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Book Review
Europe: Early Modern and Modern
| Henry Heller. Anti-Italianism in Sixteenth-Century France. Buffalo, N.Y.: University of Toronto Press. 2003. Pp. ix, 307. $60.00.
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| Anti-Italianism was an important phenomenon in sixteenth-century France, closely connected to the developments of Renaissance and Reformation in that country. It began early in the century with the arrival of important numbers of Italian merchants and bankers, particularly in the city of Lyon. They were accompanied by Italian artists who introduced Renaissance art and writing, as well as Italian clergymen who won appointment to a significant number of bishoprics and other key ecclesiastical positions. Anti-Italian sentiment grew later in the century with the arrival of an Italian queen, Catherine de' Medici, and the appointment of a number of Italian courtiers to key positions in the royal government, especially positions managing royal finances. This was particularly striking during the reigns of Charles IX and Henri III, from 1560 to 1589, each of which began with Catherine serving as regent and continued with her as a principal adviser to her sons' governments. Several Italians held key positions in the royal privy council during these years. |
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