Friday, October 5, 2012

La Vie en Bretagne

The enduring legacy of Anne of Brittany, twice Queen of France.
Anne was born the only surviving child of François II of Brittany (1433-1488) and Marguerite de Foix (c. 1453-1486) in 1477. Beloved by her parents and cherished by Breton people as a living-symbol of their independence from France, Anne was given an excellent education, in preparation for her role as reigning duchess. From a young age she demonstrated a marked interested in law and politics in addition to art and music. It was however Anne’s personal wealth and her reputation as a shrewd and cultured young woman, which attracted a multitude of suitors and ensuing problems from abroad. François II had aggressively defended his duchy on behalf of his daughter, as there was no Salic law (medieval Frankish law) barring her, as a woman, from her inheritance. (Read entire article.)
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