‘La ville eut l’éphémère honneur d’être comme la capitale du Royaume': A Spatial History of Charles IX’s Royal Tour of France, 1564–1566 (Angoulême, Lyon, Sens)

Abstract

This project aims to investigate how monarchical and religious influence interacted with civic authority during the early French Wars of Religion. France in this period experienced widespread violence, resulting in a collapse of royal power. To counter this, Charles IX sought to stabilise royal authority and promote religious peace across France by embarking on a Royal Tour from 1564–1566.

As Charles IX crossed France, the attempt to enforce monarchical control and religious peace was met with resistance by city councillors, which manifested in power negotiations during royal entries into cities. By examining royal entries for cities on the periphery of France – Lyon and Angoulême – and the centre of France – Sens – a clearer picture can emerge about ideas of centre and periphery in the kingdom, frontstage performance and backstage preparations for the ceremonies, and how religious toleration and co–existence manifested in different urban spaces.

Lyon and Angoulême – on the periphery of France – had significant Protestant minorities and attempted to showcase to the monarchy how religious toleration and co–existence could be achieved. Whereas Sens was near the heart of monarchical influence and tried to justify its support of the crown and Catholicism during the religious wars. In addition to these city case studies, a chapter focusing on Abel Jouan, a member of the royal kitchen who recorded the entirety of the Royal Tour, will investigate how the young king attempted to promote religious peace across the kingdom.

By incorporating festival books, financial records, correspondences, city council minutes, and maps, this project aims to answer how royal, civic, and religious actors utilised different urban spaces in France to project their own authority and promote religious toleration and co–existence amid religious warfare.