Bonjour, mes amis, and welcome to another great episode of the Good Life France podcast, where we talk about everything France, from food and wine to culture and history and fascinating people and heaps more.I'm Janine Marsh, your host.
I'm a British writer living in France, and I'm the editor of the Good Life France website and magazine, which is free.You can find it at magazine.thegoodlifefrance.com.
And I travel year round exploring French destinations, history, culture, art and gastronomy. And I love to share my discoveries with you alongside my podcast partner, Olivier.
Bonjour, salut, coucou, hello, and yes, indeed, a great big welcome to the podcast.I'm Olivier, Oli for short, if you prefer.I live in Lyon, the opposite end of France to Janine, who is in the far north.
When it rains all the time, it does rain a lot here as well.So that's us.And now let's get stuck into today's episode.Janine, tell us, what are we going to be covering today in the podcast?
Well, I was working on the winter issue of the Good Life France magazine, which will be out in November, by the way, and one of our brilliant writers, Dana, has written about Saint-Bertrand-de-Cromange in the French Pyrenees, which is a tiny village that was once one of the most important religious centers of France.
And it's a really great article.It's fascinating and it's full of incredible facts.
She was writing about how the locals, the Gauls, who lived there, were as tough as old boots, so that when the Romans arrived, they decided to be friends instead of challenging them to battle, as they usually did with the Gauls.
And then the Vandals arrived.They were like Vikings, but German.And then she mentions the Merovingians, a dynasty of Franks who ruled
early France, and it's truly fascinating stuff, but I thought, does anyone else find the whole timeline of French history as confusing as me?They're the ones I've mentioned, but they're also the Visigoths, the Carolingians, the Bourbons, and more.
So I thought, let's do a potted history of France and discover some of the most memorable members of France's ruling families through the ages.
Oh la la, Janine, I will have to dig deep into my memory of school days for this one.You will, you will.Let's go on this fascinating tour de force of the history of France.The Good Life France podcast.
Everything you want to know about France and more with Janine Marsh and Olivier Joffrey. Wow, we've got a lot of ground to cover so let's jump right into the heart of it.
If you think France's history started with baguettes and berets, you're in for a surprise.
a big surprise.We're actually going to begin this episode with the Gauls, because really, before France was France, it was Gaul.And of course, there were people living here before the Gauls, but we're going to start around the 5th century BC.
So the Gauls were a collection of Celtic tribes who lived across what is now France, plus parts of what is now Belgium and Northern Italy.And they weren't united in any central government like modern France is.They were a loose federation of tribes.
And then the Greeks arrived in Marseilles in 600 BC, and they said of the Gauls that they were made of sunshine, as so many of them had golden hair.
And these tribes were fierce.They even sacked Rome in 390 BC under the command of their chieftain, Brennus of the Gaulish tribe, the Seamens.He's a famous line to the Romans, vai victis, or woe to the vanquished.Basically, tough luck, you lost.
But as tough as the Gauls were, the Romans eventually won, and the man who would change the fate of Gaul forever was none other than Julius Caesar.
Between 58 and 50 BC, Caesar led his legions in the Gallic Wars, systematically conquering the Gallic tribes.
Yeah, and one of the last big moments of resistance was at the Battle of Allesia in 52 BC, where the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix made a last stand against Caesar.
There is a great statue of him in the city of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne region, and the plaque on it reads, I fight that all may be free.Spoiler alert, it didn't end well for him.He was captured and eventually executed in Rome.
So, Gaul became a Roman province and was completely Romanized, referred to as the Gallo-Roman period.
The cities that we now know, like Paris, which was known by its Roman name, Lutetia, and Lyon, which was then called Lugdunum, and others, well, they started to take shape.
Latin became the dominant language for those who held power, which set the stage for the development of the French language later on, because all these tribes, they had their own language.
So the introduction of Latin across different tribal areas was a big deal.Over time, Latin merged with the local Gaulish dialects.
This mixture gave rise to Vulgar Latin, which eventually transformed into what's known as Old French, which was also influenced by the arrival of invading Germanic tribes.The French language wasn't standardized until much later.
It actually wasn't until the 16th century when King Francois I made a landmark decision by issuing what was called the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts in 1539.
Then French became the official language of administration and law in France and replaced Latin.And that was a key moment in shaping modern French identity.
The chateau where he issued the decree is now dedicated to the French language and language generally.And it's absolutely fascinating.
I was there just a little while ago and I loved all the interactive displays and so many fascinating facts you can find out.
Yes.And a little over a hundred years after Francois' declaration in 1635, the Académie Française was established to protect and preserve the French language.
To this day, all over France, there are still traces of the Roman influence.Amphitheatres like in Lyon, in Saintes, in the Charente Maritime, even in Paris.
Theatres like in Orange in Provence, Triumphal Arches like in Reims-Champagne, Temples like in Nimes, and the fabulous Pont du Gard Bridge in the south of France.Pretty much everywhere you go in France, you'll find Roman remains.
Not in every city, not in every town, but most areas from north to south.
OK, now let's fast forward a few centuries to the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century.Yes, only 1600 years ago, the Romans still held power in France.
But by then, Rome was having a tough time keeping control of its territories, including Gaul.In came the so-called barbarians, the Visigoths and the Vandals, Germanic tribes who invaded Gaul as the Western Roman Empire crumbled.
The Visigoths in particular settled in the southern part of Gaul and Spain, while the Vandals moved on to North Africa.This was a totally chaotic period with different tribes carving out their own kingdoms.
It was a bit like Europe having a massive post-Roman yard sale and everyone was just grabbing what they could.
And along came the Franks, led by the one and only Clovis, very famous in our school books.Now, here's where things get interesting.Clovis was the first king to unite the Frankish tribes under one rule around the late 5th century.
And here's a fun fact, Clovis' name is actually the origin of the modern French name Louis, of which there would be eventually 18 French kings named Louis.
And another fun fact, he apparently never cut his hair in his entire life.
And he loved a tear up.He was always up for a battle and liked nothing better than getting in the middle of a melee and wiping out the enemy with his axe.
Nice.Not.Well, he often won, but one day he came up against a tribe that looked set to beat him.And all of his prayers to his gods had no effect.His wife prayed to her God, the Christian God, and the battle went in his favor.
So he converted to Christianity in the year 496, thanks to his wife Clotilde. His baptism was a big deal because it marked the beginning of France's long relationship with Christianity, and it would shape the history of France for centuries to come.
Now, Clovis was baptized in Reims, which I can't say in French.It's very difficult for British or English speakers to say.
He was baptised by the Bishop of Reims who became Saint Remy and this created a link between the monarchy and the church and in fact 33 French monarchs were crowned in Reims which gave it the name the City of Coronations.
There is a legend that on the day that Clovis was baptised, 25th of December, Christmas day, The streets of rooms were decorated, candles were lit, perfumes sprinkled so that the air smelled sweet.
Monks marched in procession, chanting and singing hymns.And then along came Clovis and his sisters and three thousand of his warriors with their fashionable, enormous mustaches trying to look meditative as they were about to be baptised as well.
When Clovis came to be baptised, he dipped his head beneath the water three times, as was the custom, and the bishop was about to anoint him.But the oil was being carried by a cleric who was held up by the crowds, so no oil, almost a disaster.
But a white dove is said to have appeared carrying a vial full of holy oil.And that oil was used on Clovis, and in almost all of the coronations right up until the French Revolution, when the jar was sadly smashed with a hammer.
But a few tiny pieces remain, and a little bit of the balm was kept, and it's now one of the treasures of Reims.It's kept in the Archbishop's Palace, what was the Archbishop's Palace, the Palace of Tone to this day.
and Clovis king of the Franks established the Merovingian dynasty and for a while things were relatively stable but you know how dynasties go eventually things start to fall apart and the Merovingians lost their grip they became known as Rois Fainéants, the do-nothing kings
And to the Carolingians, their dynasty began with a man named Charles Martel, who was also known as the Hammer, and not because he was good at woodwork.He was a warrior king and won many important battles.
But his name actually was an old French word for hammer.He ruled from then capital of France, Lyon in Picardy.
And then came his grandson, named Charlemagne.And if there is one name you need to know in early French history, it's definitely Charlemagne.His parents were King Pépin the Short, King of the Franks, and big-footed Bertha.
Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in the year 800 by Pope Leo III, and is also known as Charles the Great and the Father of Europe.This guy built an empire that stretched across much of Western Europe.
I love his mum's name, poor woman, big-footed birther.Anyway, Charlemagne was also a huge supporter of education and culture, sparking what's known as the Carolingian Renaissance.
Schools, libraries, and monasteries flourished during his reign, and he loved cheese, especially brie.He had 20 children and was succeeded by his son Louis, known as Louis the Pierce, because he behaved like a monk.
There is a very famous song from a France gal called Charlemagne, basically saying that Charlemagne invented school.And that's why we don't like him.
Oh, I didn't know that.Oh, I didn't know you didn't like him either.I quite like him.
But of course, no empire lasts forever, the empire that Charlemagne built was divided among his grandsons, which weakened it And then came the Vikings, the 9th century was a rough time, especially for northern France because these Scandinavian raiders kept showing up on the rivers, pillaging cities
They even sailed up the River Seine and held Paris to ransom, and they refused to leave until King Charles the Bald, another good name, until King Charles the Bald gave them, it's said, a whopping two and a half thousand kilograms of gold and silver.
Now, one of the most famous Viking leaders was Rollo, who ended up making a deal with the French king in 911.
Rollo got to marry a daughter of the king and to keep a whole chunk of land in northern France, which became known as Normandy, which actually means the land of the Northmen.So in return, Rollo promised to protect the area from other Viking raids.
And that sets the stage for one of the most famous events in both French and English history, the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, who was, of course, Duke of Normandy and became King of England and was a Viking descent.
every English monarch who followed William, including Queen Elizabeth II, is considered a descendant of the Norman-born king.
According to some genealogists, more than 25% of the English population is also distantly related to him, as are countless Americans with British ancestry.I like the fact that I could be a queen, actually.
Yes, Queen Janine I. Oui. I love that.And did you know that by the 13th century, William was the most common given name among Englishmen?
Today, it still ranks in the top 10, and some have predicted that the future crowning of another king, William, will make it even more popular, of course.
My dad's middle name was William.Anyway, on we go with the history of France.Their next big dynasty in French history was the Capetians, starting with Hugh Capet in 987.But it still wasn't France like we know it.
Mostly his kingdom was Paris and around Paris, the rest of the French kingdom was in the hands of powerful local lords.
Now, Hugh was descended from Charlemagne, and his line would rule for hundreds of years, eventually giving rise to the House of Valois and then the House of Bourbon, and then there were also the Plantagenets who ruled vast territories in France.
dynasty lasted from the early 1300s to the late 1500s and had several kings including Louis the Spider because he was always up to intrigue and conspiracy and he was ruthless.
It's said that when he was told his father had died he was absolutely delighted, yes delighted, because he never liked him at all.Nice!
Under his rule, more of the feudal lands came under the control of the Crown and France became the most powerful national state in Europe.
There was also François I, François Premier, who was known as the Renaissance King because he loved Italian art and was a big patron of the arts.
He built grand castles and even bought Leonardo da Vinci to live in France, a castle in Amboise in the Loire Valley.
And after this, as you said, we had the Bourbons.The name of Bourbon comes from a town in France called Bourbon-Larchambeau, from the name of an early lord, and the region around it, the Bourbonnais.
We can't talk about them without mentioning Louis XIV, the Sun King, le Roi Soleil, who became king, aged 4 in 1643. He turned France into the dominant power in Europe.Louis was all about absolute monarchy.
L'Etat c'est moi, as he said, or I am the state.He supposedly said that, of course.
He wasn't kidding.Louis was a control freak.He built the magnificent palace of Versailles and filled it with court intrigue, parties and excessive spending.
He forced his lords and ladies to leave their lovely chateau and live in uncomfortable rooms at Versailles so that he could control them better. Under Louis XIV, France also became a centre of culture, art and fashion.
He was France's longest reigning monarch, 72 years on the throne.He died aged 77 of gangrene four days before his birthday.
And his successor Louis XV, that's logical, was 5 when he became king and he was very spoiled and taught no manners and became an arrogant ruler having been taught that his people belonged to him whereas Louis XIV was taught it belonged to his people.
He spent money when there was none, was too lazy to govern and cared about nothing but his own pleasures.It was a recipe for disaster really.
His successor, Louis XVIII, was a bit better behaved, but by now the people were not happy.It wasn't just about greedy, arrogant rulers.
The weather was not kind, crops failed, taxes were too high, people were hungry, poor, exhausted, and they were fed up with being treated like cash cows. to feed the whims of those who held the power.Nothing much changes, does it?
Not much, no.No, no.Fast forward to 1789, you know that date, of course, and all that royal splendor came crashing down with the French Revolution.The French people were fed up with inequality, famine and taxes.
The storming of the Bastille on July the 14th, 1789, marked the start of the revolution and soon after the monarchy was overthrown.
monarchy didn't just end.I mean, it ended dramatically.Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, his queen, were both executed by guillotine in 1793 during the Reign of Terror.After that, France became a republic, but it wasn't exactly stable.
There were wars, counter-revelations, all kinds of chaos.France's first constitution was created in 1791 by the National Assembly, a body formed in 1789 to replace the monarchy's absolute rule.
And then came Napoleon Bonaparte.He took advantage of the chaos after the revolution, eventually becoming emperor of the French in 1804.Napoleon expanded the French empire across Europe with a series of military campaigns.
But as we all know, his ambition eventually led to his downfall.
Yep, his invasion in 1812 of Russia was a disaster, and after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was finally defeated and exiled to the island of Saint Helena, where he spent the rest of his life.
Indeed, after Napoleon, France went through several more changes, a restored monarchy, a second republic, a second empire, and Napoleon's nephew, Napoleon III, and finally in 1870, the establishment of the Third Republic.
Since 1791, there have actually been 16 French constitutions in total.The last one was created in 1958, but it has been revised and expanded since then.Guiding it are the same principles that guided the First Republic.Liberty, Egality, Fraternity.
These three words are the French Republic's motto.
So the guiding principles of France's many constitutions were shaped by philosophers of the Enlightenment, including the French writer Voltaire and Denis Diderot, who was co-founder of the French Encyclopedia.
These men helped shape not just the French government, but their influence spread further.
For instance, Baron de la Brette et de la Montesquieu's writings on government and law profoundly influenced the American founders and the design of the US Constitution.
And today, Janine, as you know, we are in the Fifth Republic, which is a system of government France established, as you said, in 1958 by Charles de Gaulle, who was not only a World War II hero, but also a political force who reshaped modern France.
The Fifth Republic strengthened the role of the president, making France a semi-presidential republic, and de Gaulle himself served as its first president.
So, there you have it, the entire history of France in less than 30 minutes.That's quite an achievement, I think.
Now, we talked a lot about people, events, and stuff, but there are heaps of episodes on the podcast that have a more detailed look at some of the things that we did talk about, like Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, the French language, haute cuisine, much more, much more, more, more.
So, if you want to learn more, less than some of the other episodes.
Yes, and we hope you've enjoyed this episode and our potted history of France.This is The Good Life France podcast.Oh la la!Le podcast The Good Life France.
We just want to say a huge thank you to all of you listening to our podcast and to everyone for sharing it too.
We really love sharing the France we know and love with you, the authentic and real France with its wonderful history, culture, gastronomy, wine and much more.It always amazes us that people are listening in about 150 countries around the world.
Yes, thank you so much, everyone.Wherever you are, we really appreciate it.
You've been listening to me, Janine Marsh and Olivier Joffrey, and you can find me and a ton of information about France, where to visit, culture, history, recipes, everything France at thegoodlifefrance.com, where you can subscribe to the podcast.
a weekly newsletter about France, and a totally brilliant, completely free magazine, which you can read at magazine.thegoodlifefrance.com.But for now, it's au revoir from me.And goodbye from me.
Speak to you soon.The Good Life France podcast.Everything you want to know about France and more with Janine Marsh and Olivier Joffrey.
Sign in
