The Third Reign of Louis XIV

Description

Conference Organiser: The Third Reign of Louis XIV

This two-day conference will be part of the global commemoration of the tercentenary of the death of Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715). Louis holds the record among monarchs for the longest reign in European history, and it has traditionally been divided into the periods before and after 1661, the year in which he took up the reins of power. But his 'personal rule' encompassed a great deal of change that affected both the French state and society, and in recent years it has become increasingly evident that the France of 1700-15 was a rather different place from that of the 1660s and 1670s. This multidisciplinary conference will address the question of when the 'third reign' of Louis XIV emerged in different spheres of human activity, and how such a reconceptualisation of the reign can be justified. It will range widely across the principal fields in which change was most tangible, from music and the theatre through artistic patronage and taste, and issues such as judicial practice, scientific enquiry, patterns of ministerial power, religious policy and the royal family to financial organisation and military performance. The meeting will provide the main venue for scholars from across the world to debate and discuss these issues prior to the drafting and publication of a book of essays

I am the originator and principal organiser of this conference, and I shall be the principal editor of the volume of essays that will subsequently emerge.

Period	2012 → 2016
Event type	Conference
Location	St Andrews, United KingdomShow on map