“King René”
A remarkable character, this René of Anjou, and a remarkable fate. A prince of the fleur-de-lis since he descended from John the Good, he seemed destined to play a leading role on the European chessboard. Inheritances made him Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence, Duke of Bar, but also King of Jerusalem and Sicily (otherwise known as King of Naples). His marriage also made him Duke of Lorraine. He dreamt of being King of Aragon, and even Hungary. He showed bravery in war. He was a knight. But in the end, only Anjou and Provence remained with him. Attentive to the needs of the humblest, he left the memory of the “good King René”. He loved parties, music, sumptuous attire; he influenced painters and illuminators, embroiderers and goldsmiths. A talented poet, he composed “The Book of the Heart in Love” in the tradition of courtly love…
Jean Favier
A medieval historian, member of the Academy of Inscriptions and Letters, and president of the French Commission for UNESCO, Jean Favier was consecutively appointed to the National Archives, then research associate at the CNRS, lecturer at the University of Rennes, professor at the University of Rouen, Director of Studies at the School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, and professor at the Sorbonne. In parallel, he was also the Director-General of the Archives of France, director of the National Archives, and president of the French National Library. He has published numerous works all dedicated to history: “Paris: Two Thousand Years of History”; “Louis XI”; “The Plantagenets: Origins and Destiny of an Empire: 11th-14th Centuries”; “A Marble King: Philip the Fair – Enguerran de Marigny”; “The Popes of Avignon”.
