When the knights return to Nantes...
- Eric ALAUZEN
- Mar 8
- 3 min read
If you love the history of chivalry, we encourage you to cross the drawbridge at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne in Nantes to discover a magnificent exhibition entitled Chevaliers, (Knights) which presents a collection of European arms and armour dating back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, true masterpieces revealing the skill and artistic intelligence of the craftsmen of the time.
The exhibition gives us a glimpse into this very exclusive world of chivalry, bringing to life the emblematic figure of the knight, the codes of chivalry, his relationship to war, his place in warlike and civil society, and the ways in which his status was demonstrated, such as the customs of tournaments and jousts.
An exhibition made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Stibbert Museum in Florence
Frédérick Stibbert born in 1838 and died in 1906, was a wealthy financier and discerning collector who devoted his life to collecting works of art, especially European and non-European armour. Frédérick Stibbert's armoury is considered one of the richest and most beautiful in Europe, and can be admired in the museum that bears his name in Florence.
More than 150 original objects from the Stibbert collection are on display, along with parallel themes such as Breton chivalry, the place of women in this male-dominated world, with a special nod to Joan of Arc, and the myth of the knight in contemporary art, literature and film.
This is the first time that this exhibition, recently shown in the United States, has been shown in Europe, and Nantes has been chosen as the venue for this first in France. When the knights return to Nantes...
To find out all you need to know about armour, swords (how they were made, their history, what they were used for...), the accessories used by knights, jousts and tournaments... there's just one place to go: the Knights exhibition.
Before your visit, a brief summary of feudalism, chivalry and the knight's initiatory journey...
What is feudalism?
The collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 was to trigger the territorial expansion of the peoples of the East. On the death of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Empire broke up into several states, which were soon governed by numerous warlords to whom the peasants and small landowners had to submit. Local lords in turn joined forces with powerful landowners, creating vassalages. This is what is known as feudalism, the military foundation of which remains a cavalry of knights.
The medieval knight, between myth and reality
The knight embodies positive virtues: courage, honour, charity, faith and loyalty... It's one of the most popular images in the collective imagination... But does the reality match up?
In fact, chivalry dates back to the 8th century. At the time, it was a military institution firmly rooted in society, and the title of knight was usually awarded to mounted warriors noted for their military and equestrian skills. They took part in tournaments and became the stars of the medieval and Renaissance eras throughout Europe.
But the status of knight was not open to everyone; it only concerned wealthy families who could afford to maintain their mounts, armour, weapons and everything else that went with them.
This privileged status created an elite caste, superior to the rest of society and acutely aware of its role and importance.
How did people become knights in the Middle Ages?
Young boys had to be trained from an early age, and it was generally the younger sons of noble families who were excluded from the family inheritance who took this path. As a child, the aspiring knight, trained for the hard military life, is first a page. As an adolescent, he became a squire (from the word écu meaning shield) and one of his tasks was to carry his knight's shield.
A squire becomes a knight between the ages of 14 and 18 through the ceremony (of Frankish origin) of knighting (after the blessing), which consists of his liege touching his left shoulder with the blade of his sword.
Who were the great names of French chivalry in the Middle Ages?
Find out more about the exhibition
Text sources : Knights exhibition
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