.

Over time, the decision-making apparatus of the King's Council was divided into several royal counsels. The subcouncils of the King's Council can be generally grouped as "governmental councils", "financial councils" and "judicial and administrative councils". With the names and subdivisions of the 17th - 18th century, these subcouncils were:

Governmental Councils:

Financial Councils:

Judicial and Administrative Councils:

In addition to the above administrative institutions, the king was also surrounded by an extensive personal and court retinue (royal family, valet de chambres, guards, honorific officers), regrouped under the name "Maison du Roi". Valet de chambre, or varlet de chambre, was a court appointment introduced in the late Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards The Maison du Roi (Household of the King was the name of the military domestic and religious entourage ( Royal Household) around the royal family in France during

At the death of Louis XIV, the Regent Philippe II, Duke of Orléans abandoned several of the above administrative structures, most notably the Secretaries of State, which were replaced by Counsels. Philippe II Duke of Orléans ( August 2, 1674 &ndash December 2, 1723) was a member of the royal family of France This system of government, called the Polysynody, lasted from 1715-1718. Polysynody (from Greek πολυς numerous several and Greek συνοδος meeting assembly was the system of government in use in France between 1715 and

Under Henry IV and Louis XIII the administrative apparatus of the court and its councils was expanded and the proportion of the "noblesse de robe" increased, culminating in the following positions during the 17th century:

Royal administration in the provinces had been the role of the bailliages and sénéchaussées in the Middle Ages, but this declined in the early modern period, and by the end of the 18th century, the bailliages served only a judicial function. A Conseiller d'État (Counsellor of State is in France, a high level Civil servant in the government administration Maître des requêtes (in French, literally "master of requests" or "petitions" (the term "maître" is an honorific title for lawyers plural The title of intendant (intendant Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a Parliamentary system. The Ferme générale was in ancien régime France, essentially a franchised customs and excise operation which collected duties on behalf of the king The Bâtiments du Roi (Buildings of the King was a division of Department of the household of the Kings of France (the " Maison du Roi " in The Prefecture of Police (Préfecture de Police headed by the Prefect of Police ( Préfet de Police) is an agency of the Government of France (and Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The main source of royal administrative power in the provinces in the 16th and early 17th centuries fell to the gouverneurs (who represented "the presence of the king in his province"), positions which had long been held by only the highest ranked families in the realm. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government With the civil wars of the early modern period, the king increasing turned to more tractable and subservient emissaries, and this was the reason for the growth of the provincial intendants under Louis XIII and Louis XIV. The title of intendant (intendant Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history Indendants were chosen from among the maître des requêtes. Maître des requêtes (in French, literally "master of requests" or "petitions" (the term "maître" is an honorific title for lawyers plural Intendants attached to a province had jurisdiction over finances, justice and policing.

By the 18th century, royal administrative power was firmly established in the provinces, despite protestations by local parlements. In addition to their role as appellate courts, regional parlements had gained the privilege to register the edicts of the king and to present the king with official complaints concerning the edicts; in this way, they had acquired a limited role as the representative voice of (predominantly) the magistrate class. This article is for the Ancien Régime institution For the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution see French Parliament. In case of refusal on parliament's part to register the edicts (frequently concerning fiscal matters), the king could impose registration through a royal assize ("lit de justice").

The other traditional representatives bodies in the realm were the Etats généraux (created in 1302) which reunited the three estates of the realm (clergy, nobility, the third estate) and the "États provinciaux" (Provincial Estates). In France under the Ancien Regime, the States-General or Estates-General (French états généraux) was a Legislative assembly The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society usually distinguishing Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners recognized in the Middle Ages The "Etats généraux" (convoked in this period in 1484, 1560-1, 1576-7, 1588-9, 1593, 1614, and 1789) had been reunited in times of fiscal crisis or convoked by parties malcontent with royal prerogatives (the Ligue, the Hugenots), but they had no true power, the dissensions between the three orders rendered them weak and they were dissolved before having completed their work. As a sign of French absolutism, they ceased to be convoked from 1614 to 1789. The provincial estates proved more effective, and were convoked by the king to respond to fiscal and tax policies.

The Church

The French monarchy was irrevocably linked to the Catholic church (the formula says "la France est la fille aînée de l'église", or "France is the eldest daughter of the church"), and French theorists of the divine right of kings and sacerdotal power in the Renaissance had made these links explicit: Henry IV was able to ascend to the throne only after abjuring Protestantism. The Divine Right of Kings is a general term that refers to the philosophy and ideas used to justify the authority and legitimacy of Monarchs in Medieval and Sacerdotalism (from Latin sacerdos, priest literally one who presents sacred offerings sacer, sacred and dare, to give is a term applied to the system Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III The symbolic power of the Catholic monarch was apparent in his crowning (the king was annoited by blessed oil in Rheims) and he was popularly believed to be able to cure scrofula by the laying on of his hands (accompanied by the formula "the king touches you, but god heals you"). Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern Scrofula ( scrophula or struma) is any of a variety of Skin diseases in particular a form of Tuberculosis, affecting the Lymph nodes

Dioceses of France in 1789
Dioceses of France in 1789

In 1500, France had 14 archibishoprics (Lyon, Rouen, Tours, Sens, Bourges, Bordeaux, Auch, Toulouse, Narbonne, Aix-en-Provence, Embrun, Vienne, Arles, and Rheins) and 100 bishoprics; by the eighteenth century, archbishoprics and bishoprics had expanded to a total of 139 (see List of Ancien Régime dioceses of France). French Ancien Régime Roman Catholic Dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces were heirs of Late Roman Civitates (themselves created out of The upper levels of the French church were made up predominantly of old nobility, both from provincial families and from royal court families, and many of the offices had become de facto hereditary possessions, with some members possessing multiple offices. In addition to fiefs that church members possessed as seigneurs, the church also possessed seigneurial lands in its own right and enacted justice upon them.

Other temporal powers of the church included playing a political role as the first estate in the "États Généraux" and the "États Provinciaux" (Provincial Assemblies) and in Provincial Conciles or Synods convoked by the king to discuss religious issues. The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society usually distinguishing Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners recognized in the Middle Ages A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application The church also claimed a prerogative to judge certain crimes, most notably heresy, although the Wars of Religion did much to place this crime in the purview of the royal courts and parliament. Finally, abbots, cardinals and other prelates were frequently employed by the kings as ambassadors, members of his councils (such as Richelieu and Mazarin) and in other administrative positions. This article is about a cardinal For information on the Russian also called The Red Eminence, see Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov. Jules Mazarin, born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino ( July 14 1602 &ndash March 9 1661) was an accomplished French statesman

The faculty of theology of Paris (often called the Sorbonne), maintained a censor board which reviewed publications for their religious orthodoxy. Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable harmful or sensitive as determined by a censor The Wars of Religion saw this control over censorship however pass to the parliament, and in the seventeenth century to the royal censors, although the church maintained a right to petition.

The church was the primary provider of schools (primary schools and "colleges") and hospitals ("hôtel-Dieu", the Sisters of Charity) and distributor of relief to the poor in pre-revolutionary France

The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges (1438, suppressed by Louis XI but brought back by the États Généraux of Tours in 1484) gave the election of bishops and abbots to the cathedral chapter houses and abbeys of France, thus stripping the pope of effective control of the French church and permitting the beginning of a Gallican church. Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, issued by King Charles VII of France, on July 7, 1438, required a General Church Council with authority superior Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle A chapter house is a building or room attached to a Cathedral or Collegiate church in which meetings are held An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or Gallicanism is the belief that popular civil authority&mdashoften represented by the Monarchs authority or the State 's authority&mdashover the Catholic However, in 1515, François I signed a new agreement with Pope Leo X, the Concordat of Bologna, which gave the king the right to nominate candidates and the pope the right of investiture; this agreement infuriated gallicans, but gave the king control over important ecclesiastical offices with which to benefit nobles. Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de' Medici (December 11 1475 – December 1 1521 was Pope from 1513 to his death The Concordat of Bologna (1516 marking a stage in the evolution of the Gallican Church, was an agreement between King Francis I of France and Pope Leo X Investiture, from the Latin (preposition in and verb vestire, 'dress' from vestis 'robe' is a rather general term for the formal installation of an

Although exempted from the taille, the church was required to pay the crown a tax called the "free gift" ("don gratuit"), which it collected from its office holders, at roughly 1/20 the price of the office (this was the "décime", reapportioned every five years). Taille was also a name used in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach for the Baroque Cor anglais. In its turn, the church exacted a mandatory tithe from its parishioners, called the "dîme". A tithe (from Old English teogoþa "tenth" is a one-tenth part of something paid as a (usually voluntary contribution or as a Tax or levy

For church history in the 16th century, see Reformation and French Wars of Religion. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting

The Counter-Reformation saw the French church create numerous religious orders (such as the Jesuits) and make great improvements on the quality of its parish priests; the first decades of the 17th century were characterized by a massive outpouring of devotional texts and religious fervor (exemplified in Saint Francis of Sales, Saint Vincent de Paul, etc. The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order This article is about the Roman Catholic saint For churches named after him see Saint Francis de Sales church. St Vincent de Paul and Church of St Vincent de Paul redirect here ). Although the Edict of Nantes (1598) permitted the existence of prostestant churches in the realm (characterized as "a state within a state"), the next eighty years saw the rights of the Huguenots slowly stripped away, until Louis XIV finally revoked the edict in 1685, producing a massive emigration of Huguenots to other countries. The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant the Calvinist Protestants of The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth The Edict of Fontainebleau (October 1685 was an Edict issued by Louis XIV of France, also known as the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes of Religious practices which veered too close to Protestantism (like Jansenism) or to the mystical (like Quietism) were also severely suppressed, as too libertinage or overt atheism. Jansenism was a branch of Catholic Gallican thought which arose in the frame of the Counter-Reformation and the aftermath of the Council of Trent Quietism is a Christian Philosophy that swept through France, Italy and Spain during the 17th century but it had much earlier Libertine has come to mean one devoid of any restraints especially one who ignores or even spurns religious norms accepted morals and forms of behaviour sanctioned by the larger society Atheism

Although the church would come under attack in the 18th century by the philosophers of the Enlightenment and recruitment of clergy and monastic orders would drop after 1750, figures show that, on the whole, the population remained a profoundly Catholic country (absenteeism from services did not exceed 1% in the middle of the century[6]). The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century At the eve of the revolution, the church possessed upwards of 7% of the country's land (figures vary) and generated yearly revenues of 150 million livres.

References and Notes

Books

Notes

  1. ^ Major, xx-xxi.
  2. ^ Bély, 21. In 1492, roughly 450,000 km² versus 550,000 km² today.
  3. ^ Salmon, p. 77.
  4. ^ Despite being called a prévôté, the prévôté of Paris was effectively a bailliage. See Salmon, . 73.
  5. ^ Salmon, p. 67
  6. ^ Viguerie, 280.

Historical Era

Preceded by
Hundred Years War		French History
1453-1789		Succeeded by
Revolutionary Period

See also

The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Early Modern France is the Early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century (or from the French Renaissance
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic