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Nobility and patrimony in modern France

Online ISBN:
9781526136169
Print ISBN:
9781526120519
Publisher:
Manchester University Press
Book

Nobility and patrimony in modern France

Elizabeth C. Macknight
Elizabeth C. Macknight
Senior Lecturer in European History at the University of Aberdeen
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Published online:
20 September 2018
Published in print:
30 April 2018
Online ISBN:
9781526136169
Print ISBN:
9781526120519
Publisher:
Manchester University Press

Abstract

Châteaux and landed estates, family portraits, names, titles and coats of arms are symbols of aristocratic identity and integral to the collective memory of nobility. In this study of tangible and intangible cultural heritage Elizabeth Macknight explains the significance of nobles’ conservationist traditions for public engagement with the history of France. During the French Revolution nobles’ property was seized, destroyed, or sold off by the nation. State intervention during the nineteenth century meant historic monuments became protected under law in the public interest. The Journées du Patrimoine, created in 1984 by the French Ministry for Culture, became a Europe-wide calendar event in 1991. Each year millions of French and international visitors enter residences and museums to admire France’s aristocratic cultural heritage. Drawing on archival evidence from across the country, Macknight presents a compelling account of power, interest and emotion in family dynamics and nobles’ relations with rural and urban communities.

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