2008/08/01 by F. B. Grampp · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Ancient history #Art #Art history #Choir #Classics #Historical Influence and Diplomacy #Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis #History #Institution #Law #Patron saint #Peace treaty #Political science #Politics #Reformation and Early Modern Christianity #SAINT #Visual arts
paper · doi:10.1093/em/can095
openalex publication_date 2008/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
IN 17th-century Rome, major feasts, such as the patron saints’ days of the different churches, were celebrated with great solemnity. In particular, the mother houses of religious orders, sees of confraternities and national churches of the papal city spent vast sums on such occasions for the provision of special church decorations, festal banquets and, not least, ceremonial liturgical music. Numerous churches had their own cappella, and this could be, and often was, augmented by additional singers and instrumentalists, who were positioned in various groupings, and added magnificence to the occasion.1 One focal point of Roman music life was the French church San Luigi dei Francesi, an institution which both gathered French countrymen and pilgrims to the papal city, as well as fulfilling the role of representing ‘spiritually’ a Catholic king in the Holy See. In this way the church, dedicated to the patron saint of France, Louis IX, served as a stage for political representation and diplomatic statement; not only was the patron saint’s day celebrated with special pomp, but also the visits of prominent public figures (such as the Prince of Condé in 1623), important political achievements of the crown (the capture of La Rochelle in 1628; or the peace treaty with Spain of 1660), successive births of Dauphins (in 1601, 1638, 1662), instances of the king’s recovery from serious illness (in 1648, 1658, 1687) or relevant beatifications and canonizations (Francis de Sales in 1662, 1665). These were commemorated publicly, mostly with a thanksgiving service at which the choir, reinforced by additional musicians, sang the Te Deum. However, the feast of San Luigi on 25 August was inaugurated with First Vespers on the eve, followed by High Mass on the day and concluded by Second Vespers in the evening, all accompanied by musiche straordinarie.