Podróże dworu francuskiego w czasach Ludwika XIV w świetle pamiętników
The travels of the French court in the times of Louis XIV in the context of memoires

Author(s): Agata Muszyńska
Subject(s): Historical Geography, Local History / Microhistory
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: Louis XIV of France; travels; France in the second half of the 17th century; the court of Louis XIV; history of customs;
Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to tackle the questions of character, form and regularity of the travels of Louis XIV. It also aims at addressing the issues of the etiquette and customs throughout his reign which accompanied them. This endeavor is based on the memoires written by cardinal Retz, Madame de Moteville, the duke of Saint-Simon, Madame de Caylus and Marie-Madeleine de La Fayatte. The court of Louis XIV distinguished itself because of its seldom mobility. Among the longer absences one may indicate the escapes of the court in the times of the Fronde (during the king’s youth), the travel for Maria Theresa of Spain – the first wife of the king – and the deployment of armies (including the grand venture to Compiegne). Aside from these cases, the king rarely traveled except for visiting either Trianon palace in Versailles or Marly – a small village near Paris; both of them served an important role in the political context, since the elitist aspect of those travels, along with the strict ceremonial and participation rules allowed the king to establish the courtly hierarchy and to gain advantages among his closest ones.

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