Walled Towns and the Shaping of France : From the Medieval to the Early Modern Era

This book focuses on the ways in which military technology, political and social trends, and shifting frontiers shaped the emergence of new forms of public authority and civic life as embodied in the “wall,” an image at once intensely physical and deeply symbolic. It traces the evolution of towns across much of what is today France from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century when the walls began to come down, opening up new, ultimately revolutionary possibilities for urban life. This long-term perspective on town fortifications—how they were built, the contests to control them, and how they shaped the lives of people both inside and outside them—in the end tell us much about the making of France. Contents......Page 4 List of Maps and Illustrations......Page 5 Preface......Page 6 Part I: The Walls Go Up (900–1325)......Page 8 1 Urban Legacies and Medieval Trends up to 1100......Page 10 2 Lords and Towns (1100–1225)......Page 26 3 Capetian Expansion and New Urbanism, 1225–1325......Page 46 Part II: The Walls Move Outward (1325–1600)......Page 62 4 Bonnes Villes and the Hundred Years' War......Page 64 5 Royal Rulers and Bastioned Towns......Page 82 6 Walled Towns during the Wars of Religion......Page 104 Part III: The Walls Come Down (1600–1750)......Page 128 7 State Building and Urban Fortifications......Page 130 8 Opening Towns, Closing Frontiers......Page 154 Conclusion: Palimpsests and Modern Trajectories......Page 178 Notes......Page 182 Select Bibliography......Page 230 A......Page 258 B......Page 259 C......Page 261 D......Page 262 F......Page 263 H......Page 264 L......Page 265 M......Page 267 N......Page 268 P......Page 269 R......Page 270 S......Page 271 T......Page 272 Z......Page 273 Contents 4 List of Maps and Illustrations 5 Preface 6 Part I: The Walls Go Up (900–1325) 8 1 Urban Legacies and Medieval Trends up to 1100 10 2 Lords and Towns (1100–1225) 26 3 Capetian Expansion and New Urbanism, 1225–1325 46 Part II: The Walls Move Outward (1325–1600) 62 4 Bonnes Villes and the Hundred Years' War 64 5 Royal Rulers and Bastioned Towns 82 6 Walled Towns during the Wars of Religion 104 Part III: The Walls Come Down (1600–1750) 128 7 State Building and Urban Fortifications 130 8 Opening Towns, Closing Frontiers 154 Conclusion: Palimpsests and Modern Trajectories 178 Notes 182 Select Bibliography 230 Index 258 A 258 B 259 C 261 D 262 E 263 F 263 G 264 H 264 I 265 J 265 L 265 M 267 N 268 O 269 P 269 Q 270 R 270 S 271 T 272 U 273 V 273 W 273 Y 273 Z 273 0230608124,9780230608122 Palgrave Macmillan 2009 This book focuses on the ways in which military technology, political and social trends, and shifting frontiers shaped the emergence of new forms of public authority and civic life as embodied in the "wall," an image at once intensely physical and deeply symbolic. It traces the evolution of towns across much of what is today France from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century when the walls began to come down, opening up new, ultimately revolutionary possibilities for urban life. This long-term perspective on town fortifications - how they were built, the contests to control them, and how they shaped the lives of people both inside and outside them - in the end tell us much about the making of France Maps and Illustrations pt. 1. The walls go up (900-1325) Urban legacies and early medieval trends Lords and towns Capetian expansion and new urbanism pt. 2. The walls move outward (1325-1600) Bonnes Villes and the Hundred Years' War Royal rulers and their towns Walled towns during the wars of religion pt. 3. The walls come down (1600-1750) State-building and urban fortifications Opening cities, closing frontiers Conclusion. This book focuses on the development of towns in France, taking into account military technology, physical geography, shifting regional networks tying urban communities together, and the emergence of new forms of public authority and civic life.