History

Revered French national icon falls from grace

Celebrated anti-poverty and homelessness campaigner Abbé Pierre was voted France’s most popular person for many years, but sexual abuse accusations have shattered the activist priest’s crusading legacy

Which came first – the White House or its French lookalike?

Columnist Jane Hanks explores the strong resemblance between Château de Rastignac in Dordogne and the iconic home of US presidents

My ten year challenge to recreate the Bayeux Tapestry

Mia Hansson started the project in December 2015 out of boredom and the results have captivated audiences worldwide

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October 2024: Catch up with French history: 10, 50 and 100 years ago

From riots sparked by a death of a young eco-protester over a dam, Harkis hunger strike in Paris, to 'castaway' Alain Bombard's birth

Who was France’s fiercest female pirate, the ‘Lioness of Brittany’?

After King Philip VI of France executed former noblewoman Jeanne de Belleville's husband for treason during the medieval Breton War of Succession, she turned to piracy to avenge his death

Walker's find leads to discovery of 79 dinosaur footprints in south France

Marc Lemonnier stumbled upon a far more exciting find when he was foraging for mushrooms

Archaeologist's message from 200 years ago found in France

The ‘extremely rare’ note stated that a dig had been performed in the same spot in January 1825

Yves Saint Laurent: the French designer who changed the fashion industry

From smoking jackets to safari-style trouser suits, fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent blurred gender boundaries with his flattering, fabulous prêt-a-porter collections for women

Has tomb of French poet Joachim du Bellay been found 500 years on?

Some researchers are convinced that the tomb belongs to the ‘missing’ Renaissance poet

What was happening in France 10, 50 and 100 years ago

Events include the murder of a French hiker by terrorists, the birth of Maurice Jarre and mutiny on the SS France

Can you pronounce this French word that means ‘fear of Friday the 13th’?

The day has long been associated with bad luck with a small group of people even have a phobia of it

French team build faithful replica of William the Conqueror’s warship

Visitors to the Normandy site can experience a voyage on La Mora in virtual reality

Provence: The other ‘D-Day’ commemorated 80 years on despite storms

The ceremony was cut short due to poor weather but President Macron and African leaders gathered to remember the pivotal 1944 event

August 2024: Catch up with French history: 10, 50 and 100 years ago

From Macron becoming the fresh face in government, to a tricky balancing act and the first 'Deaflympics'

Puy du Fou looks to open sister theme park in UK

The French historical park attracted 2.5 million visitors in 2023

Fee to visit Mont-Saint-Michel rejected for other ways to ease crowds

‘People forget that it’s a commune; it’s a village. We can’t just introduce limits and stop citizens from coming and going,’ says the director

Influence of war’s Vichy regime still present in France

Legislation introduced by the Vichy regime in World War Two is still being applied in France today according to an expert historian

Women given right to vote in France 80 years ago

It came a full 96 years after suffrage was extended to all men in France - and 51 years after New Zealand offered the vote to its women

Four types of words that English adopted from French

Try looking up the etymology of English words and you will find that a lot originate from old French

Why you won’t be hearing church bells much in France for a few days

A trip to Rome, a visit to the Vatican, and lots of chocolate eggs: Where the bells go at Easter

PHOTOS: High tides make Mont Saint-Michel an island again

The phenomenon only happens for a few days each year

SEE: Astonishingly accurate 12th century map of Normandy

The Arabic map appears upside down to us but shows the Channel and Mont-Saint-Michel in roughly the right place

Five legacies of the Revolution that affect France today

The French Revolution was longer and more complicated than most people realise - here are five things that it changed forever

US veteran, 100, to marry in Normandy on 80th commemoration of D-Day

The man, who participated in the 1944 landings, says ‘positivity and love’ are the secrets to his longevity

Five famous people who sought exile in France

Throughout history people have found refuge here for cultural or political reasons

How French medieval craftsmen made the stained glass windows of Troyes

Art historian Dr Julia Faiers discovers the colourful secrets and stories depicted in the churches of Aube’s capital city

Must I take a course to become a tour guide in France?

There are various regulations dependent upon the precise role of a guide

SEE: The medieval 'bastide' villages of south-west France

Historian Dr Julia Faiers uncovers the story behind the grid streets and arcades that tourists love

US president Thomas Jefferson’s French wine tour has lasting legacy

The third President of the United States wanted an American wine industry to compete with the ‘debauchery’ of whisky

Versailles turns 400: humble hunting lodge to iconic symbol of France

Today’s Château de Versailles is a shrine to opulence but the palace has fallen into disrepair in the past - and been saved several times

Marguerite Durand: the force of France’s first feminist journalist

The 19th-century former actress founded a daily newspaper written and produced entirely by women

French Palaeolithic cave art shows deep human connection with animals

Nature watcher Jonathan Kemp goes underground to marvel at the bison, deer and aurochs drawn 14,000 years ago

PHOTOS: World War One frontline bunker for sale in the Somme

The partially-buried bunker saw action during numerous battles until the end of the war

Napoleon, an ‘irritable little tyrant’? Not to us French people

The leader remains a central figure and unified France during one of its most fraught periods, say two experts, as a new blockbuster film about him divides critics

Grandson of war hero Charles de Gaulle wants Russian citizenship

How 32 elite architects protect France’s historic monuments

We speak to one of the architects about the gruelling recruitment process and the constant compromise between past and future

French sailors’ love letters in UK reveal messages 265 years on

The letters, which were never read by their intended recipients, offer rare insights into ‘normal’ 18th century people in France

President opens 'first-ever’ centre dedicated to French language

The chateau where François I ruled that French, not Latin, should be used has been renovated to celebrate the fun and vitality of the language

Is ‘de’ a sign of being from a ‘posh’ or noble French family?

There is often thought to be a certain cachet to having a so-called ‘particule’

Princely French residence saved by Englishmen

Charlotte Vignon introduces a new book charting the history of Château de Bagatelle, Parisian getaway villa of kings and royal family members

Art historian’s guide to walking the Chemin de Compostela from France

Medieval art historian Dr Julia Faiers walks in the shoes of a pilgrim to discover the sacred art and monuments along the Chemin de Compostelle

7 places to visit in France for free with this weekend’s Heritage Days

We list some sites that are not yet full for reservations - but be quick

Teachers baffled by Macron’s plan to ‘teach history chronologically’

‘We’re a bit mystified’: Teachers respond to the president’s comments saying this is already the case

Nuts about Châtaignes: The history of French chestnuts

An exploration of the history of chestnuts in remote rural areas of France

Excavations begin at suspected site of WWII executions in France

A former resistance fighter recently told how around 50 German soldiers were executed and buried at the location

Why do the French say Pékin, not Beijing?

There are several examples in French of place names which have long since been replaced by alternative versions in the English language

Beethoven's ‘skull parts’, found in France, returned to Austria

The bone fragments will now be studied in a bid to shed light on the composer’s multiple health conditions

Belle Epoque Paris lavatory is restored as tourist attraction

We look at the history of France’s first public toilet and the social commentary behind the capital’s ‘pissoirs’

The Paris suburb housing estate that is like no other in France

Merlan was developed by international architects after World War Two to provide affordable housing to families dispossessed by bombing

Explore the sites to see the legacy of France’s glorious Roman past

We ask ‘what have the Romans ever done for us?’ and discover the answer is ‘quite a lot, actually’, as the sites, museums, roads and villas dotted all over the country reveal

Families launch appeal to save French WW2 massacre ruins

The ruins at Oradour-sur-Glane have been maintained as a permanent memorial to the hundreds of civilians killed during its destruction by Nazi soldiers in 1944

Utopian living runs in the family in French village of Fontaine-Daniel

We discover how workers’ rights and social harmony have been promoted for more than a century at a former cotton mill in the Mayenne village of Fontaine-Daniel

Centre yourself in the wine-making, historical heart of France

We explore the central department of Cher, where visitors can step back in time in the medieval city of Bourges, mess about in boats, or sample some world-famous wine

Go west: why the wealthy shun the east of town in France

Learn the historical and industrial factors behind the geographic divide between the rich and poor in French towns

Unveiling the history of rugby in La Rochelle

Discover the inspiring history of Stade Marcel-Deflandre in La Rochelle - a stadium that symbolises resilience

US veteran and social media star, 100, in France for D-Day anniversary

Jake Larson has found fame on TikTok recounting his experiences as a soldier in the first wave of US troops to land on Omaha Beach in 1944

Free exhibition explores period before and after the French Revolution

From a largely unseen portrait of Marie-Antoinette to Louis XVI’s diary entries, the showcase has plenty of treats

Celebrate haggis, whisky, and the Auld Alliance in France

Discover the ancient friendship between Scotland and France lives on through a host of festivals in the Hexagon, with traditional music, games, and men in kilts

More than 800 cousins from same French family gather for a party

A French couple’s dying wishes began the tradition in 1898

‘Old French house bricks have a character that is unique’

Bricks tell a story and can help date parts of your property, says Nick Inman

The remarkable WWII story of a British secret agent in occupied France

Lilian Rolfe (1914-1945) will get further recognition in Paris on Friday for her role in freeing France from Nazi Germany

Did you know? Lille installed France’s first street heating system

The 1954 experiment was prompted by a severely cold winter that killed many and led Emmaüs founder, Abbé Pierre, to appeal for help

Bellegarde dig shows France’s evolving approach to archaeology

The discovery of 20,000 BC artefacts highlights how the treatment of archaeological sites has changed

President Macron pays tribute to Resistance leader Jean Moulin

The president is going to the prison where the well-known French hero was tortured

Marseille was early ‘Resistance capital’ as new series shows

The Connexion speaks to a leading expert on wartime in the southern port city about what he thinks Netflix got right and wrong

Has a longstanding mystery at Mont-Saint-Michel finally been solved?

A rock at the popular tourist site has been stumping experts for years. But now a German archaeologist thinks he has solved the puzzle

What are the origins of France’s saucepan-banging protests?

Historians say they evolved from a mediaeval ritual but their political use dates back to the 19th century

What is the origin of France’s motto ‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’?

We look at the history of this phrase and the extent to which it is linked to the French Revolution

Coffin of ancient Egypt’s ‘greatest king’ goes on display in Paris

An exhibition featuring the sarcophagus of Ramses II opens in the French capital on Friday (April 7)

Medieval murder and turbulent history of Burgundy’s Semur-en-Auxois

Stone walls, towers and sculpture tell the tale of this monastic town if you know where to look

The only six women in history to be ‘reburied’ in the French Panthéon

We celebrate the women deemed worthy to lie in Paris’s special ‘hall of fame’

Metal detectorists in France reject ‘looter’ label in French crackdown

It is illegal to use a metal detector without permission from the prefecture or risk seven years in prison for pillaging heritage

Last survivor of French war massacre village Oradour-sur-Glane dies

Robert Hébras, 97, was one of only six survivors. He was shot but managed to escape by crawling out of a pile of corpses ready to be burnt to hide in a stable

Fungus attack repairs on historic French ship need further €6.5million

Fundraising has started to save a replica of the 18th-century frigate L’Hermione that fought the British in the American War of Independence

Five French civil wars - from Charlemagne to the Paris Commune

We look at five of the most important conflicts fought on French territory