Manon Roland – a Revolutionary
A background to one of the most influential Parisian salonnières of the French Revolution – Manon Roland
Marie Antoinette – The Unpopular Queen
Queen of France and Devoted Mother. Why Marie Antoinette was so hated. Although barely featured in The Power of the Wouivre: Revolution, Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and alleged perpetrator of the immortal lines “let them eat cake”, when told about the plight of starving Parisians without bread, nonetheless deserves a mention here. Let’s address
Mother Goose Tales
Original fairy tales from 18th century France “From a young age, Alphonsine Leclerc challenged all expectations of what a female child should be. In a vain attempt to keep her in check, Madame Leclerc taught her to read, and she was gifted a copy of Charles Perrault’s Mother Goose Tales. The stories of Chaperon Rouge
Feudalism in France – The Estates
The fuedal system and Estates structure of French society on the eve of the Revolution The graphic at the top of this page gives an example of the structure of the feudal system. Behind the feudal pyramids is the Palace of Versailles – the home of the King of France before the Revolution. In France,
French Revolution Political Clubs
The importance of social clubs in the fabric of revolutionary politics in Lyon As I have deep-dived into the French Revolution – its causes, its public opinion and how it developed over the years, one of the things that has struck me most is the way political opinion divided. And not just from the outset
The French Bourgeoisie – The Third Estate
Social and economic difference within the Third Estate in 18th century France The Third Estate in revolutionary France was everyone who wasn’t noble by birth or favour, or a member of the clergy. Most people think of workers and peasants when they think of “The People” of the French Revolution but within this Third Estate
French National Press – News in 1789 France
How news spread during the French Revolution So much has been written and published about the French Revolution that you would think it would be easy to research for a historical fiction set in that era. But as we’ve seen with my previous blog posts on medieval Italy, its the little things that make a
What is the Wouivre?
A brief background to the title of the book, including pronunciation of ‘wouivre’ The Power of the Wouivre, as a title, was set in stone long before the book was even out of its first draft. The concept of wouivre has fascinated me ever since I came across the word in a book many, many
Medieval Art
Medieval Artists – Painting and art in the Middle Ages One of the things I definitely wanted to incorporate in my book was the rich artistic heritage that Florence is most well known for. Considered by many as the birthplace of Renaissance art, there is a history of artistry that is almost the beating heart
Medieval Medicine and Hospitals
A brief introduction to herbs and plants used for medieval medicine in monasteries Recently, I spent the morning wandering around a local Abbey ruins. The original structure, immense as it would have been, was unfortunately pulled down in the sixteenth century at the behest of Henry VIII, and what remains is effectively a beautiful garden,