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One of the most striking features of French government in the second half of the sixteenth century was the influence of Italians. Notwithstanding widespread French admiration for Italian culture, Italian influence at the heart of French government aroused xenophobic antagonism amongst many in French society. This study throws light on this complex relationship by offering the first detailed examination of the Gondi, one of the most influential of the Italian families active during this period. The Gondi family played a leading part in the finance, government, church and military affairs of the nation, and were indispensable counsellors to the Queen Mother, Catherine De' Medici. They were als...
"This book provides the first comprehensive analysis of Louis XIV's magnificent final chapel at Versailles, completed in 1710 near the end of his long reign (1643-1715). Construction, begun in 1699 on foundations of 1689, spanned the offices of two premiers architects du roi, Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte. Eight painters and over 100 sculptors participated in the monumental undertaking, which remains almost unchanged today. An unusually large number of archival documents, drawings, and early texts about the chapel allow a detailed reconstruction of its history and meaning. Given Louis XIV's renown as one of the great kings and art patrons of all history and the universal definitions of his power in terms of divine kingship, the story of his palace chapel interests all historians of the ancien regime."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved