1559-1589
Intellectual Life 		1610-1661
Intellectual Life






Intellectual Life under Henri IV.



In 1594, after converting to Catholicism, HENRI IV. moved into Paris where he made the LOUVRE his residence. The king had La Grande Galerie built, which connected Tuileries and Louvre, the chateau of St. Germain-en-Laye extended, gardens were laid out.
In 1600 Henri married MARIE DE MEDICI, the Florentine connection contributed to the promotion of the arts in France.
In 1594, PIERRE MATTHIOU published Histoire des derniers troubles de France sous Henri III et Henri IV (History of France's latest troubles under Henri III. and Henri IV.. Poet FRANCOIS DE MALHERBE (1555-1628) was appointed court poet. Historian JACQUES AUGUSTE DE THOU (1553-1617; he played a major role in the negotiations leading to the edict of Nantes) was appointed Royal Librarian; Marie de Medici significantly added to the library.
Other authors of the time include historian AGRIPPA D'AUBIGNE (1555-1630), PIERRE PITHOU (1539-1596) who was appointed royal archivist, historian PIERRE VICTOR PALMA-CAYET (1525-1610), theologian ISAAC CAUSABON.

France was divided into two religious camps, the Huguenots who after decades of civil wars, in the EDICT OF NANTES of 1598 have gained the right to exercise their religion freely in specified cities and areas (but not in Paris) and to hold provincial and national synods. LA ROCHELLE was the center of the Huguenot movement.
The French Catholic church was exposed to the influence of Flemish theologian JANSENIUS; Jansenism, which was an interpretation of Catholicism including the theory of predestination, would later - in 1656 - be condemned as a heresy. The arms of the INQUISITION were tied, which may, at least in part, explain the flourishing of French culture in that period.



EXTERNAL
FILES 		Biography of Henri IV., from Apercu Historique de l¡¯epoque de Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
Huguenot and Protestant Reformed Chronology, from Pierre Chastain Family Association
Personal and Political Aspects in the Correspondence of Henri IV, by B.C. Weber and G.D. de Rocher
Jacques-Auguste de Thou, from Catholic Encyclopedia
Pierre Pithou, from Catholic Encyclopedia
Francois de Malherbe, from Catholic Encyclopedia
DOCUMENTS Portrait of J.-A. de Thou, from Bibliotheque Polytechnique
On St. Bartholomew Day's Massacre (1572), by J.A. de Thou, from The Historry Net
REFERENCE



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on November 9th 2004

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