![Samuel_Guichenon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Samuel_Guichenon.png)
Samuel Guichenon (18 August 1607,
Mâcon
Mâcon (), historically anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the prefecture of the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as Mà ...
- 8 September 1664) was a French lawyer, historian and genealogist.
Life
He was one of three sons born to Grégoire Guichenon and Claudine Chaussat, a Calvinist family originating in
Châtillon-les-Dombes. His father was a surgeon at
Bourg-en-Bresse
Bourg-en-Bresse (; frp, Bôrg) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Ain Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ...
and his mother was the daughter of a rich merchant from Bourg-en-Bresse, but they settled in
Mâcon
Mâcon (), historically anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the prefecture of the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as Mà ...
to be closer to the Protestant community at
Pont-de-Veyle
Pont-de-Veyle (, literally ''Bridge of Veyle'') is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.
Geography
The Veyle flows west through the middle of the commune.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Ain department
*List of medieval ...
. He had an active adolescence "with prodigious humour and a tender heart" and studied law in
Annonay
Annonay (; oc, Anonai) is a commune and largest city in the north of the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It is the most populous commune in the Ardèche department although it is not the capital ...
before completing his doctorate in
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
.
Under the influence of an old clergyman from Bourg-en-Bresse, following a trip to Italy and a dream about
Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
, Samuel renounced Calvinism and converted to Catholicism in 1630.
[''Bulletin du bibliophile et du bibliothécaire'' de J. Techener, 1863, p.566.] He began studying judicial law and became a lawyer in
Bourg-en-Bresse
Bourg-en-Bresse (; frp, Bôrg) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Ain Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ...
. He married three times - one of these was to a rich widow, whose wealth allowed him to devote himself completely to his historical research. In 1650 he published his ''Histoire de la
Bresse
Bresse () is a former French province. It is located in the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté of eastern France. The geographical term ''Bresse'' has two meanings: ''Bresse bourguignonne'' (or ''louhannaise''), whic ...
et du
Bugey The Bugey (, ; Arpitan: ''Bugê'') is a historical region in the department of Ain, eastern France, located between Lyon and Geneva. It is located in a loop of the Rhône River in the southeast of the department. It includes the foothills of the ...
'' but he refused to edit the "Histoire de la
Dombes
The Dombes (; Arpitan: Domba) is an area in eastern France, once an independent municipality, formerly part of the province of Burgundy, and now a district comprised in the department of Ain, and bounded on the west by the Saône River, on the s ...
" in the way
Vaugelas wished, since this would involve justifying France's annexation of this project and bias the work. Also in 1650 he was made dynastic historian to the
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
(then under the regency of
Christine of France
Christine of France (10 February 1606 – 27 December 1663) was the sister of Louis XIII and Duchess of Savoy by marriage. Upon the death of her husband Victor Amadeus I in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648.
Daughter of F ...
until her son
Charles Emmanuel II
Charles Emmanuel II ( it, Carlo Emanuele II di Savoia); 20 June 1634 – 12 June 1675) was Duke of Savoy from 1638 to 1675 and under regency of his mother Christine of France until 1648. He was also Marquis of Saluzzo, Count of Aosta, Geneva, M ...
came of age) and to write a History of the Estates of Savoy he moved to
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
. In 1651 he was made a count palatine by
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III (Ferdinand Ernest; 13 July 1608, in Graz – 2 April 1657, in Vienna) was from 1621 Archduke of Austria, King of Hungary from 1625, King of Croatia and Bohemia from 1627 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1637 until his death in 1657.
...
- he was also a knight of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
.
He displeased the House of Savoy by disputing traditional chroniclers and disproving its hereditary rights to several lost territories such as
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
and
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. He clarified certain obscure points in its history and revealed some well-kept secrets, which led to many polemical disputes with other historians. Finally, under pressure, he recognized the House's traditional claim to Saxon origins and a dynastic link with the Holy Roman Emperor and endorsed the Duke of Savoy's policy of regional expansion towards Italy and of renouncing its claims to lands in western Europe which were too difficult to capture or hold onto due to French pressure.
In 1658
Louis XIV of France
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Versa ...
ennobled Guichenon and made him official historian of France.
His ''Histoire généalogique de la Royale Maison de Savoie'' was published in
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
in 1660 and presented to Christine of France - it marked the start of a new age in history-writing in which research was founded on the authenticity of sources and rational study. He was awarded the
Cross of Saint Maurice. Never published, his last work was ''Le Soleil en son apogée'', a
panegyric
A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens.
Etymology
The word originated as a compound of grc, ...
of Christine, edited during the last months of his life. He is buried in the église des Jacobins at Bourg-en-Bresse. He was highly thought of until the end of the 18th century.
Works
* ''Histoire de la Bresse et du Bugey'' (1650).
* ''Le Soleil en son Apogée ou Histoire de Chrestienne de France, Duchesse de Savoie, Princesse de Piémont, Reyne de Chypre'' (1664)
''Histoire généalogique de la Royale Maison de Savoie ou Histoire généalogique de la Royale Maison de Savoie justifiée par titres, fondations de monastères, manuscrits, anciens monumens, histoires, et autres preuves authentiques'' published by Jean-Michel Briolo (1660)
* ''Bibliotheca Sébusiana'', published by Jean-Michel Briolo (1660)
* ''Episcopum Bellicensium chronologica series'' (1642)
* ''Histoire de la souveraineté de la Dombes''
[Not published in Guichenon's lifetime, it was begun at the request of ]Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
. However, he was accused of reporting certain events in it later than they actually happened.
Volume 1Volume 2
References
Sources
*
Ferdinand Hoefer
Jean Chrétien Ferdinand Hoefer (German: ''Ferdinand Höfer'', 21 April 1811, Döschnitz – 4 May 1878) was a German-French physician and lexicographer. He is now known for his many works on the history of science.
Selected works
*''Élément ...
''Nouvelle biographie générale depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu’à nos jours, avec les renseignements bibliographiques et l’indication des sources à consulter'' Paris, Firmin-Didot frères, 1853-70. 46 volumes, p. 537
*
E. Haag, ''La France Protestante, ou Vies des protestants français qui se sont fait un nom dans l’histoire'', Paris, Joùel Cherbuliez, 1846-1858
External links
The Literature of the pays de l’Ain and its surroundings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guichenon, Samuel
1607 births
1664 deaths
17th-century French historians
17th-century French lawyers
French genealogists
French Roman Catholics
People from Mâcon
Converts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism
History of Savoy