Stamps of France - Lyonnais

LYONNAIS

 

The Lyonnais is a historical province of France which owes its name to the city of Lyon. It's located in the southeast of the present department of the Rhone.

The geographical area known as the Lyonnais became part of the Kingdom of Burgundy after the division of the Carolingian Empire. The disintegration of Imperial control, especially after the fall of the Hohenstaufens in 1254, led to French encroachment and eventual acquisition by King Philip IV of France in 1313. Lyonnais now often simply refers to the area around the city of Lyon.

Lyonnais was itself subdivided into three provinces:

• The "Plat pays de Lyonnais", which corresponds to the "Monts du Lyonnais";


• The city of Lyon;


• Franc-Lyonnais, situated in north of Lyon, along the River Saone.

Two other provinces formed the Lyon with the Government of Lyonnais: Forez and Beaujolais.

Coat-of-Arms

"Gules, an argent lion, chief Azure, charged with three gold lilies flowers".

The arms are those of the city of Lyon.

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Stamps of France: French Flanders

FRENCH FLANDERS

 

"La Flandre Française" (French Flanders) is a part of the historical County of Flanders in France. The region today lies in the modern-day region of Nord-Pas de Calais and roughly corresponds to the arrondissements (administrative divisions) of Lille, Douai and Dunkirk on the Belgian border. Together with French Hainaut it makes up the Nord department.

Once, it was a part of ancient Frankia since the inception of the Frankish kingdom under the Merovingian monarchs such as Clovis, who was crowned at Tournai, Flanders gradually fell under the control of the English and then Spanish. When French power returned under Louis XIV, a part of historically French Flanders was returned.

The region now called French Flanders was originally part of the feudal Count ship of Flanders, then part of the Southern Netherlands, in present-day Belgium. It was separated from the count ship (part of Habsburg's Burgundian inheritance) in 1659 due to the Peace of the Pyrenees, which ended the French-Spanish conflict in the Thirty Years War, and other parts of the region were added in successive treaties in 1668 and 1678. The region was ceded to the Kingdom of France, and became part of the province of Flanders and Hainaut.

During World War II, French Flanders referred to all of Nord-Pas de Calais which was first attached to military administration of German-occupied Belgium, then part of Belgien-Nordfrankreich (Belgium and Northern France) under a Reichskommissar (Commissioner of the Reich), and finally part of a theoretical Reichsgau (administrative subdivision) of Flanders.

Rich in coal, and bordering the North Sea, French Flanders was fought over numerous times between the Middle Ages and World War II.

Coat-of-Arms

Coat-of-Arms of Belgian and French Flanders, also commonly used as the emblem of the Northern Department and the Nord-Pas de Calais, and by the French gendarmerie officially as the insignia of the Nord-Pas de Calais.

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Stamps Of France: Brittany

  BRITTANY

 

Brittany is one of the 27 regions of France. It occupies a large peninsula in the northwest of France, lying between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Its capital is Rennes.

Brittany's history becomes very hazy in the long gap between the Neolithic period and the arrival of the Romans. It's famed for its numerous Neolithic monuments. A Celtic duchy for more than one thousand years before its annexation to France in 1532, it is a land rich in culture, tradition and history. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the French monarchy imposed its iron will on Brittany. In the 19th century, Breton industry developed but Brittany's poor suffered. French relations with Britain radically improved. While British visitors came peaceably to enjoy Brittany's delights, the Germans spread the terrible effects of war this far west.

From glorious walled cities and castles to extravagant churches, Brittany's built heritage looks extremely appealing while recalling the concerns and obsessions of Breton society down the centuries.

Brittany boasts a staggering 1,700 miles of coastline and is one of France's very top destinations for tourism and seaside holidays. The traditional pursuits of fishing and farming are still going strong, as well as Brittany's emerging technological sector.

Coat-of-Arms

"Ermine plain".

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Stamps of France: Provence

 

  PROVENCE

 

Provence, Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm, is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The traditional region of Provence comprises the départements of Var, Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes and parts of Hautes-Alpes.

The Romans made the region into the first Roman province beyond the Alps, their ProvinciaRomana, the origin of its present name.With the breakdown of the Roman Empire in the late 5th century, Provence was successively invaded by the Visigoths, Burgundians, and Ostrogoths. The region came under the rule of the Franks in 536 and was ruled by their Merovingian dynasty, though it was not integrated with the rest of France.

In the 12thcentury, Provençal cities flourished from trade with the Levant and set up autonomous governments called consulates. At the same time, the civilization of the province—in which a language close to Latin was spoken and of which troubadour poetry and examples of early Romanesque architecture were among the outstanding cultural achievements—was at its height.

In 1481 Provence was willed to the king of France, and its union to the crown keeps its administrative autonomy. From the 16thto the 18thcentury, the king's control grew.

With the Revolution, the province completely lost its own political institutions and in 1790 was divided into the départements of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, and Basses-Alpes (now Alpes-de-Haute-Provence).

Coat-of-Arms

"Azure with a golden fleur de lys and a gules label".

The Provence arms derived from the arms of the Counts of Anjou and Provence.

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Stamps of France: Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (Molière)

JEAN-BAPTISTE POQUELIN

 (MOLIÈRE)

(15 January 1622 – 17 February 1673)

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who are considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among Molière's best-known works are "Le Misanthrope" (The Misanthrope), "Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur" (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), "L'Avare" (The Miser), "Le Malade imaginaire" (The Imaginary Invalid), and "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" (The Bourgeois Gentleman).

Through the patronage of a few aristocrats, including Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, Molière procured a command performance before the King at the Louvre. Performing a classic play by Pierre Corneille and a farce of his own, "Le Docteur amoureux" (The Doctor in Love), Molière was granted the use of "La Salle du Petit-Bourbon" near the Louvre, a spacious room appointed for theatrical performances.

Later, Molière was granted the use of the Palais-Royal. In both locations he found success among the Parisians with plays such as "Les Précieuses ridicules" (The Affected Ladies), "L'École des maris" (The School for Husbands) and "L'École des femmes" (The School for Wives). This royal favour brought a royal pension to his troupe and the title "Troupe du Roi" (The King's Troupe). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.

Molière's hard work in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. In 1673, during a production of his final play, "Le Malade imaginaire" (The Imaginary Invalid), Molière, who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, was seized by a coughing fit and a haemorrhage while playing the hypochondriac Argan. He finished the performance but collapsed again and died a few hours later.

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Stamps of France: 1943 French Coat-of-Arms Set

New set from 1943. French Coat-of-Arms from Ile-de-France, Lyonnais, Britany and Provence.


Nova série de 1943. Brasões-de-Armas da Ilha-de-França, Lyonnais, Bretanha e Provença.

The 1943 French Collection  // A Colecção Francesa de 1943

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Stamps of France: Île-de-France Coat-of-Arms

ÎLE-DE-FRANCE

Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-seven administrative regions of France. It consists mostly of the Paris metropolitan area. Most of Île-de-France is covered by the Paris "aire urbaine" (metropolitan area), a statistical area encompassing the Paris "pôle urbain" (urban area) and its couronne périurbaine (commuter belt).

With 11.7 million inhabitants, Île-de-France is not only the most populated region of France, but also has more residents than Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Finland, Greece, Portugal, or Sweden, and has a population comparable to that of the U.S. state of Ohio or to that of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is the fourth most populous country subdivision in the European Union, after England, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria.

Economically, Île-de-France is the world's fourth-largest and Europe's wealthiest and largest regional economy. It is the wealthiest metropolitan area in the European Union, and if it were a country, it would rank as the 15th wealthiest in the world.

Created as district "de la région de Paris" in 1961, it was renamed after the historic province of Île-de-France in 1976, when its administrative status was aligned with the other French administrative regions created in 1972. Its name literally means "Island of France", possibly from ancient Frankish Liddle Franke, "little France". Despite the name change, Île-de-France is still popularly referred to by French people as the région Parisienne (the "Paris region") or RP. However, its inhabitants are more and more referred to as "franciliens", an adjective created in the 1980s.

Coat-of-Arms

Old Coat-of-Arms: "Azure, with lilies seeded" and actual Coat-of-Arms: "Azure, with three golden lilies".

The coat of Ile-de-France, shield or flag of arms (armorial flag), is an emblem who doesn't have an official recognition, although in 2010 the Monnaie de Paris has produced a piece of 10 € three fleurs-de-lis to represent the region, and this coat is the official insignia of the gendarmerie of the Île-de-France. However, the current Regional Council of Ile-de-France uses a logo, a red star with 8 irregular branches.

This shield is actually that of the former estate of the kings of France, which the Ile-de-France derives its existence. It is sometimes replaced by the emblem called "old France" (Azure, with lilies seeded) as shown by a stamp of twenty francs issued on 1 May 1943, or the crests of several regional scouts. The lilies of heraldry so-called "France" and "old France" are found in many coats-of-arms of cities in Île-de-France: Cachan, Montreuil, Juziers, Paris, Puteaux, Saint-Denis, Villepinte, etc...

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Stamps of France: Normandy

NORMANDY

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two regions: Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy.

The name of Normandy is derived from the settlement of the territory by Vikings ("Norsemen") from the 9th century, and confirmed by treaty in the 10th century.

During the Second World War, the D Day landings on the Normandy beaches under the code name "Operation Overlord" started the lengthy Battle of Normandy which resulted in the Liberation of Paris, the restoration of the French Republic, and was a significant turning point in the war.

Lower Normandy is predominantly agricultural in character, with cattle breeding the most important sector.

Normandy is a significant cider-producing region. Other activities of economic importance are dairy produce, flax, horse breeding, fishing, seafood, and tourism. The region contains three French nuclear power stations.

Coat-of-Arms

Coat-of-Arms of Normandy: Gules, two gold leopards, armed and langued of blue.

The traditional provincial flag of Normandy, gules, two leopards passant or, is used in both modern regions. The historic three-leopard version (known in the Norman language as "les treis cats", (the three cats) is used by some associations and individuals, especially those who support reunification of the regions and cultural links with the Channel Islands and England. Jersey and Guernsey use three leopards in their national symbols. The three leopards represent the strength and courage Normandy has towards the neighbouring provinces.

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Stamps of France: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

JEAN-BAPTISTE COLBERT

(29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683)

Jean-Baptiste Colbert was born in Reims and died in Paris, France. He was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from the brink of bankruptcy. Colbert worked to create a favourable balance of trade and increase France's colonial holdings.

Colbert's market reforms included the foundation of the Manufacture "royale de glaces de miroirs" (royal ice mirrors) in 1665 to supplant the importation of Venetian glass (forbidden in 1672) and to encourage the technical expertise of Flemish cloth manufacturing in France.

He also founded royal tapestry works at Gobelins and supported those at Beauvais. Colbert worked to develop the domestic economy by raising tariffs and by encouraging major public works projects. Colbert also worked to ensure that the French East India Company had access to foreign markets, so that they could always obtain coffee, cotton, dyewoods, fur, pepper, and sugar. In addition, Colbert founded the French merchant marine.

Colbert issued more than 150 edicts to regulate the guilds. One such law had the intention of improving the quality of cloth. The edict declared that if the authorities found a merchant's cloth unsatisfactory on three separate occasions, they were to tie him to a post with the cloth attached to him.

Colbertism

Colbertism is an economic and political doctrine of the seventeenth century, created by Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Colbertism is a variant of mercantilism and is more a collection of economical practices than a true current of economic thought.

Colbert's central principle was the wealth and the economy of France should serve the state. Drawing on the ideas of mercantilism, he believed state intervention was needed to secure the largest part of limited resources. To accumulate gold, a country always had to sell more goods abroad than it bought. Colbert sought to build a French economy that sold abroad and bought domestically.

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Stamps of France: Hilarion de Costentin

 ANNE-HILARION DE COSTENTIN DE TOURVILLE

(24 November 1642 – 23 May 1701)

Anne-Hilarion de Costentin (or Cotentin), Count of Tourville, born and died in Paris, France, was a French naval commander who served under King Louis XIV. He was made Marshal of France in 1693.

Entered at the age of four in the Order of Malta, Tourville leads a very young several campaigns against the Turks in the Mediterranean. At age 17, as a Knight of Malta, he fought his first naval battle on a frigate of the Order of Malta. At 25, he joined the French Royal Navy and started an active career, fighting the 1673 campaign of the Franco-Dutch War on the Sans-Pareil, at the Battle of Agosta where he was in command of the Syrene, and later in command of the Sceptre.

He served under Abraham Duquesne during the campaigns of 1676, and became a commander in 1690 during the War of the Grand Alliance. He put his flag on the Soleil-Royal, where it would stay until the battle of La Hougue in 1692. At the Battle of Beachy Head (Victoire de Béveziers), 1690, he defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet, sinking and capturing 15 enemy ships.

On 29 May 1692, at Barfleur, with only 45 ships, he inflicted heavy losses on an English and Dutch fleet 97 ships strong, but was forced to retreat. He himself suffered heavy losses after the battle when fire ships attacked the French ships of the line immobilised for repairs in Cherbourg.

On 27 June 1693, he defeated a convoy of 59 English ships commanded by George Rooke at Cape St. Vincent near Lagos Bay in Portugal, during the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.

Tourville was made Marshal of France and he retired at the end of the war.

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Stamps of France: Edouard Branly

 Édouard Branly

(23 October 1844 – 24 March 1940)

Édouard Eugène Désiré Branly was born in Amiens, France, and died in Paris, France. He was a French inventor, physicist and professor at the "Institut Catholique de Paris". He is primarily known for his early involvement in wireless telegraphy and his invention of the Branly coherer, around 1890.

The coherer was the first widely used detector for radio communication. Branly built it upon the discoveries of Temistocle Calzecchi-Onesti, who demonstrated in experiments made between 1884 and 1886 that iron filings contained in an insulating tube will conduct an electrical current under the action of an electromagnetic wave. The operation of the coherer is based upon the large resistance offered to the passage of electric current by loose metal filings, which decreases under the influence of radio frequency alternating current.

The coherer became the basis for radio reception, and remained in widespread use for about ten years, until about 1907 when British radio pioneer Oliver Lodge made the coherer into a practical receiver by adding a "decoherer" which tapped the coherer after each reception to dislodge clumped filings, thus restoring the device's sensitivity.

Without the work of Branly, Guglielmo Marconi would have been able to make 1895 the telegraph connections that made him famous.

Branly was three times nominated for a Nobel Prize, but he never received it.

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Stamps of France: Claude Chappe

 CLAUDE CHAPPE

(25 December 1763 – 23 January 1805)

Claude Chappe was born in Brûlon, Sarthe, France. He created the first optical telegraph line that connected Paris to Lille. Around 1790, he experimented with different models of telegraphy and finally puts in place a system based semaphores. He makes an initial experience in Parcé, on 2 and 3 March 1791, then reiterated in Paris.

On July 26, 1793, his invention was adopted by the National Convention and was appointed telegraph engineer. In 1794, he completed the installation of the first line between Paris and Lille.

Gradually, Chappe's health, especially mental, decline, and he committed suicide in January 23, 1805.

In 1824 Ignace Chappe, his brother, attempted to increase interest in using the semaphore line for commercial messages, such as commodity prices; however, the business community resisted.

In 1846, the government of France committed to a new system of electric telegraph lines. With the emergence of the electric telegraph, slowly the Chappe telegraph ended in 1852.

The optical telegraph line

The optical telegraph line is a system of conveying information by means of visual signals, using towers with pivoting shutters, also known as blades or paddles. Information is encoded by the position of the mechanical elements; it is read when the shutter is in a fixed position.

The Chappe brothers, in the summer of 1790, set about devising this system of communication that would allow the central government to receive intelligence and to transmit orders in the shortest possible time.

The first achieved optical telegraph covering France with a network of 556 stations stretching a total distance of 4,800 kilometres. It was used for military and national communications until the 1850s.

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Stamps of France: Chenonceau Castle

CHENONCEAU CASTLE

The "Château de Chenonceau" (Chenonceau Castle) is a manor house near the small village of Chenonceaux, in the Indre-et-Loire, département of the Loire Valley, in France. It was built on the site of an old mill on the River Cher, sometime before its first mention in writing in the 11th century. The current manor was designed by the French Renaissance architect Philibert Delorme.

Built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, embellished by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, saved during the French Revolution by Louise Dupin, it is also called the Ladies Castle.

Furnished castle, it's decorated with rare tapestries and old paintings, flowers in every season, set with several ornamental gardens, a park and a vineyard.

The castle is the subject of a classification as a subject of historical monuments in the list of 1840. The park is subject to a classification as a historic monument since November 7, 1962.

An architectural mixture of late Gothic and early Renaissance, Château de Chenonceau and its gardens are open to the public. Other than the Royal Palace of Versailles, Chenonceau is the most visited château in France.

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