Gilles de Rais, a horrific mystery
Gilles de Rais was a Knight of Brittany, a Marshal of France, Baron of Retz and Lord of a dozen other places in the Western France. Born Gilles de Montmorency-Laval in 1404-1405 in Machecoul ( Brittany...
View ArticleWhat’s in a French baguette ?
As in many countries and cultures, the French loaf of bread (“baguette“) is a daily requirement of the diet. Normally the only ingredients in a loaf of bread are flour, water, yeast and salt. Baked in...
View ArticleThe house that Jacques built
Renovating a house in France. I had already been living in France for a couple of years and working seasonal jobs to earn my keep. After working in the Provence in the south, then the Loire, I became...
View ArticlePhotos of Aigues Mortes
The ancient fortified town of Aigues Mortes, is a lively and worthwhile destination in the south of France, located on the coast in the department of the Hérault and the Languedoc-Roussillon region and...
View ArticleThe Camargue
The Camargue is a region in southern France on the delta of the river Rhone and Mediterranean coast. Rich in faun and flora, this unique part of France has retained a long history of tradition, pride...
View ArticleMemories of the French Resistance
Etienne Jovignot lived in a small village along the canal in the Cote d’Or department of Burgundy. These are his memories of events that happened during the Second World War in the village and lasted a...
View ArticleKings, Emperors and Presidents of France Part 1 : The Mérovingien dynasty
In the History of France, the country has been ruled by four dynasties of sovereigns and by five Republics. You will find the details of all these rulers in a chronological order. Clovis the King of...
View ArticleKings, Emperors of France Part 2 : The Carolingien dynasty
After Childéric III was dethroned by Pépin le Bref ( translated by Pepin the Short ) in AD 751, the Carolingian dynasty took the crown of France. He had no claim to the throne so he needed the support...
View ArticleKings, Emperors and Presidents of France Part 3 : The Capetian dynasty and...
With the death of Louis V, the last Carolingian ruler, his dynasty ended. It is the beginning of the Capetian Dynasty, which will be divided into several houses ( or branches ) : The direct Capetian (...
View ArticleKings, Emperors and Presidents of France Part 4 : The Capetian dynasty and...
King Henry III of Navarre, distant cousin of Henri III of France ( the last Valois King of France ) is designated legitimate heir to the French throne. Under the name of Henry IV, he belongs to the...
View ArticleKings, Emperors and Presidents of France Part 5: From Napoleon I to the Third...
Napoléon Bonaparte is elected First Consul in 1799 with Roger Ducos and Joseph Sieyès then First Consul for Life in 1802. The 18th of May 1804, the Constitution declared him Emperor of the French and...
View ArticleThe Battle of Crecy
The Battle of Crecy (1346) At the dawn of the Hundred Years’ War, Edward III, King of England, lead a military campaign to pillage northern French provinces. In July 1346, Edward III landed in Normandy...
View ArticleThe Siege and Battle of Alésia
The Siege and Battle of Alésia (52 BC) Gaul (which approximately corresponds to today’s France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland , Italy and Germany) was mainly under the dominance of Rome. When the...
View ArticleThe Republican Calendar
One of the difficulties when studying French history and especially for the genealogists wishing to discover their French roots, is the change of calendar that occurred from the 22nd September 1792...
View ArticleA visit to the Morvan
What a great summer we’ve had. Most of the time has been spent in Burgundy, our only problem has been the lack of time to explore everything on the list we made. I really enjoy Burgundy, however when...
View ArticleFun with French Idioms
French language is very rich in idioms. Some are very well known and some do not even make sense to the French themselves. Let’s see some idioms as well as their meaning and history. The first example...
View ArticleCruises on the rivers and canals
Discover the canals and rivers of the inland waterways with HotelsAfloat.com.
View ArticleHistorical Normandy
From Rollo to King William the Conqueror. The two regions of the Haute-Normandie and Basse-Normandie once formed a single province, known as the Normandie ( Normandy in English ), the land of the North...
View ArticleLouis XV
Louis XV “ le Bien-Aimé “ ( the Well-Beloved ) was King of France and Navarre from the 1st of September 1715 until his death in May 1774. Louis de France, of the Bourbon house, was born during the...
View ArticleA day in 1914 for Henri (a WWI soldier)
This is a fictional story about the life a French soldier during the First World War in 1914. It is based on historical facts, names and places have been changed. Henri Roy was born the 7th of May 1896...
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