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Introduction
Not large by North American standards (about the size of the state of Texas), France is nonetheless extremely diverse: it concentrates a wealth of scenery, regional identities each with their own particular joie de vivre defined by cultural and historic differences.
Through the years, France’s stamp on western civilization has left an indelible mark in many domains and French savoir-faire remains a reference in the arts, politics, gastronomy, fashion and science.
Gothic Era
Gothic – 12th to 14th century
During the Middle Ages the fortress style of the romanesque buildings was refined and improved by French masons and architects.
Grand Siècle
The 17th century was marked by a period of exeptional power and glamour for the French Monarchy. Starting with King Louis XIII and the Cardinal Richelieu who together transformed the feudal French Monarchy to an Absolute Monarchy, by controlling the opposition of the “Grands” (the Lords) and the growing power of the Protestant (siege of La Rochelle, 1628). Mazarin, Louis XIV’s regent, ended the popular revolts of La Fronde.
Bastille Day
This month, like every year on the 14th of July, the French will celebrate their Fête Nationale or Bastille Day, as it is known in English-speaking countries. It commemorates the storming of a Paris royal fortress––the Bastille––on July 14, 1789, a date of great historical significance as it marks the transition from an absolute monarchy to a republican regime.
Revolution Era
The 18th century’s Enlightment brought thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau to struggle against the principles of the old regime and absolutism. In 1789, the state’s financial crisis brought social turmoil, triggering the Revolution. On July 14th, a Parisian mob revolted and stormed the Bastille prison, symbol of the old regime.
Social Customs
French society likes formality in many aspects of everyday life as obligatory handshaking or cheek kissing 😉 , the use of the vous (rather then the familiar tu) and of titles when refering to a superior or a stranger and the concern about always dressing well.
Renaissance Era
Renaissance – 15th to 16th century
The Renaissance style refers to the style of the historic period primarily marked by King Francois I.
Napoleonic Era
The Revolution ends in 1799 when Napoleon Bonaparte entered Paris and was crowned First Consul at the age of thirty. A brilliant politician and a military genius, he took the title of emperor Napoleon I in 1804.
Modern Politics
Modern French politics remain characterized by a Left/Right division of the country even though the border between the two has been recently blurred. In the current Fifth Republic, begun by Charles de Gaulle, enormous executive power is given to the President, who is elected for seven years. His government is composed of a Council of Ministers, led by a Prime Minister.
Baroque Era
Baroque – 17th to early 18th century
The exuberance of the Absolute Monarchy preponderant in the 17th century led to enormous baroque edifices.