ENGLISH
THE PRIVILEGES
OF THE LYON FAIRS INV. 172
FOCUS
SALLE 7 : FOIRES, COMMERCES - 16E S.
kingdom but only at the Lyon and Valence customs ...provided
that the goods left Lyon within two weeks and the kingdom
one day later;
> all foreign currencies were authorised during trading but bills
of exchange* were particularly encouraged*;
The free circulation of people, merchandise and money was
created!
What does that represent?...the king, the town and
Brittany
The coats of arms highlighted on this document are highly
symbolic. Holding the banner, two lions on the rocks epitomise
the town’s strength.
At the bottom of the parchment, in a coloured cartridge, three
coats of arms, unfortunately in a very poor condition, are carried
by angels:
What is?
What is it?...an official poster
This parchment, which dates back to July 1494, proclaims the
royal privileges that led to four annual fairs being held in Lyon.
It is an official document of major importance, issued by royal
decree. This placard* was intended for public display. Its cost of
arms and conspicuous title are meant to attract attention. Traces
of the nails that once held it to the wall and evidence that it was
once framed are still clearly visible. Written by hand in French,
it is addressed to as many people as possible at a time when
the elitists still used Latin. Its illuminations and colours, which
are less vibrant nowadays, emphasise its contents and the royal
messenger!
grey words: items that can be seen in this room
How does it work?...it generates legislation
This official poster is a legal text. Each of the eight clauses is
introduced by the dropped initial I Latin word Item: “likewise”.
Amongst the entitlements announced in the clauses, that of
holding four two-week fairs every year is matched with several
privileges:
> foreigners – except the English, who were former enemies
– were allowed to move freely throughout the kingdom during
the fairs without having to present their papers or accounts;
> merchandise was not taxed either on entering or leaving the
Bill of exchange (in white), Roze Lambert and Company, Lyon, 17th c.
> the coat of arms to the left – “sky blue with 3
golden fleurs de lys”, three fleurs de lys against a
blue background, topped by a royal crown – is the
coat of arms of the King of France, Charles VIII
(1483-1498) who granted the privileges of the
fairs to the town of Lyon;
> the coat of arms in the centre - “in two parts,
sky blue with 3 golden fleurs de lys and ermine”
– unites the ermines of the House of Brittany to
the right with the three fleurs de lys of the King
of France to the left. Topped by a ducal crown
decorated with rubies, emeralds and apium
flowers is the coat of arms of Anne of Brittany
following her marriage to Charles VIII in 1491, ... a
marriage that considerably extended the kingdom
by attaching Brittany to the Kingdom of France;
> the coat of arms to the right apparently shows
“the jaws of the silver lion with a sky blue section
above depicting the 3 golden fleurs de lys”: three
fleurs de lys against a blue background above a
silver lion portrayed against a red background
– the coat of arms of Lyons.
.../...
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HISTOIRE DE LYON
You may find the notice boards of the museum rooms on our website,
at www.gadagne.musees.lyon.fr
ENGLISH
THE PRIVILEGES OF THE LYON FAIRS
INV. 172
Who?
History of a collector’s item
Who put this into action?... Charles VIII
The ravages of time
The privilege to hold fairs, which was granted to Lyon in 1494, was
the outcome of royal history that unfurled from 1420 onwards.
The future Charles VII, then the Regent of the Kingdom, allowed
Lyon to hold two fairs, each of 6 days’ duration in recognition of the
town’s loyalty to the king. In February 1444, having been crowned
king, he increased the frequency (to three) and duration (to 20
days) of the fairs. Ever enterprising, the middle class citizens of
Lyon were granted permission by King Louis XI, in the Lettres
of 8 March 1463, to hold four fairs in Lyon, each of two weeks’
duration, namely at Easter, during the month of August, on All
Saint’s Day and in December.
Between 1484 and 1487, the privileges were abolished: with the
arrival on the throne of young King Charles VIII, the towns of
Bourges, Montpellier and Troyes plotted together to strip Lyon
of its royal privileges, which they obtained in 1484. Lyon found
itself unable to hold a fair for three years. It’s difficult to gauge
the influence and ability to react demonstrated by the people of
Lyon!
It is assumed that the considerable decomposition of the
cartouche within the document in the precise location depicting
the royal coat of arms, was the work of revolutionary insurgents
in 1789, who invaded institutions and destroyed certain symbols
of royalty. The document, which belongs to the municipality
of Lyon, was deposited on an unknown date in the municipal
archives. The latter handed it back to the Musée Historique de
la ville de Lyon (Gadagne) (History Museum of the City of Lyon)
in 1926.
An historical object
What it tells us:
The Privilèges de foires de Lyon (privileges of the fairs of Lyon) is
a masterpiece of the musée d’histoire de Lyon (History Museum
of Lyon) and emphasises the economic vibrancy of the town in the
16th c. It also highlights the crucial importance of obtaining royal
favours and the influence of the town of Lyon in this domain. Lyon
was beginning to emerge and to obtain unique privileges, making
it a strong banking centre and a vital crossroads for European
trade – a privilege that it managed to retain and build upon as
time went by…
Lyon won back the right to hold fairs at Easter time and on All
Saint’s Day from Charles VII. In 1494 when the king was seeking
to finance his wars in Italy, the entire town and its population
joined forces to lend him, according to the Lettres d’Auxonne of
June 1494... 10 000 pounds! In return, in July 1494, the right to
hold fairs, initially granted in 1463, was reinstated, thus boosting
their perpetuity.
Who carried them out?...the municipality of Lyon
Faced with a royal decision of such magnitude, the municipality of
Lyon decided in subsequent weeks to produce this poster, which
was certainly displayed in the Consulate premises and, later
on, at the Hôtel de Ville, constructed between 1645 and 1651 by
Simon Maupin.
glossary
placard: a sign or printed notice displayed in a public place.
bill of exchange: a draft by which a purchaser (the drawer) asks the
seller (the drawer) to pay the amount due to a third party (the payee).
This dispensed with the need to travel with the coin of the realm and
promoted European trade at the same time.
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HISTOIRE DE LYON
You may find the notice boards of the museum rooms on our website,
at www.gadagne.musees.lyon.fr
Design: D. Miège / P. Bosquet / P. Gausset – Photo credits: ©muséesGadagne - Document produced with the assistance of C. Ducourthial, Archaeological Service of the City of Lyon
grey words: items that can be seen in this room
16th c. portrait
of the King of France,
Charles VIII,
Inv. 39.301.5