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Le Grand Siecle

Databases:

Biography in Context
Biography in Context is an engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information on the world's most influential people. The new solution merges Gale's authoritative reference content (including Lives & Perspectives) with periodicals and multimedia organized into a user-friendly portal experience while also allowing users to search for people based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, or gender as well as keyword and full text.

 Britannica School

WebPath using Destiny Catalog

Clothing - 17th Century France
©2011 Multnomah County Library
Wonderfully informative site with good pictures and information.
Select the woman or man and much more information about
people at different levels of society.

17th Century - Hair Dressing World
Good pieces of information about the practices one undertook to look good.

Bienvenue au Chateau de Versailles
Versailles - take a virtual tour and see how people lived at court.

Louis XIV (1638-1715)

Called the Sun King, Louis XIV was considered a great king. He was only four years old when he became king of France and his mother served as regent. Rebellions against his mother and the chief minister made him fearful. When the time came, he considered himself an absolute monarch with divine right and chose to rule without a chief minister. Aggressive foreign policies increased his territory, tight central control consolidated his power, and religious restrictions caused the Huguenots to flee. France became the leading European power.
Topic: France--History--1589-1789, Bourbons, France--History--Bourbons, 1589-1789, Louis--XIV,--King of France,--1638-1715   http://www.bbc.co.uk

Alexandre Dumas

While the majority of "Alexandre Dumas, Two Centuries of Living Literature" is presented in French (for "obvious reasons," the summary maintains), excellent resources are available for English-speaking visitors, including a chronology of the French author's life, complemented by several images. (From the sidebar in the chronology, one can view a gallery of additional images.) The link for the feature "Dumas as described by his and our contemporaries" leads to another resource for English-speaking visitors; it includes Jean-Dominique Bauby's essay "How I became a character from Le Comte de Monte-Cristo" and Rober Louis Stevenson's "A gossip on a novel of Dumas's."
Topic: Dumas, Alexandre,--1802-1870 http://www.dumaspere.com

Leonardo Da Vinci

Who was Leonardo da Vinci? The original Renaissance man, he was an architect, engineer, painter and vegetarian. Explore this interactive site, hosted by the Museum of Science in Boston, to learn about this fascinating scientist, inventor, and artist. The in-depth biography explores his early life and later contributions to the fields of science and art. Examine his paintings and use of perspective, aerial views, and vanishing point. Can you guess why Leonardo wrote his notes from right to left?
Topic: Leonardo,--da Vinci,--1452-1519 http://www.mos.org

The Mind of Leonardo

Leonardo da Vinci is often referred to as the "universal genius." This online exhibit, The Mind of Leonardo, explores his conception of knowledge of laws that rule man and nature. Seven different exhibits are available. For example, you can browse through the "Face of the Genius" and see his famous self portrait. Or, you might want to see the "Grammar of Forms: Proportion and Analogy." Here you will see his famous Geometric Man, or Vitruvian Man. Log on to this fascinating web site and explore the wonders of Leonardo da Vinci.
Topic: Leonardo,--da Vinci,--1452-1519 http://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it

Moliere: French Dramatist

Discover the real name of the French dramatist known as Moliere. This comic dramatist wrote satirical comedies and farces in the 17th century and also was a leading actor and director. His comedy-ballets featured startling scenic effects accomplished through a vast array of stage machinery. Investigate how he turned away from practicing law and the family business to pursue acting and become the most popular comic playwright of his time. Evaluate why he gathered many enemies with his satirical and innovative works. Explore the influences that inspired the works of Moliere.
Topic: Moliere,--1622-1673 http://www.discoverfrance.net

Moliere (Jean Baptiste De Poquelin, 1621-1673)

In the midst of struggle and hard work, Moliere knew poverty and even spent time in a debtors' prison. His earliest theatrical enterprises were dismal failures. Find out how his fortune changed as you learn about his sense of humor concerning the absurdities of Paris life. Although he continued producing some plays of intrigue, he pioneered a new genre with his gift for comedy and caricatures. Plots were borrowed from many sources and combined with wit as he mocked vanity, conceit, greed, and hypocrisy. Evaluate what critics had to say about Moliere.
Topic: Moliere,--1622-1673 http://www.theatredatabase.com

Creating French Culture

Treasures that tell about the history of France can be viewed at this online exhibition from the Library of Congress. These items were on loan from France's national library, and they illustrate the culture of the various people who ruled France throughout its history. Choose from four different time periods to get an overview of the rulers for each one. For each period of history, you can see and read about items that were important to the rulers. There are manuscripts, coins, works of art, maps, and more.
Topic: France--History http://www.loc.gov

A History of France

An overview of the history of France includes details about Philip Augustus, King Philip II of France. Find out about the growth of the royal French domain under his reign and see which territories and lands he acquired. See how Philip II improved the efficiency of royal administration records and instigated the use of the bailiff with recognized territorial jurisdictions. His relationships with the main classes of the population and his policies toward the lesser rural and urban populations are explained.
Topic: France--History, Philip--II,--King of France,--1165-1223 http://history-world.org

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