Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Étienne Marcel

Equestrian statue of Étienne Marcel by Antonin Idrac, Jardin des Combattants-de-la-Nueve, Quai de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, Paris

Equestrian statue of Étienne Marcel by Antonin Idrac, 1882
Jardin des Combattants-de-la-Nueve
Quai de l'Hôtel-de-Ville
Quartier Saint-Merri, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“Étienne Marcel (between 1302 and 1310 – 31 July 1358) was provost of the merchants of Paris under King John II, called John the Good (Jean le Bon). He distinguished himself in the defense of the small craftsmen and guildsmen who made up most of the city population. As a delegate of the Third Estate, he played an important role in the general assemblies held during the Hundred Years' War. In 1357, he found himself at the head of a reform movement that tried to institute a controlled French monarchy, confronting the royal power of the Dauphin or heir to the throne.” (Étienne Marcel, Wikipedia)